Ukraine Parliament Grapples with Unresolved Defence and Foreign Crises Amid War

Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has resumed its sessions after a summer recess, but its return on Tuesday highlights a significant leadership gap within the government's crucial wartime portfolios. Despite Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi's new cabinet being approved on July 16, two critical positions — defence minister and foreign affairs minister — remain unfilled. This situation is particularly pressing for the defence ministry, which has now been without a permanent head for a month, even as Russia intensifies its ballistic missile attacks, a remarkable anomaly for a nation engaged in a full-scale invasion for over four years. Under Ukraine's constitution, only the president holds the authority to nominate candidates for these two posts, given their direct link to his roles as supreme commander-in-chief and head of foreign policy; however, President Zelenskyy has yet to put forward any names for either ministry.

While permanent appointments are pending, interim leaders have stepped in. Andrii Sybiha, who held the position of permanent head of the foreign ministry prior to the cabinet reshuffle, continues to serve as acting foreign minister. Similarly, Yevhenii Khmara, formerly the acting head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), was tasked by President Zelenskyy with leading the defence ministry on July 16. The former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, revealed in an August 6 interview that he had not left his successor entirely without guidance, stating he personally handed Khmara a detailed "war plan." Fedorov explained that he walked Khmara through the plan, elucidating "the logic – how that logic of the war plan then deconstructs into procurement, into development," effectively breaking down the overall strategy into hundreds of specific projects, ranging from weapons production to financing.

The dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov has not gone without public protest. Street demonstrations in Kyiv have continued, with rallies held to denounce Zelenskyy's decision. On August 16, Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran and one of the protest organizers, articulated the movement's objective: "to remind the president of the importance of dialogue between the authorities and society, as well as of the fact that the president himself must bear responsibility for the consequences of all questionable personnel decisions."

A petition, read aloud at a recent demonstration and subsequently delivered to the Presidential Office, highlighted both a past success and ongoing concerns. It pointed to Zelenskyy’s decision to replace Oleksandr Syrskyi with Mykhailo Drapatyi as commander-in-chief as a positive concession. However, the petition also pressed the president for explanations regarding other contentious appointments, such as Rustem Umerov's transfer to head the Foreign Intelligence Service. Crucially, the petition's primary focus was less on the individual minister and more on safeguarding the reform agenda championed by Fedorov. This agenda included vital anti-corruption measures within military procurement, establishing a more accountable chain of command, and advancing Ukraine's capabilities in drone and data-driven warfare.

Despite the public outcry and the critical need for a permanent defence leader, the situation with Mykhailo Fedorov remains at an impasse. President Zelenskyy publicly stated he offered Fedorov "a prominent position in the government" focused on the technology sector. However, Fedorov has consistently rejected every alternative proposal, insisting he will only consider returning to his previous role as defence minister.