The Verkhovna Rada has reappointed Andrii Sybiha as Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs. A total of 266 lawmakers supported the decision.
The Verkhovna Rada announced the result of the vote.
Addressing parliament, Sybiha said Ukraine had reached a decisive stage of the war in which diplomacy was becoming particularly important. He identified three main priorities for the Foreign Ministry: a just peace, Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and NATO, and support for the global Ukrainian community.
According to Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign policy will become more pragmatic and focused on economic results. The ministry will seek greater involvement from allies in strengthening the Defence Forces to provide the Ukrainian military with parity and an advantage over the enemy.
“We need self-sufficiency in all critical weapons,” Sybiha said.
Ukraine will also seek to open all EU accession negotiating clusters as soon as possible and participate in every available format of practical cooperation with NATO. Sybiha described integration into the Alliance as an unchanged priority.
Ukraine plans to launch a new geopolitical project, the Carpathian Initiative, in the autumn. The foreign minister did not disclose details about its participants or objectives.
Sybiha also identified freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, the restoration of the EU’s Solidarity Lanes and the transit of Ukrainian food exports through neighboring countries as key areas of work. The Foreign Ministry will strengthen the protection of Ukrainians’ rights abroad and help preserve their national identity and ties with Ukraine.
Who is Andrii Sybiha?
Andrii Sybiha was born on January 1, 1975, in Zboriv, Ternopil Oblast. He graduated from Ivan Franko State University of Lviv, where he studied international relations and law. He speaks English and Polish.
Sybiha began his diplomatic career in 1997. He worked at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters, served twice at the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland and headed the ministry’s Consular Service Department from 2012 to 2016.
From 2016 to 2021, Sybiha served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey, where he worked on developing political, economic and military-technical cooperation between the two countries.
In 2021, he joined the Presidential Office as a deputy chief responsible for foreign policy. He became first deputy foreign minister in April 2024.
The Verkhovna Rada first appointed Sybiha as foreign minister on September 5, 2024, following Dmytro Kuleba’s resignation. After government personnel changes in July 2026, he served as acting minister before parliament formally reappointed him on August 19.
