Zelensky wants economy minister as new Ukraine PM in shakeup

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that he was recommending economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko become prime minister in what would be a significant political shakeup for the war-scarred country.

Svyrydenko, 39, gained prominence this year during fraught negotiations around a rare minerals deal with the United States that nearly derailed ties between Kyiv and its most important military ally. She would replace Denys Shmygal as prime minister if the change is approved.

"I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work," Zelensky wrote on social media alongside a picture of the two.

"I look forward to the presentation of the new government's action plan in the near future," Zelensky added.

Svyrydenko, who is also a deputy prime minister, was appointed to lead Ukraine's struggling economy just months before the Kremlin launched its full-scale assault in February 2022.

She is part of a young generation of Ukrainian leaders who have steered the country through the Russian invasion and contrast starkly with the Soviet-styled elites that dominate in Russia.

Her appointment will require approval by parliament, which has largely united around Zelensky since the Russian invasion and is unlikely to vote against the president.