Ukraine parliament confirms pro-Western Groysman as PM

Ukraine's parliament on April 14 appointed pro-Western speaker Volodymyr Groysman as prime minister in a bid to end months of political gridlock and unlock vital aid to the war torn-state.
 
Lawmakers voted by 257 to 50 to approve the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk -- condemned by President Petro Poroshenko for losing the public's trust -- and select Groysman in the first cabinet overhaul since Ukraine's 2014 pro-EU revolt.
 
"I understand my responsiblities," the 38-year-old told deputies shortly before the vote.
 
"I understand that we are living through a very difficult time in which we must demonstrate effectiveness and poltical will so that we can lead the country out of crisis and accelerate and improve the quality of our European reforms."  

He further vowed to "ensure the permenance of our course toward European integration".
 
Groysman, a lawyer by training, is a Poroshenko protege who has gained stature by keeping the notoriously rowdy parliament -- prone to ugly brawls -- in relative peace.
 
He has also pronounced himself strongly committed to the belt-tightening measures prescribed by the International Monetary Fund when it approved a $17.5-billion (15.4-billion-euro) rescue package for Ukraine in March 2014.
 
But some economists worry that the mild-mannered Groysman may lack the toughness needed to stand up to a handful of tycoons who have dominated Ukrainian politics and made the east European nation into a breeding ground for graft.
 
The new government may draw further concern of investors because it will not feature the respected US-born Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko or two other foreign technocrats Poroshenko enlisted in December 2014 to help stem...