PM candidate Koretskyi outlines his priorities to Servant of the People MPs; Shmyhal, Berezhna and Vysotskyi will remain in new government

Serhii Koretskyi, the chairman of the board of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine and a candidate for the position of prime minister, met with the ruling Servant of the People faction. David Arakhamia, the head of the “Servant of the People” faction in the Verkhovna Rada, announced this on his Telegram channel, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

“We held a faction meeting, met with Serhii Koretskyi, and discussed his vision for the work of the Cabinet of Ministers and the structure of the government,” he said.

Arakhamia noted that Koretskyi has significant experience in the corporate and public sectors and has proven himself at Ukrnafta and Naftogaz.

“During the last heating season, gas was, in fact, the only energy resource that was consistently supplied to consumers despite attacks on production and storage facilities. We consider this experience to be extremely valuable, especially now, as Ukraine prepares for what is likely to be the harshest winter in our history,” the faction leader noted.

Among the government’s priorities, Koretskyi cited supporting the people, preparing for the heating season, strengthening the Defense Forces, and protecting infrastructure.

For her part, Olha Vasylevska-Smahliuk, a Member of Parliament from the Servant of the People party, stated on her Telegram channel that the faction is not considering any other candidates for prime minister.

Koretskyi said he plans to reinstate a full-fledged Ministry of Agriculture and, despite the ongoing investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), sees Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotskyi as the right person for the position.

According to the MP, it is currently known that First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal and Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy—Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna—from Yuliia Svyrydenko’s government will remain in the new government.

Koretskyi also plans to split the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories into two parts: the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories.

Vasylevska-Smahliuk reported that Koretskyi plans to focus primarily on getting through the winter, anticipating that the coming winter will be no easier than the previous one, and also emphasized his full and unwavering support for the Ministry of Defense; in addition, he plans to address the psychological and mental health of Ukrainians.

The Verkhovna Rada is expected to vote on Thursday, July 16, to approve the new prime minister and the new cabinet.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on July 14, the Verkhovna Rada accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, who had led the government since July 17, 2025.

According to the Constitution, the resignation of the prime minister results in the resignation of the entire Cabinet of Ministers.

The prime minister is appointed by the Verkhovna Rada upon the recommendation of the President.

The President submits a candidate for the position of Prime Minister upon the recommendation of a coalition of parliamentary factions in the Verkhovna Rada or a parliamentary faction comprising a majority of Members of Parliament—in the current Rada, this is the Servant of the People faction.