"This is Zelensky's latest reformatting of power"

Large-scale cabinet reshuffles will take place in Ukraine on July 16, said Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Yaroslav Zheleznyak. On July 14, it became known that Vladimir Zelensky had proposed First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Sviridenko to head the government. The current prime Minister Denis Shmygal will take over the post of defense minister after his resignation, and the head of this department, Rustem Umerov, will become ambassador to the United States. Other permutations are also possible. The changes are most likely related to the upcoming elections, experts say. It is worth emphasizing that according to the legislation of Ukraine, in the event of the dismissal of the Prime Minister, the entire cabinet resigns. However, under martial law, the Government cannot stop its work.

"Kellogg came to Ukraine to participate in the process of forming the Ukrainian government"

The upcoming reshuffle in Ukraine will be the last before the election campaign, former Verkhovna Rada deputy Spiridon Kilinkarov tells Izvestia.

"I think this is Zelensky's last reformatting of power before the main battle in the upcoming election campaign. They understand that sooner or later it will happen, so right now this reformatting is happening — this is an internal alignment. There is also an external one: I do not rule out that Keith Kellogg came to Ukraine, including to monitor and participate in the process of forming the Ukrainian government," he says.

"Changes in the Ukrainian government hardly deserve serious analysis"

This is not the first time that Vladimir Zelensky has changed the positions of certain officials, and this does not affect the essence of Kiev's policy in any way, Oleg Karpovich, vice-rector of the Diplomatic Academy, tells Izvestia.

"The changes in the Ukrainian government hardly deserve serious analysis. Obviously, people who are positively perceived in the United States are now being selected for key roles. It's not for nothing that Keith Kellogg, in fact, personally oversees this process. In addition, Zelensky's regime has to maneuver against the background of growing internal dissatisfaction with his activities and the failures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, we understand that the Kiev regime remains an autocracy, completely controlled by external players," the expert says.

Currently, there are hardly any people in Ukraine who are allowed to make key decisions, the expert stressed.

"Zelensky generally spat on both the constitution and his party"

The Ukrainian leader, by independently organizing the reshuffle, violates the basic law of the country, former Verkhovna Rada deputy Volodymyr Oleynik tells Izvestia.

"According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the candidacy of the Prime Minister is proposed by the faction or the party that has the majority. In other words, these are the "servants of the people" who were supposed to gather now, discuss and propose the candidacy of the prime minister to the president. Zelensky generally spat on the constitution and on his party," he says.

It is worth emphasizing that government reshuffles are legally prohibited during martial law, recalled Rada deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak. On July 14, Zelensky himself proposed to the Verkhovna Rada to extend martial law and mobilization until November 5, 2025.