Ukrainian lawmakers vote no confidence in prosecutor general

MINSK, Belarus – Ukrainian lawmakers voted no confidence in the country’s top prosecutor Thursday after the prime minister, foreign minister and defence minister all were replaced in a government shakeup this week.

The parliament vote took place after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described Prosecutor General Ruslan Ryaboshapka as ineffective. The president levelled similar criticism against the now-former prime minister.

The director of Ukraine’s state investigative bureau alleged that Ryaboshapka had blocked probes of hundreds of cases in the corruption-riddled country.

A new prosecutor general could be named next week.

Ryaboshapka announced last year that he was reviewing earlier investigations of the founder of the Burisma natural gas company, where the son of former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden served on the board for several years.

Hunter Biden’s connection to Burisma came under intense scrutiny and a focus of political debate in the United States.

Parliament accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk on Wednesday. New foreign and defence ministers also were named.