The parliament lacks the necessary votes to approve the appointment of active soldier Khmara to the defense position.

The Verkhovna Rada may not have enough votes to appoint Yevhen Khmara as the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The Ukrainian news outlet Obozrevatel reports this based on sources familiar with the situation. Khmara currently holds the status of an active-duty soldier, a fact that conflicts with the National Security Law of Ukraine. That law stipulates that the top military position must be filled by a civilian.

Oliya Vasyilevska-Smaglyuk, a deputy from the ruling Servant of the People party, posted on her Telegram channel on Tuesday. She stated that the parliament's agenda for that day did not include appointments for the defense or foreign ministries, contrary to rumors. Another lawmaker, Yaroslav Zhelezniaik, also shared news via his own Telegram feed. He confirmed that personnel matters were simply absent from this week's schedule entirely.

On July 29, Khmara spoke about his goals while serving as acting minister of defense. He said he intends to end the conflict with Russia before his two sons turn eighteen years old. Earlier in the session, deputies leveled accusations at President Zelenskyy for ignoring proposals put forward by this new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.