Ukrainian cabinet reshuffle sees six ministers resign
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday that Ukraine needed "new energy", as he ordered a major government reshuffle. A total of six ministers, including Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, submitted their resignation and Parliament accepted the resignations of four. They included the resignations of a deputy prime minister in charge of European integration, the strategic industries minister overseeing Ukraine's arms production and two other ministers, the lawmakers said. "We need new energy today, and these steps are related only to the strengthening of our state in different directions," Zelensky told media during a joint news conference with a visiting Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris. Lawmakers said that Parliament was expected to consider Kuleba's resignation on Thursday. After Zelensky, 43-year-old Kuleba was the best-known face of Ukraine overseas, meeting leaders around the world and lobbying for military and political support. Analysts said the government reset had been planned for some time, but was postponed because Zelensky had focused on talks with Kyiv's Western partners through the summer to secure military and financial aid. Russia said that government changes in Ukraine would not affect a peace negotiation process in any way, although such talks appear a distant prospect with the two warring parties far apart in their objectives. The next few months are key for Zelensky as he seeks to win more support from the West and seize back the initiative in Ukraine's fight against Russia. (Reuters)