The Verkhovna Rada will hold meetings with the candidates for the posts of defense and foreign ministers
Meetings between members of parliament and the nominees for the positions of Minister of Defense Yevhen Khmara and Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiga are continuing in the Verkhovna Rada.
The discussions lasted more than five hours yesterday.
“This morning, meetings continued between members of parliament from various parliamentary factions and groups and the nominees for the positions of Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs—Yevhen Khmara and Andriy Sybiga. Yesterday, the discussions lasted more than five hours,” the Verkhovna Rada reported.
During the meetings, participants discussed the main tasks and challenges facing Ukraine, as well as the candidates’ visions for the key areas of work in the ministries they would lead.
The Verkhovna Rada emphasizes that these are positions on which Ukraine’s defense capabilities, the state’s position on the international stage, and the achievement of strategic goals largely depend.
“Members of Parliament emphasize the importance of ongoing dialogue between the government and parliament, a shared understanding of priorities, and coordinated work on decisions and legislative initiatives necessary to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities,” the Verkhovna Rada noted.
On July 15, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the decision to dismiss Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of defense minister. According to the information provided, Yevhen Khmara, the former acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), was to become the ministry’s interim head.
Following this, protests broke out in several Ukrainian cities, with participants opposing Fedorov’s dismissal. Activists demanded not only his reinstatement to the Ministry of Defense but also the replacement of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Currently, parliamentary factions and groups are continuing consultations with candidates ahead of further consideration of personnel matters.
The day before, the Verkhovna Rada received nominations from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appoint Yevhen Khmara as Minister of Defense of Ukraine and Andriy Sybiga as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Prior to this, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered Bill No. 15431, which provides for a large-scale reform of the hunting industry, the digitization of the sector, and changes to hunting regulations. At the same time, the bill has already drawn sharp criticism from animal welfare and environmental organizations, which are urging members of parliament to reject it as early as the first reading.
As a reminder, the Verkhovna Rada prematurely terminated the mandates of MPs Denys Maslov and Vitaliy Bezgin, who were members of the “Servant of the People” faction. Parliament adopted the relevant resolutions at a plenary session on July 17.
