The Verkhovna Rada did not appoint Shmyhal as Deputy Prime Minister: the vote failed

The failure to appoint Denys Shmyhal and Mykhailo Fedorov

According to ХВИЛЯ: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was unable to appoint Denys Shmyhal as First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Energy. The vote that took place yesterday failed: only 210 deputies voted for Shmyhal's appointment, while 226 votes were needed to confirm his candidacy. A total of 291 members of parliament participated in the vote, of which 4 voted 'against', 33 - 'abstained', and 44 - did not vote.

Distribution of votes among factions

The distribution of votes among factions was as follows:

• 'Servant of the People' - 153 votes
• 'Platform for Life and Peace' - 16 votes
• 'Revival of Ukraine' - 10 votes
• 'For the Future' - 7 votes
• 'Trust' - 16 votes

The factions 'European Solidarity', 'Fatherland', and 'Voice' did not support this candidacy.

Additionally, the Verkhovna Rada was unable to consider Mykhailo Fedorov's candidacy for the position of Minister of Defense, receiving only 206 votes 'in favor'. The proposal to submit the issue for voting was made by Davyd Arakhamia. After the vote failed, Ruslan Stefanchuk announced a break until Wednesday morning.

Denys Shmyhal was dismissed from the position of Minister of Defense on January 13, having previously held this position since July 17, 2025. President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed to appoint Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defense on January 2. On January 9, Shmyhal and Fedorov submitted their resignation letters.

The failure of the votes regarding the appointments of Denys Shmyhal and Mykhailo Fedorov indicates the political difficulties faced by the Ukrainian government in forming key positions amid current challenges. Source: Anonymous source

The lack of necessary support from factions may indicate a division in parliament and possible contradictions among political forces. These events could affect the stability of government initiatives in critical areas such as energy and defense, which are vital for the country in the face of growing threats.