Ukrainian president to ask parliament this week to dismiss defense minister

ISTANBUL

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that he will ask parliament this week to dismiss Oleksii Reznikov as defense minister.

“This week, the Parliament will be offered to make a personnel decision … I have decided to replace the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. Oleksii Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of full-scale war,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Ukrainian presidency.

Ukraine’s leader nominated Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar Turk, to replace Reznikov.

“I believe that the Ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society at large. Now Rustem Umerov should lead the Ministry,” he said.