The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, on Tuesday described as «necessary» the decision to dismiss more than a dozen senior officials, days after announcing that there would be changes in the country’s leadership following several scandals within the Ministry of Defense.
«All internal issues that hinder the state are being eliminated and will continue to be eliminated. It is fair, it is necessary for our defense, and it helps our rapprochement with the European institutions,» the president asserted in his evening address, which he has been delivering every day since the war began on February 24, 2022.
Zelensky said that Ukrainians need a strong state: «Ukraine will be just that,» he added, noting that «today the society has seen another set of personnel decisions».
«I emphasize the phrase ‘yet another one’, as we will continue to take appropriate measures. The public will see each of them and, I am sure, will support them,» he said.
The Ukrainian leader announced on Tuesday morning the dismissal of more than a dozen governors, deputy ministers and even his deputy adviser. The country’s authorities also confirmed the arrest and dismissal of the deputy minister of Infrastructure and Community Development, Vasil Lozinski, for allegedly accepting bribes.
Ukraine has been the scene in the past of numerous corruption cases and Transparency International ranked it 122nd out of 180 in 2021 in its corruption perception survey. The fight against these crimes is also one of the key demands of the European Union (EU) in the framework of the process for its possible accession to the bloc, something firmly rejected by Russia.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
