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.
I received a report from Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Denys Shmyhal. An audit is already effectively underway regarding the agreements that require expedited contracting, particularly concerning drones, and especially interceptor drones. I have instructed that all relevant…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 18, 2025
Umerov headed the delegation that held the last direct negotiations with Moscow, DPA recalls. He thanked Zelensky for the trust and published a list of the tasks that he discussed with the Ukrainian president. "It is an honor to serve Ukraine", he wrote in "Ex" the new secretary of the SNSO in English.
Today, the President of Ukraine signed a decree appointing me as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) July 18, 2025
We discussed with the Head of State the clear tasks and priorities ahead:
1. Coordination and control of the security and defense sector.
Our goal…
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.