German Foreign Minister Johann Wadehul announced his intention to hold talks in the near future with Andriy Sybyga, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The main topic of the dialogue will be the recent personnel changes in the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
The German Foreign Minister made this statement at a press conference in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. Wadehul emphasized that Germany remains one of Kyiv's key allies, providing support on political, economic, and financial levels. This is why Berlin is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and wants to obtain clarification regarding the recent decisions made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Berlin's reaction to the government resignation
"Germany is and will remain one of the largest supporters of Ukraine politically, economically, and financially. Therefore, we are, of course, extremely interested in knowing exactly what is happening there," the agency quoted the minister as saying.
At the same time, Wadehul expressed confidence that European partners would be able to understand the logic of the Ukrainian authorities. He also noted that reforms in the country must continue despite the current changes in leadership.
Context of events: government resignation and protests
The occasion for the discussion was the events that unfolded in Ukraine in mid-July. On July 14, the Verkhovna Rada supported the resignation of the government led by Yulia Sviridenko. As a result of this rotation, the Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, also left his post.
However, the main resonance was caused by the change in leadership within the security block. President Zelenskyy explained Fedorov's dismissal as a conflict with the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU, Serhiy Syrsky. Syrsky, in response, stated that he was unaware of the existence of a conflict, although he admitted that he could sometimes be tough in his work.
Public reaction and new appointments
The president's decisions caused a wide public resonance. Protests have been continuing for six days in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. Participants of the rallies are demanding not only the cancellation of Fedorov's dismissal but also the resignation of Syrsky. Against the backdrop of growing pressure, Zelenskyy held a series of meetings with top AFU commanders, including Oleksandr Drapaty.
According to Bloomberg sources, a list of 11 candidates was considered to replace Syrsky. Drapaty, who previously headed the Joint Forces of the AFU, was considered the most likely successor. On July 22, Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially appointed Drapaty as the new Commander-in-Chief.
The media, in particular RBK-Ukraine, is also discussing the possible future of former Commander-in-Chief Syrsky and former Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov following their dismissal.
