Ukraine gets a new chief diplomat as the war with Russia enters a critical phase

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s parliament approved the appointment of a new foreign minister Thursday, two lawmakers said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to breathe fresh life into his administration with the war against Russia poised for what could be a pivotal phase.

Andrii Sybiha, a former ambassador to Turkey, is the country’s new chief diplomat. He replaced Dmytro Kuleba, who became one of Ukraine’s most recognizable faces on the international stage as he petitioned 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 almost a dozen top officials in his biggest government shake-up since Russia’s full-scale invasion started on Feb. 24, 2022. Other changes included the heads of strategic industries, justice, natural resources and farming.

Parliament’s approval is required for the changes. Ukrainian lawmakers Yaroslav Zhelezniak and Oleksii Honcharenko confirmed the vote to The Associated Press.

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

The war, more than 900 days long, is on the cusp of what could be a key period.

A likely hard winter lies ahead, testing the country’s resolve. Ukraine’s power grid is under severe strain after Russian missiles and drones knocked out around 70% of the country’s generation capacity. That could mean going without heat and water.

On the battlefield, Ukraine is waiting to see whether the military’s gamble with its surprise thrust into Russia’s Kursk border region a month ago pays dividends. Meanwhile, outgunned Ukrainian soldiers are gradually being pushed backward by Russia’s monthslong drive deeper into eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian civilians are at the mercy of Russia’s deadly long-range aerial strikes.

The casualty list from a Russian missile strike Tuesday on a military training school in the Ukrainian city of Poltava grew to 55 dead and 328 wounded, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said Thursday. A search and rescue operation was continuing.

No major policy changes were expected under the new administration. Zelenskyy’s five-year mandate expired in May, but he remains in power under the provisions of martial law, and his leadership is largely unchallenged.

Sybiha, the new foreign minister who also previously worked in the president’s office, takes on the role as Ukraine endeavors to prevent war fatigue from eroding the West’s commitment.

Kyiv officials will also have to navigate the result of the U.S. election in November, which could produce important policy shifts in Washington.

Top of Ukraine’s wish list at the moment are more Western air defense systems and permission from its Western partners to let it use their weapons to hit targets on Russian soil. Some Western leaders are reluctant to grant that request, because they fear an escalation that could drag them into the fighting.

Top U.S. military leaders, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet in Germany on Friday to discuss those issues with European allies.

Zelenskyy hasn’t shrunk from major decisions that risk alienating senior officials and perplexing the public.

In February, he replaced his top general in a shake-up aimed at reigniting battlefield momentum, and the then defense minister Oleksii Reznikov quit a year ago, after Zelenskyy said that he would be replaced and named his successor.