Ukraine’s biggest government shake-up ahead of Zelenskyy’s US visit

Ukraine has undergone the biggest government reshuffle since Russia’s invasion in 2022. According to the Washington Post, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a large-scale overhaul of his cabinet as the war has reached a critical stage.

Zelenskyy announced the changes ahead of his visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly later this month. The main agenda item of the visit is to present a “victory plan” as part of Ukraine’s war strategy.

In a statement, Zelenskyy emphasized that the government needed “new energy” to confront the war’s challenges, emphasizing that these steps aimed to strengthen the state in various fields. According to close government sources, Zelenskyy has noticed a disconnect between the government and the people and is taking action to fix it.

Zelenskyy’s visit to US: Critical ‘victory plan’

Zelenskyy views his September visit to the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly as a crucial chance to showcase Ukraine’s winning strategy to the global community.

Ukrainian leader plans to present his strategy for winning the war to Western allies ahead of the U.S. presidential elections. Ukraine greatly values U.S. and Western support, so this visit will focus on the future of this strategic partnership.

Ukraine’s demands for arms and support from West

Ukraine is requesting more weapons and support from the United States and its Western allies, particularly for attacks on military targets inside Russia. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stressed that Ukraine has specifically requested Patriot air defense systems and more missiles from the West.

Kuleba argues that Ukraine can weaken Russia’s missile strike capacity by launching attacks on Russian military air bases. However, some Western restrictions remain in place, limiting Ukraine’s ability to attack targets inside Russia.

Russia’s escalating strikes and civilian casualties

Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. A ballistic missile attack on a military training center and hospital in Poltava killed more than 50 people, while another attack in Lviv killed seven civilians.

The mayor of Lviv declared the destruction of a family and asserted that Russia was deliberately targeting civilians. Russia, on the other hand, argues that these attacks targeted military installations. Missile and drone strikes frequently target major cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Pressures on West: Ukraine’s strategic demands

Ukraine continues to demand more support from its Western allies. Foreign Minister Kuleba demanded that the United States and Europe provide more missiles for Ukraine to attack Russian military air bases and lift restrictions on such attacks.

Kuleba asserted that the Western measures in this domain are inadequate, and emphasized the need for further actions to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Ukraine’s cross-border operations and targets in Russia

Last month, the Ukrainian army launched a surprise attack on the Russian Belgorod and Kursk regions. This operation distracted Russian troops and contributed to Ukraine’s strategic gains on the eastern front.

Russia, however, remains focused on the course of the war in eastern Ukraine. As Ukraine continues to pressure Russia with such cross-border attacks, Western support will be critical to their success.