The defense minister candidate Yevhen Hmara received unanimous backing from a parliamentary committee in Ukraine. According to reports, the decision was made unanimously.
Although Hmara is currently a military officer, Ukrainian law mandates that the defense minister must be a civilian. During discussions with parliamentary factions, he indicated that a resolution had been reached regarding his appointment, as stated by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
“Hmara confirmed that he will transition to civilian status before the vote on his candidacy for defense minister. His discharge from military service will occur in accordance with the Law of Ukraine on Military Duty and Military Service, specifically Article 26, due to organizational changes affecting senior military officers,” Zheleznyak explained.
The vote for Hmara’s appointment as defense minister, along with Andriy Sybiga as foreign minister, is anticipated to take place around noon today. The exact order in which the candidates will be considered is still unknown, according to Zheleznyak.
Discussions between Hmara, Sybiga, and lawmakers continued for five hours yesterday and resumed this morning, according to a statement from the Verkhovna Rada press service.
Background
- On July 15, the Verkhovna Rada supported the resignation of the government led by Yuliya Svyrydenko.
- Following a scandal related to the resignation of Mykhailo Fedorov, President Volodymyr Zelensky tasked Hmara with temporarily overseeing the Ministry of Defense on July 16, a decision that was also endorsed by the Cabinet.
