German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv on May 9. She was supposed to meet with the head of the Ministry of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov. However, while the government official was on the way here, Kubrakov managed to be dismissed from his post.
This was reported by hromadske with reference to Die Welt.
Svenja Schulze reported on social media that during her visit to Kyiv, she met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and other Ukrainian officials.
📍Kyjiw: Ministerin @SvenjaSchulze68 trifft Präsident @ZelenskyyUa und hochrangige 🇺🇦 Minister*innen für die Planung der #URC2024 in Berlin. Gemeinsam bereiten wir verschiedene Allianzen vor, die die zivile Unterstützung der #Ukraine koordinieren und aktivieren sollen. pic.twitter.com/n2TVKRbfWt
— Bundesentwicklungsministerium (@BMZ_Bund) May 9, 2024
The topic of conversation was, in particular, preparation for the International Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine, which will be held on June 11 and 12 in Berlin.
It was the head of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, who was supposed to be involved in its preparation. But immediately after the arrival of the German delegation, it became known that Kubrakov had been dismissed. Schulze noted that "this is really bad news."
According to the publication, the minister wanted to meet with Kubrakov as soon as she arrived. But "due to a surprising turn of events", the dismissed vice prime minister was only able to present her with a necklace with a white dove of peace, which she then wore during the visit.
Schulze could not tell journalists what will happen next with preparations for the conference.
"I'm just sorry, because it's not long, and we prepared very intensively with him (Kubrakov - ed.) and his team. The personal contact and trusting relationship we built have now disappeared," the minister said.
However, Schulze did not have to go home without having achieved anything. Thus, during the visit, a contract was signed for the provision of EUR 45 million in grants for the renewal of the electricity grid in Ukraine.
On May 9, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Oleksandr Kubrakov from the position of Vice Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine - Minister of Community, Territories and Infrastructure Development. During the voting, the minister himself was not in the hall. According to him, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal did not discuss the issue of dismissal with him.
Earlier it became known that at the meeting of the Servant of the People faction on May 8, it was decided to divide the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine into two separate departments - the Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and the Ministry of Infrastructure. The new Ministry of Infrastructure is likely to be headed by Kubrakov, and the candidacy for the head of the Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories has not yet been determined.
Member of Parliament Yevheniya Kravchuk from Servant of the People said that first the Cabinet of Ministers should make a decision on the division of the ministry, then appoint acting officials to both new departments. Only after that it will be possible to consider the candidacies of permanent leaders.
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