Ukrainian Domestic — 2026-08-19

Zelensky Delays Filling Defence and Foreign Minister Posts Without Submitting Nominations

BLUFKyiv's failure to resolve a straightforward legal prerequisite for its own nominee signals dysfunction in the presidential office that is stalling wartime cabinet continuity across multiple portfolios.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had not submitted a nomination for Defence Minister to the Verkhovna Rada as of Monday, according to Holos MP Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliament's National Security, Defence and Intelligence Committee 1. Kostenko said the committee did not know whether a confirmation vote would occur, though he hoped a nomination could arrive by day's end 1. Acting Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara, whom Zelensky said in July he would nominate, briefed the committee on his plans this week but remains an active serviceman. Kostenko said Khmara must relinquish military status or parliament must amend the law before a vote can proceed, and neither step has been taken 1. Kostenko said he would back Khmara's candidacy if formally nominated 1. New Voice of Ukraine separately reported delays in filling both the Defence and Foreign Minister posts 2.

Analysis
Zelensky's office, not the Rada, holds the bottleneck: Khmara remains an active serviceman with no discharge order or legislative amendment yet enabling a confirmation vote, so the post stays unfilled regardless of committee support, which Kostenko has signaled he would extend once formally nominated. The delay may instead reflect deliberate deference to Khmara's ongoing operational duties rather than presidential indecision, pending further progress on his transition plan. Sourcing rests on a single primary account from Kostenko, with New Voice of Ukraine offering secondary amplification rather than independent confirmation. The same stall affecting the Foreign Ministry points to a broader lag in completing the post-Svyrydenko cabinet more than a month into the reshuffle.

2 sources

Zelenskyy still has not submitted nomination for Defence Minister – Holos MP, serviceman Kostenko - Censor.NET
Zelenskyy delays filling key ministerial posts - New Voice of Ukraine