By (The text after the 3rd paragraph has been added)
KYIV. Sept 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence voted in favor of Oleksiy Reznikov’s resignation as Defense Minister of Ukraine, a member of the committee from the European Solidarity faction, Iryna Friz, has said.
“At a meeting on Monday, the committee backed the resignation of Oleksiy Reznikov from the position of the defense minister of Ukraine. Sixteen members of the committee [the committee includes 20 members] voted in favor and two abstained in the voting,” she said in a commentary to the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.
In line with the Verkhovna Rada regulations, now the parliament will be able to consider the issue of Reznikov’s resignation during the next plenary session.
At the same time, Friz said on Facebook that the committee also decided to recommend Reznikov to deliver a report for up to ten minutes in the Verkhovna Rada.
“However, I proposed [to extend the duration of the report] to 20 minutes. I also believe that a full report is necessary with a possibility to ask questions and receive answers from the minister,” she said.
Friz said that applause and the words of gratitude should not stop the parliament from thinking rationally and analyzing the activities of Reznikov and his team while in office.
“These are the refusal to support increased financing for the Armed Forces of Ukraine while approving the budget for 2022. Procurements signed with the companies that disrupted supplies. Corrupt procurements, logistics failures, return to procurements through the ProZorro system only due to pressure, the nutrition system which absolutely does not comply with NATO standards and the halt for reform, a delay in the missile program,” the MP said.
As reported on September 3, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will nominate Rustem Umerov for defense minister.
On September 4 in the morning, Reznikov filed a letter of resignation to the parliament.
