Andrii Sybiha succeeds Dmytro Kuleba as Ukraine's foreign minister

Ukraine’s parliament on Thursday (September 5) approved the nomination of Andrii Sybiha as its foreign minister, replacing Dmytro Kuleba as part of the biggest government reshuffle since the full-scale Russian invasion.

“First appointment – Andrii Sybiha as minister for foreign affairs of Ukraine,” lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said, adding 258 lawmakers had voted in favour of the appointment.

Sybiha, 49, is reputed as a skillful career diplomat. He was deputy minister for foreign affairs, and has previously served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland and Turkey. He has worked for several years in Zelenskyy’s office, overseeing foreign policy and strategic partnerships.

The new foreign minister is considered to be closer to presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak than his predecessor Kuleba. According to AFP sources, Kuleba did not want to resign but had been under pressure from Yermak and has been criticised for the functioning of his ministry.

More from World

'Not a single policymaking person who knows Russia,Ukraine' as Trump heads for talks with Putin Lula hits back at Trump over judiciary attacks, says US president would face trial in Brazil if January 6 riots happened there

Kuleba did not attend the parliament session where 240 lawmakers voted to accept his resignation, said Zheleznyak.

Before he took over Kuleba’s post, Sybiha was his first deputy at the Foreign Ministry.

Here’s a look at his career trajectory prior to that, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

1997-1998: Attache, Third, Second Secretary at the State and Legal Affairs Department, Directorate General for International Legal Affairs, MFA

1998-2002: Second, First Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in Polish Republic

2002-2003: First Secretary at the Department of Legal and Humanitarian Cooperation, Directorate General for European Integration, MFA

Impact Shorts

View All

'We are aware': US State Department tells Firstpost on Munir's nuclear threats

Trump to meet one-on-one with Putin in Alaska — a repeat of infamous Helsinki summit

2003-2005: Head of the International Law Department, Directorate General for International Legal Affairs, MFA

2005-2006: Head of the International Law and Foreign Policy Legislation Department, Directorate General for International Legal Affairs, MFA

2006-2008: Deputy Head of the Directorate General for International Legal Affairs, MFA

2008-2012: Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Ukraine in Polish Republic

2012-2016: Head of the Directorate General for Consular Service, MFA

2016-2021: Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Turkey

2021-2024: Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine

With inputs from agencies