Khmara Set for Defense Minister Vote Despite Questions Over His Military Status
The Verkhovna Rada is expected to vote Wednesday on the appointments of Khmara as defense minister and Sybiha as foreign minister. Maj. Gen. Khmara’s expected nomination comes amid questions over the legal requirement for the defense minister to be a civilian.
Ukraine's parliament is set to vote on Wednesday, Aug. 19, for two key Cabinet positions: defense minister and foreign minister. President Volodymyr Zelensky is said to have nominated Andrii Sybiha for foreign minister and Yevhen Khmara, an active-duty major general in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, for defense minister. Khmara is expected to submit his resignation from the military before taking up the ministerial role.
The move is in response to a July Cabinet reshuffle that removed former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, leading to widespread protests. Fedorov's removal reportedly influenced Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko's decision to decline the defense minister position. Khmara, a senior special forces officer, played a crucial role in Operation Spiderweb, which reportedly neutralized a significant portion of Russia's strategic bomber fleet.
However, a legal requirement stipulates that the defense minister must be a civilian, creating uncertainty about Khmara's ability to formally assume the position. Discussions are underway to either pass legislation allowing an active-duty military officer to serve as defense minister during martial law or find another solution. The president retains the authority to nominate candidates for both defense and foreign ministers' positions.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
