Former Swedish PM Says he does not Intend to Succeed Yatsenyuk
Former Swedish Prime Minister, Carl Bildt, said that he doesn't intend to replace Arseniy Yatsenyuk as Prime Minister of Ukraine, as reported by Dagens Nyheter on Tuesday, January 26th.
"Ukraine has a good Prime Minister. There is no reason to change it," Bildt said. According to the politician, the information about his possible appointment as Prime Minister of the country is untrue.
Earlier, on January 26th, the Ukrainian newspaper Glavcom, citing a source in the Presidential administration, reported that Carl Bildt could be appointed as Prime Minister to replace Arseniy Yatsenyuk. His appointment, according to the newspaper, would simplify Kiev’s talks with international creditors, and would also allow President Poroshenko to take a more active role in the activities of the government.
Other possible successors to Yatsenyuk that were named include the Ukrainian Finance Minister, Natalia Jaresko; Odessa Governor, Mikhail Saakashvili; the head of the administration of the President, Boris Lozhkyn; Speaker Volodymyr Groisman; and the Secretary of National Security and Defense, Alexander Turchinov.
The immunity of the Ukrainian government, guaranteed by the parliamentary coalition, expired on December 11th, after which the Parliament was given the opportunity to request the resignation of the Cabinet. In November, Yatsenyuk warned that his party, known as the Narodny Front, will leave the coalition if the Verkhovna Rada votes for his resignation.
Talks of the possible resignation of the Prime Minister have increased in recent week, as Yatsenyuk's Cabinet is accused of failing to solve the economic problems of the country.
Since May of 2015, Carl Bildt, has been a member of an advisory board of international reforms formed by Poroshenko. The council includes the U.S. Senator John McCain and MEP Elmar Brok. Bildt repeatedly made harsh statements against Russia and he was one of the first among European politicians to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities in February of 2014.