Iryna Vereshchuk moved from the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Reintegration of Occupied Territories to the Presidential Office as the person responsible for social issues. She is one of the few Ukrainian government employees with relevant experience in local politics. From 2010 to 2015, Vereshchuk was mayor of her hometown of Rava-Ruska on the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Olha Stefanishyna, the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, who is well-known in the West, is now also Minister of Justice. This has not only increased Stefanishyna’s scope of power but also her ability to drive forward Ukraine’s accession to the EU through her ministry. What is pleasing about this development is that two prominent Ukrainian female politicians, Vereshchuk and Stefanishyna, have survived the government reshuffle politically and have been able to strengthen their positions.

A Hardened Leader

The war has hardened Zelenskyy—as is easy to see from his face and body language. Zelenskyy’s experience as a TV showman has played a useful role in inspiring international support and Ukrainian resistance. Now that the defensive struggle has become a war of attrition, however, a different kind of leadership is needed. Different tasks, such as sustainable resource mobilization and management, are paramount today. For this, Zelenskyy needs a different apparatus than three years ago. Whether or not the recent leadership change will meet this challenge is a crucial question for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy himself must also become a different leader than he was at the beginning of the war. The majority of the population still supports him due to his unquestionable steadfastness and public presence. However, doubts are growing regarding whether Zelenskyy is the right choice as head of state for a long confrontation with Russia—a skepticism expressed, among other things, in General Zaluzhniy’s high popularity. So far, Zelenskyy's ability to learn and adapt has been helpful. Perhaps this will also enable him to fulfill his new role as a wartime president.

Julia Kazdobina is a Senior Fellow in the Security Studies Program of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” in Kyiv. Follow her on X: @JuliaK_Ukraine.

Andreas Umland is an analyst at the Stockholm Center for East European Studies at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.

Follow him on X: @UmlandAndreas.

Image: Oscar Gonzalez Fuentes / Shutterstock.com.