Approval rating of Yatsenyuk’s party stands at 2% after painful economic reforms and perceived inability to tackle corruption

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Ukraine’s prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, has announced his resignation following a political crisis that has paralysed the government and frozen the release of western aid for months.

“Having done everything to ensure stability and make a smooth transition of power possible, I decided to step down from the post of prime minister of Ukraine,” the 41-year-old pro-western leader said in a video address.

His decision comes barely two months after he survived a no-confidence vote in his government.

He said the party of the president, Petro Poroshenko, had already nominated the speaker of parliament, Volodymyr Groysman, to fill his post and he would not stand in the way.

“From today onwards I see my goals in a broader light than just heading the government,” Yatsenyuk said.

His condemnation of Russia’s alleged backing of the two-year uprising in eastern Ukraine and his clinching of a crucial IMF rescue package in early 2015 helped his party become parliament’s second largest in elections in October 2015.

He formed a parliamentary coalition with the president’s bloc and several junior partners, and was able to push through some tough and highly unpopular austerity measures prescribed by the IMF.

His party’s approval rating has since slumped to 2%, both because of the painful economic reforms and his perceived inability to tackle state corruption.