Yulia Svyrydenko: Ukraines new prime minister who masterminded key Trump deal
Independent1 day
Zelenskyy Nominates Svyrydenko as Ukraine's New Prime Minister
Above: Ukraine's Economy Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on May 8, 2025. Image copyright: GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Svyrydenko brings the proven economic leadership that Ukraine urgently needs. Her success brokering the U.S. minerals deal, and stewarding the economy through the war's darkest period, demonstrates exceptional diplomatic and economic skills. A focus on cutting bureaucracy, protecting businesses, and channeling resources toward defense is exactly what Ukraine needs.
Opposition narrative
Umerov's overdue dismissal exposes Ukraine's undemocratic governance crisis. An unelected government reshuffles loyalists while ignoring parliamentary oversight. Umerov's reward for catastrophic defense failures? A cushy ambassadorship where his family already lives. Ukraine's democracy dies when failed ministers face no consequences.