Zelenskyy Unveils New Government: Key Appointments in the Koretskyi Cabinet.

Ukraine's New Cabinet of Ministers Takes Office

According to Espreso.tv: On July 16, 2023, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada approved a reshuffled Cabinet of Ministers, with Serhiy Koretskyi appointed as Prime Minister. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the start of the new government's work and introduced the incoming ministers. Denys Shmyhal retained his role as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy. Vsevolod Chentsov was named Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

Other key appointments include:

• Oksana Ferchuk as Minister of Digital Transformation,
• Tetyana Berezhna as Minister of Culture,
• Serhiy Marchenko as Minister of Finance,
• Viktor Liashko as Minister of Health,
• Matviy Bidnyi as Minister of Youth and Sports,
• Denys Ulyutin as Minister of Social Policy,
• Denys Maslov as Minister of Justice,
• Vitaliy Kim as Minister of Veterans Affairs,
• Taras Vysotskyi as Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.

Additionally, Oleksandr Kravchenko was appointed Minister of Economy and Environment, Vitaliy Bezgin as Minister of Communities, Territories, and Internally Displaced Persons, Mykola Kalashnyk as Minister of Infrastructure, Andriy Butenko as Minister of Education and Science, and Ivan Vyhivskyi as Minister of Internal Affairs. Notably, no appointments were made on July 16 for the positions of Minister of Defense or Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Naftogaz weathered a tough winter; despite all Russian strikes, Ukraine had gas.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy highlighted the new prime minister's strength as his experience in state-owned energy companies. He also stressed that “Ukraine must be fully prepared to protect lives, safeguard its people, and ensure we get through the winter.” According to Zelenskyy, this is the top priority for the new government.

Context Behind the Appointments

The formation of the new Cabinet comes amid ongoing reforms in Ukraine and preparations for the winter season, with a particular focus on energy security challenges. The new team's core priorities center on energy, social protection, and European integration—key factors for the country's stability. However, the absence of appointments for the Defense and Foreign Affairs portfolios leaves some uncertainty regarding Ukraine's foreign policy and security posture.