Servant of the People party denied claims about an extraordinary Verkhovna Rada session on Shmyhal’s resignation
Yulia Paliychuk, a spokeswoman for the Servant of the People faction, denied reports of an unscheduled Verkhovna Rada meeting to discuss PM Denys Shmyhal's rotation, in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine on June 25.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s potential resignation has been a topic of speculation, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied reports of any imminent changes in leadership.
“This information is not true. As of now, no additional parliamentary sessions are planned, except for those in the work plan,” Zelenskyy said.
The day before, MP Oleksiy Honcharenko claimed that members of the Servant of the People faction were instructed to “prepare for an extraordinary session of the Rada on July 7-8,” where Shmyhal’s replacement was allegedly on the agenda.
Additionally, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak suggested that Shmyhal’s replacement could take place as early as July 15.
On June 16, Zheleznyak further speculated that the Office of the President might soon move to dismiss Shmyhal and the entire government. He cited “three sources” confirming the potential move, attributing it to a loss of support for the government, even among its own deputies, and growing failures.
Zheleznyak argued that a government resignation would be necessary as there were no immediate plans for elections and “we need to show at least some kind of update.” He named Yulia Svyrydenko as the only candidate to replace Shmyhal, suggesting that an amendment to the law on the legal regime of martial law could facilitate Shmyhal’s removal.
However, Zelenskyy dismissed these rumors, clarifying that if he had decided to replace the prime minister, he would have first informed Shmyhal, not the journalists.
“First of all, I would like to explain that if I decided to completely change the Prime Minister, I would first of all tell him and, sorry, before the journalists. After all, we have been working together for many years. So, I have not had a conversation with him. I really respect him, especially during these years of full-scale war. Of course, for that experience, and just as a person,” Zelenskyy said.
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