Overview
- More than four weeks after dismissing the energy and justice ministers, the government still has not found replacements, and there are no active candidates for the energy post, sources said.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has not appointed a new chief of staff following Andriy Yermak’s Nov. 28 resignation.
- At least four prospective nominees for energy minister withdrew or were deemed unfit, with officials and experts citing conflicts of interest, fear of prosecution for minor errors, and expectations of constrained decision-making.
- A $100 million kickbacks investigation at Energoatom has fueled public anger, with investigators’ recordings touching former minister German Galushchenko, who denies wrongdoing and has not been charged.
- Reuters reports the scandal has weakened Kyiv’s position in U.S.-brokered peace talks and raised donor concerns, while Russian strikes on power and gas facilities underscore the urgency of stable energy leadership.