Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Wednesday that President Volodymyr Zelensky asked him to stay in his post after rumors that he was going to be removed.
Asked by Reuters if he expected to remain defense minister in the coming months, Reznikov said, “Yes, it was the decision of my president.”
David Arakhamia, the head of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party in parliament, previously said that Reznikov would be removed from his post and given another ministerial job, but it appears Reznikov is staying put, at least for now.
The rumors of his removal came after a corruption scandal rocked Ukraine and put Reznikov’s Defense Ministry under scrutiny. While Reznikov himself wasn’t implicated, Defense Ministry officials were accused of overseeing the purchase of food and other goods at inflated prices.
As a result of the scandal, Reznikov’s deputy and several other high-level officials were forced to resign. For his part, Reznikov has denied that his ministry committed any wrongdoing.
Throughout the war, Reznikov has made candid comments about NATO’s involvement in the war. He recently insisted that Ukraine is a de facto NATO member and said Ukrainians were “shedding blood” for a “NATO mission.”
“Asked by Reuters if he expected to remain defense minister…Reznikov said, ‘Yes, it was the decision of my president’”…
…’He knows Russian caviar doesn’t grow on trees – it falls off the back of trucks. My trucks.’
What a joke of the country, All the brouhaha about corruption and resignation — and he is baack!
He won political battle. I understand American pressure did not work and out preferred candidate is not in.
It is the season of long knives in Kiev!
With so many resigning and being removed from their posts, Nuland and the gang can’t train Ukrainian official fast enough to carry this bucket of cesspool for his lordship.