By Le Figaro with AFP
Published , Update
The Minister of Defense announced his resignation on Monday, after several corruption scandals within the ministry.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiï Reznikov announced on Monday that he had submitted his resignation to Parliament, the day after the announcement of his replacement by Volodymyr Zelensky, after several corruption scandals within the ministry against the backdrop of the Russian invasion.
«I submitted my letter of resignation to Ruslan Stefantchouk, President of the Ukrainian Parliament“, declared on X (ex-Twitter) Mr. Reznikov, in office since November 2021. “It was an honor to serve the Ukrainian people and to work for the Ukrainian army during the past 22 months, the most difficult period in modern Ukrainian history.“, he added.
One of the political faces of the war
In more than a year and a half of war, Oleksiï Reznikov, 57, had become one of the political and military faces of the war with Russia, frequently traveling abroad to negotiate new arms and equipment aid. to Kiev’s Western allies.
On Sunday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would be replaced by Roustem Oumerov, 41, a prominent leader of the Crimean Tatar community, who represented Kiev in the past in sensitive negotiations with Moscow before being named in charge. privatizations. Parliament still has to vote to validate this change at the head of the important Ministry of Defence.
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Strengthening the fight against corruption
Expected behind the scenes in recent days, he intervenes in the midst of a counter-offensive against the Russian army and while Volodymyr Zelensky has promised to strengthen the fight against corruption, which is endemic in Ukraine, in response in particular to the conditions set by the Union European Union to maintain Kyiv’s status as a candidate for membership.
Several corruption scandals have recently come to light in the country. One of them directly involves Oleksiï Reznikov and concerns a contract for army supplies signed with a Turkish company. Rustem Oumerov had been head of the State Property Fund since September 2022, a prominent position in a country where the privatization process is plagued by corruption.
