Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named Sergii Koretskyi, the head of state energy company Naftogaz, as the best candidate to become the next prime minister as the country undergoes its second cabinet reshuffle in a year.

“The priorities are clear – preparing for winter,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday as Kyiv braces for another season of expected Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid. “Therefore, following all the consultations, Sergii Koretskyi is surely the most prepared candidate for the post of prime minister of Ukraine.”

If selected by parliament, which is responsible for naming the prime minister, Koretskyi would succeed Yulia Svyrydenko, whom Zelenskyy pushed out after just a year on the job. Parliament accepted Svyrydenko’s resignation on Tuesday and is expected to vote on her replacement on Thursday. The chamber is likely to go with Zelenskyy’s preferred candidate because his party controls a majority of the seats.

A prime minister’s resignation automatically triggers the resignation of the entire cabinet, meaning a wider shake-up is expected. Particular attention has turned to the fate of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov at a time when Ukraine is pressing a campaign of long-range drone attacks on Russia.

Fedorov, 35, is a promoter of technological innovations who came from outside the Defence Ministry establishment and took charge there six months ago. Asked whether Fedorov would retain his post, Zelenskyy said he would meet him and the army leadership on Wednesday before a planned meeting with lawmakers.

Zelenskyy has offered little explanation for the latest shake-up, saying only that Ukraine is pursuing a new “political strategy” that requires new appointments, including in government and law enforcement. He said the strategy would focus on key foreign policy priorities, including licensed production of Patriot air defence systems, advancing EU membership, and deepening ties with the Gulf region.

Source: www.aljazeera.com