Denys Anatoliyovych Shmyhal is wrongly seen as a “technical prime minister” who only follows the instructions of the Bankova. Given the fact that he is the person who has been the head of the government for the longest time in Ukraine's modern history (since March 2020), we can conclude that as a politician he is able to formulate goals and successfully fulfill the tasks that are currently urgent for both society and the government.
And the fact that he does not abuse PR like some of his subordinates only shows that we need to pay closer attention to what Denys Anatoliyovych informs us about in a casual style, without using bright slogans and loud promises.
An example of this is the debate that has been going on for almost two weeks in the national media about the transfer of UAH 23 billion to the State Border Guard Service to purchase shells from Polish suppliers. The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the relevant decree No. 1191-r on November 29 at the request of the Defense Ministry. The money will be transferred from the accounts of the Defense Procurement Agency to the SBGS.
For some, this news may sound sensational, but remember what Denys Shmyhal has said over the past 2.5 years about the supply of shells and other ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On the eve of each new budget year, he prioritized the continuous supply of ammunition to the front line and to the warehouses. At a meeting with EU ambassadors (May 2014), the Prime Minister noted that the purchase of ammunition was an urgent task for the Cabinet of Ministers. Including within the framework of the Czech Initiative.
In October 2024, Denys Shmyhal outlined another area of work: “Our goal is to build one of the most modern defense industry complexes. The President of Ukraine has clearly formulated our strategic task: “democracy must be better armed than tyranny.” Ukraine has reliable support from its partners. Defense companies from around the world are already entering the Ukrainian market, building production facilities, planning investments and partnerships.
It is clear that without additional security guarantees, investors will not come to Ukraine during a full-scale war. And to provide this security in full, without the allocation of additional air defense capabilities, which the allies are extremely reluctant to agree to, is quite problematic. This, however, does not remove the need for: a) the development of partnerships with defense companies; b) uninterrupted supply of ammunition for the Armed Forces and the Defense Forces.
Based on everything Shmyhal has said and done in this area, we can see that if the government has the opportunity to increase the production and purchase of ammunition, it will do so. And if we are talking about partnerships with companies from friendly countries, the production of ammunition outside Ukraine will not be an obstacle to cooperation. That is why the order to transfer unused funds from the Defense Procurement Agency to the State Border Guard Service, which has both the right and the authority to carry out such operations, fits the logic of the Ukrainian government's actions. That is, Denys Shmyhal, by signing the order to transfer funds, did nothing that would contradict his previous statements and behavior. It's just that in the domestic context, most observers are used to looking for a certain context and “schemes” in each case, which in fact could not be the case, if only because the movement of the money specified in the government order is completely transparent.
Well, Denis Anatolyevich, it seems, can still prove himself an independent politician. He is prone to rather unconventional strategic and tactical moves.