Ukraine's Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Sergey Koretsky Named Prime Minister

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada on Thursday appointed Sergey Koretsky as the country's new prime minister, as reported by TASS, citing a live broadcast of the parliamentary session. The vote came two days after the parliament dismissed Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko and the entire Cabinet.

According to TASS, 289 lawmakers supported Koretsky's appointment, surpassing the required 226 votes. Koretsky, born in Ukraine's western Volyn Region in 1978, is described as a well-known businessman. He assumed leadership of the state-run energy companies Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta in 2022 and later became CEO of Naftogaz. Ukrainian media outlets, as cited by TASS, suggest that Koretsky, who has no public administration experience, was appointed prime minister due to his informal ties with President Vladimir Zelensky and Zelensky's associate Timur Mindich. TASS noted there is no official information on Koretsky's involvement in corruption scandals linked to Mindich.

In addition to the prime minister, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint 16 ministers to the new Cabinet, excluding the defense and foreign ministers, whose nominations must be submitted by President Zelensky. The vote on the ministerial appointments saw 264 lawmakers voting "for," 15 against, and 19 abstaining, with 20 lawmakers not voting, as reported by TASS.

According to the list published by lawmakers and Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, several ministers will retain their posts: Denis Shmygal as first deputy prime minister and energy minister, Sergey Marchenko as finance minister, Tatyana Berezhnaya as culture minister, Viktor Lyashko as health minister, and Matvey Bedny as sports minister.

Coverage Comparison

TASS's reporting covered the parliamentary proceedings from multiple angles, including the appointment of Koretsky, the dismissal of Sviridenko, and the approval of the ministerial roster. All reports rely on the live broadcast of the Rada session and official parliamentary information.

One TASS report focused exclusively on the dismissal of Yulia Sviridenko on July 14, noting that 258 lawmakers voted in favor of her dismissal, with five abstaining and one voting against. Under Ukrainian law, the prime minister's resignation automatically results in the resignation of the entire government. The report also highlighted differing views among lawmakers about Sviridenko's next role: lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said she would become Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, while another lawmaker, Olga Vasilevskaya-Smaglyuk, said Sviridenko had not yet made a final decision and might become head of President Zelensky's office instead.

Another TASS report detailed Koretsky's appointment and background, while a third focused on the ministerial vote and the retention of several current ministers.

Key Claims

  • The Verkhovna Rada appointed Sergey Koretsky as prime minister with 289 votes in favor.
  • The Verkhovna Rada dismissed Yulia Sviridenko as prime minister with 258 votes in favor.
  • The parliament appointed 16 ministers to the new Cabinet, excluding the defense and foreign ministers, with 264 votes in favor, 15 against, and 19 abstentions.
  • Several ministers will retain their posts, including Denis Shmygal, Sergey Marchenko, Tatyana Berezhnaya, Viktor Lyashko, and Matvey Bedny.
  • Koretsky, a businessman with no public administration experience, was appointed prime minister, reportedly due to informal ties with President Zelensky and Timur Mindich.
  • Sviridenko's future role remains uncertain, with lawmakers offering different possibilities, including ambassador to the United States or head of Zelensky's office.

Perspectives

Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's Parliament): The parliament voted to dismiss Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko and the entire Cabinet, then appointed Sergey Koretsky as prime minister and approved a new ministerial roster, excluding defense and foreign ministers.

Lawmakers Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Olga Vasilevskaya-Smaglyuk: Differing views on Sviridenko's next role: Zheleznyak suggested she would become ambassador to the United States, while Vasilevskaya-Smaglyuk said Sviridenko was undecided and might instead lead Zelensky's office.

TASS (citing Ukrainian media): Koretsky's appointment is attributed to informal ties with Zelensky and Timur Mindich, a figure linked to corruption scandals, though no official information confirms Koretsky's involvement.