Zelensky Submits Khmara, Sybiha Nominations to Parliament

Presidential submissions naming Yevhenii Khmara as Ukraine’s defense minister and Andriy Sybiha as foreign minister have reached the Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian lawmakers said on Tuesday, Aug. 18.According to Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko, President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted the nominations to parliament for consideration. Lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said lawmakers are expected to vote on the candidates on Wednesday, Aug. 19.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Both Khmara and Sybiha are currently serving as acting heads of their respective ministries.Khmara became acting defense minister on July 20 after Zelensky dismissed his predecessor, Mykhailo Fedorov. Sybiha is currently serving as acting foreign minister.Fedorov’s dismissal sparked a series of protests across Ukraine, with demonstrators calling for his reinstatement.Several dozen protesters gathered outside Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on Tuesday, as lawmakers were expected to consider the appointment of a new defense minister.The protesters are demanding that Mykhailo Fedorov be reinstated as defense minister after his dismissal, which he has criticized as unjustified. Fedorov previously said his efforts to implement reforms and resistance from the bureaucracy contributed to his removal. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.