Ukraine is in shock after the resignation of a high-ranking official on the country's reconstruction, writes the French newspaper Le Monde .
The head of Ukraine's Infrastructure Reconstruction and Development Agency, Mustafa Nayem, has resigned, accusing the Ukrainian government of preventing him from doing his job.
„Since November, the agency team has faced constant resistance and creation of artificial obstacles,” Nayem wrote on social networks. His office is responsible for coordinating the repair of destroyed and war-damaged infrastructure.
The announcement of his resignation could not have come at a worse time for Kiev, as a dozen of the country's allies, business leaders and international organizations gathered in Berlin for a conference aimed at launching projects to finance the long-term recovery of Ukraine. The conference is on the eve of the G7 summit in Italy, at which additional aid to Kiev is expected to be announced.
Nayem laments his agency's underfunding and excessive bureaucracy that are delaying recovery efforts. Nayem's resignation was triggered by Prime Minister Denis Schmigal's refusal to allow his business trip to the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine in Berlin.
Much of Nayem's team is also leaving, putting the future of the agency in question. The announcement of the resignation of the head of the national agency for the reconstruction of the country caused an uproar among civil society in the country.
The absence of officials in charge of the country's recovery ahead of such a summit raises concerns that the country's image, already tarnished by recent corruption scandals, could be further tarnished.
Nayem was appointed to the post by the former Minister of Infrastructure of the country Oleksandr Kubrakov. Once close to Zelensky, Kubrakov was suddenly dismissed from office on May 9 due to political rivalry, some experts and journalists say. Kubrakov had an excellent reputation among Ukraine's Western interlocutors and the country's civil society. He and Nayem worked closely together.
Nayem further condemned the fact that the government had not approved "the payment of nearly €150 million borrowed by the state from the European Investment Bank for major projects", including water supply and energy protection, for three months. He also claimed that most of the employees' wages were cut, sometimes by "68%". This has resulted in a loss of "25%" from the agency's workforce.
Since Russia launched a war in Ukraine more than two years ago, it is estimated that several hundred billion dollars in damages have been inflicted on the country. The exact amount is not clear. At the beginning of June, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal announced, citing data from the World Bank, that 486 billion US dollars will be needed to rebuild the country.