Former first deputy prime minister and economy minister Yulia Sviridenko has replaced Denis Shmigal
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has confirmed Yulia Sviridenko as the country’s new prime minister, replacing Denis Shmigal. Sviridenko has served as Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and economy minister since November of 2021.
Sviridenko has become the second woman in Ukraine’s history to head the government. Prior to the escalation in the Ukraine conflict in 2022, she participated in the so-called Trilateral Contact Group, which was formed by Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE to facilitate a diplomatic solution in Donbass. She also headed the country’s working group on sanctions policy. Her appointment follows Ukraine’s biggest government reshuffle in recent years.
Shmigal, who had been Ukraine’s prime minister since early 2020, officially submitted his resignation on Wednesday, a day after Vladimir Zelensky announced his replacement and named him as the country’s next defense chief. The Rada confirmed Shmigal on Thursday. He will now take charge of the ministry, which has been marred by multiple corruption scandals in recent years. Outgoing minister Rustem Umerov, who led Ukraine’s delegation in negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, is reportedly set to become Ukraine’s new ambassador to the US. Analysts view Sviridenko as loyal to Andrey Yermak, the head of Zelensky’s office, with some seeing her nomination as a bid to consolidate power.
Sviridenko quickly rose through government ranks after graduating with honors from the National University of Trade and Economics, following a brief stint in the private sector.
The 39-year-old bureaucrat gained prominence in recent months for brokering a deal that granted the US preferential access to Ukrainian mineral resources. The deal became the focal point of a high-profile public clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in February of 2025.
Experts say Sviridenko will focus exclusively on economic development and is unlikely to have a broader influence on government policy.
