Ukraine war news: Kiev gets new diplomat as conflict enters critical phase

Kiev, Ukraine –

Ukraine’s parliament on Thursday approved the appointment of a new foreign minister, two lawmakers said, as President Volodymyr Zelensky seeks to revive his government as the war against Russia enters a decisive phase.

Andrii Sybiha, a former ambassador to Turkey, is the country’s new chief diplomat. He replaces Dmytro Kuleba, who became one of Ukraine’s most recognizable faces on the international stage when he filed petitions and pleaded with Western countries to support Ukraine’s war effort.

Sybiha, 49, has been working as Kuleba’s deputy since April.

Zelenskyy wants to replace nearly a dozen top officials in his biggest government shakeup since the full-scale invasion of Russia in early 2022. Other possible new faces include the heads of strategic industries, agriculture and justice.

The changes require parliamentary approval, Ukrainian lawmakers Yaroslav Zhelezniak and Oleksii Honcharenko confirmed the vote to The Associated Press.

Zelenskyy said on Wednesday about the reshuffle that Ukraine needs “new energy.”

The war, which has been going on for more than 900 days, is about to enter an important period.

A harsh winter is likely ahead, testing the country’s resolve. Ukraine’s electricity grid is under severe strain after Russian missiles and drones knocked out around 70 percent of the country’s generating capacity, potentially leaving us without heat and water.

On the battlefield, Ukraine is waiting to see whether its military gamble of a surprise attack on Russia’s Kursk border region a month ago will pay off. Meanwhile, outgunned Ukrainian soldiers are being gradually pushed back by Russia’s months-long advance deeper into eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian civilians are at the mercy of Russia’s deadly long-range airstrikes.

The list of victims in an attack on a military training school in Poltava on Tuesday grew to 55 dead and 328 wounded, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said on Thursday, as a search and rescue operation continued.

No major policy changes are expected under the new government. Zelenskyy’s five-year term expired in May, but he remains in power under martial law, and his leadership is largely unchallenged.

Sybiha, the new foreign minister who previously also worked in the president’s office, takes on the role as Ukraine tries to prevent war weariness from undermining Western engagement.

Authorities in Kiev will also have to deal with the outcome of the US elections in November, which could lead to major policy changes in Washington.

At the top of Ukraine’s wish list now are more Western air defense systems and permission from its Western partners to use their weapons to strike targets on Russian soil. Some Western leaders are reluctant to grant those, fearing an escalation that could drag them into the fight.