Dmitry Kuleba was reportedly saved by the US from being ousted earlier this year, but this week resigned amid a major cabinet reshuffle
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky reportedly accused Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba of failing to secure more arms supplies from Western sponsors when explaining the decision to remove the diplomat from his position.
Kuleba tendered his resignation this week as part of an ongoing cabinet purge. More than half of Ukraine’s senior government members will be replaced in the overhaul, according to MP David Arakhamia, who leads the parliamentary faction of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party. Zelensky met with members of his faction to explain his intentions on Wednesday evening, after the Ukrainian parliament failed to approve some of the proposed cabinet changes.
Kuleba is said to be perceived by Ukraine’s foreign backers as the highest-profile target of the cull. Zelensky told MPs that the diplomat “lacks the energy to push forward the supplies of weapons,” a source in the party told the Suspilne news outlet.
Last week, Kuleba accused unnamed Western donors of failing to deliver Patriot air defense systems pledged to Kiev. He also has been unsuccessfully lobbying the US and its allies for permission to use Western long-range arms for strikes deep inside Russia.
Arakhamia has confirmed that Kuleba will be replaced by First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga. The former deputy to Andrey Yermak, Zelensky’s influential chief-of-staff, was moved to the Foreign Ministry in April, prompting rumors in Ukrainian media that he was set to head the ministry.
Sources close to the Ukrainian leader cited by The Economist claim that Zelensky had intended to remove Kuleba even earlier, but was discouraged by the US Department of State. Zelensky’s office reportedly believes that attention in Washington is now focused on the November presidential election, alleviating any pressure over his decision.
The British magazine described the reshuffle as “a quick show [by Zelensky] to bamboozle his way to the headlines” and a move to further consolidate power for himself and Yermak in the face of falling public approval. “With elections canceled during the war, this was one of the only levers he could pull,” the outlet wrote. Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired in May, although he has cited martial law as the reason for not holding an election.
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In addition to reshuffling the cabinet, Zelensky intends to create a new ministry with a mandate to lure Ukrainians living abroad to return to the country. Draft avoidance is a major problem for Kiev’s efforts to replenish troops in the conflict with Russia, and it has been pressuring citizens to come back and fight.
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