Ukraine Taps Former Ambassador Andrii Sybiha As Foreign Minister

On Wednesday Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced his resignation amid an ongoing major Zelensky shake-up of his cabinet – which the biggest of the war – and has involved at least seven top officials and ministers being forced out in a ‘reboot’ aimed at staving off defeat amid the Russian invasion.

The following day Ukraine’s parliament voted to appoint Andrii Sybiha as the country’s top diplomat. He will now be the international face representing Kiev to countries abroad, just as Kuleba was for two-and-a-half years of war.

Image source: Getty Images

Sybiha is Ukraine’s former ambassador to Turkey and had previous to that served as deputy head of the presidential office. 

The Washington Post describes of his recent experience in government: 

Sybiha, a senior diplomat, left his role as Yermak’s deputy earlier this year to serve as deputy foreign minister. He was ambassador to Turkey from 2016 to 2021, an experience that was likely seen as an asset due to the critical role Turkey plays in the war.

The same publication says he will likely accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a trip to the Unites States later this month. Zelensky will be in New York for the United Nations General Assembly where he’s expected to unveil his “victory plan”.

It has been reported that this victory plan will at some point be presented to both presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump.

David Arakhamia, who is head of the ruling Servant of the People group in parliament, wrote on Telegram this week: “As promised, a major reboot of the government can be expected this week.” He identified that starting Wednesday there will be “lay-offs, and the day after . . . the day of appointments.”

Again, this big reboot appears a major cabinet and government reform effort toward securing greater and quicker Western support. It’s curious that the shake-up is happening just weeks before Zelensky is expected in the US.

The Washington Post recounts that “Ukraine blamed delays in U.S. support at that time for the fall of Avdiivka, a key eastern city where Ukrainian forces were outgunned. The fall of that city paved the way for Russian forces to advance steadily on the key transit hub of Pokrovsk.”

And Pokrovsk is now in Russian crosshairs. The eastern city is so vital as a key logistics hub for Ukraine that its probable collapse is likely result in Kiev finally losing the whole of Donetsk.