Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday, September 4, his government needed "new energy" during a major reshuffle that saw Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and several others hand in their resignation. The announcement came a day after several other ministers and officials resigned in one of Kyiv's most significant government reshuffles since Russia invaded two and a half years ago.

Zelensky had said in August that he planned to make changes to the cabinet, but the scale of the reshuffle has surprised some observers.

"We need new energy," said Zelensky, when asked about the reshuffle and Kuleba's future. "And these steps are related to strengthening our state in various areas."

He thanked those stepping down for their work, during a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris in Kyiv. "Some of them have been our ministers for five years," he pointed out.

Kuleba – the face of Ukrainian diplomacy during the war – is the most senior of the departing ministers.

Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday approved the resignation of four ministers, but the removal of a deputy prime minister and another senior government member failed to garner enough votes. Voting on Kuleba's resignation was postponed until Thursday, according to a parliamentary source.

Kuleba, 43, has held the key post since 2020. Since Russia's 2022 attack, he has traveled the world to drum up Western support for Kyiv and to argue for sanctions against Moscow. An eloquent speaker, Kuleba has been popular abroad and back home.

The deputy head of Zelensky's office and one of his top aides, Rostyslav Shurma, was dismissed by presidential decree following accusations he had abused his position to secure benefits for his family.