Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has been appointed as the country’s new Prime Minister by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Outgoing Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has been designated as Ukraine’s new Minister of Defense.

Rustem Umerov, who previously held the position of Defense Minister, is now expected to be appointed as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States.

Svyrydenko, 39, is an economist by profession. She gained international recognition for her role in a mineral agreement signed with the United States.

Following her nomination for the post of Prime Minister, Svyrydenko released a statement outlining her top priorities: reviving Ukraine’s war-torn economy, expanding domestic assistance programs, and accelerating weapons production.

She also expressed a firm stance on eliminating bureaucratic delays in government operations, promoting trade, and reducing unnecessary expenditures.

The new appointments still require approval from the Ukrainian Parliament. However, given the current political climate following the Russia-Ukraine war, and the parliament’s strong alignment with President Zelenskyy, the approvals are widely expected to go through smoothly.