Ukraine’s parliament fails to confirm Shmyhal as deputy PM, energy minister

Ukraine’s parliament (Verkhovna Rada) failed to appoint Denys Shmyhal as first deputy prime minister and minister of energy, with only 210 deputies voting in favour—short of the number required to confirm the candidate.

At the time of the vote, Shmyhal had been absent from the country for 55 days, and the failure was interpreted not as a personal rebuke to him but as a political signal aimed at the Office of the President, Caliber.Az reports.

The parliament was also unable to consider the appointment of the defence minister, leading to the removal of all personnel issues from the agenda.

As a result, Ukraine remains temporarily without a minister of energy and a defence minister amid full-scale war, with a vote for the latter scheduled for January 15, 2026. Starting at 10:30 local time, repeated attempts are planned to appoint Fedorov as defence minister, vote on extending martial law and general mobilisation, and approve Shmyhal along with the head of the State Property Fund.

Within the parliamentary faction, the situation is linked to breaches of prior agreements and a lack of explanation from the president. Some deputies had expected a different candidate for the energy ministry, but the failure to vote is seen as a “political slap” directed at the presidential administration.

By Jeyhun Aghazada