Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Rustem Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), after removing Oleksandr Litvinenko from this post, Ukrinform reported, citing a decree published on the head of state's website, BTA reports.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted yesterday to appoint new ministers. Umerov was replaced as Minister of Defense by the previous Prime Minister Denys Shmygal.
Litvinenko headed the NSDC in March last year.
Zelensky emphasized today in a post on the social network "Ex" that it is necessary to continue efforts to conclude more agreements on the supply of weapons to Ukraine. He also noted that the SNCO should "accelerate the process" of peace negotiations with Russia.
The SNSO is composed of members of the government, the heads of the secret services, the Prosecutor General, the directors of the Central Bank, and the chairman of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The council is headed by the Ukrainian head of state, while the secretary deals mainly with organizational tasks and reports directly to the president.