Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, received 262 votes in Ukraine's 450-seat parliament, surpassing the required majority to become prime minister, according to Reuters, citing information from several Ukrainian members of parliament. Parliamentary sessions are not broadcast during wartime.
"It is a great honor for me to lead the government of Ukraine," Svyrydenko wrote on X. "The government is working towards building a country that is militarily, economically, and socially self-sufficient. My key goal is to deliver tangible, positive results that the people of Ukraine can feel in their daily lives."
The new prime minister declared she would act quickly and decisively, aiming to establish reliable arms supplies, enhance the military's technological capabilities, and expand domestic weapons production within her first six months.
Economically, Prime Minister Svyrydenko aims to support Ukrainian businesses. She announced a comprehensive audit of public spending, emphasizing tangible savings, stating there would be "no political favoritism, only numbers and actual results."
"We will continue, for victory, for reconstruction, for Ukraine," Svyrydenko concluded.
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Yulia Svyrydenko at a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on 8/5. Photo: AFP |
Yulia Svyrydenko at a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on 8/5. Photo: AFP
Born in December 1985, Svyrydenko graduated from Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics in 2008 and completed several postgraduate programs. She worked for a real estate company before entering politics. In November 2021, she was appointed first deputy prime minister and minister of economy.
Svyrydenko's role became prominent this year through tense negotiations on the Ukraine-US minerals agreement. President Volodymyr Zelensky nominated her for prime minister on 14/7, succeeding Denys Shmyhal.
The Ukrainian parliament is expected to vote on Shmyhal's appointment as defense minister, replacing Rustem Umerov, as proposed by Zelensky. The president also announced the selection of Olga Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and minister of justice, as Kyiv's ambassador to the US.
