Ukrainian lawmakers appointed Andrii Sybiha, as the country’s new foreign minister in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reshuffling of his top advisers.
Sybiha, 49, replaces Dmytro Kuleba, who had been instrumental in lobbying Ukraine’s Western allies for more military assistance for Ukraine’s 30-month fight against Russia’s invasion.
Sybiha, who speaks English and Polish, has been the deputy foreign minister and had also served as ambassador to Turkey.
He is considered to be closer to Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, than Kuleba, who is the most prominent departure from Zelenskyy’s list of top officials.
The Foreign Ministry of neighboring Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine, congratulated Sybiha in a post on X, saying, “We look forward to further cooperation for Ukraine’s European future.”
While Kuleba’s diplomatic skills were acknowledged, his removal was part of a bid by Zelenskyy to exert a tighter grip on foreign policy, Ukrainian sources suggested.
