Ukraine reconstruction official resigns citing red tape

Above, a child looks at the Dnipro river from a park in Kyiv on May 27, 2024. (AFP)

• Mustafa Nayyem became well-known in Ukraine in 2013, when he called for rallies against the decision by Ukraine’s then-president to stall integration talks with the EU

KYIV: A Ukrainian reconstruction official, known for galvanizing historic pro-democracy rallies in Kyiv a decade ago, announced his resignation on Monday citing red tape and a travel ban.
Mustafa Nayyem became well-known in Ukraine in 2013, when he called for rallies against the decision by Ukraine’s then-president to stall integration talks with the EU.
The protests eventually saw leader Viktor Yanukovych ousted and precipitated hostilities with Kremlin-backed separatists in the east that simmered until Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
The 42-year-old has been head of the country’s main reconstruction agency, the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, since last January.
But on Monday he announced that he was stepping down from the post, because of “constant opposition, resistance and creation of artificial obstacles” to his agency’s work.
“I made the decision on my own due to systemic obstacles that do not allow me to fulfil my duties effectively,” he wrote in a post on social media.
He said his agency’s budget had been slashed, that projects had been held up by excessive paperwork, and that his colleagues’ salaries had been cut.
“All of this negatively affects the country’s defense capabilities, cargo logistics, protection of critical infrastructure, and exports of our goods,” he said.
Nayyem also directly blamed Prime Minister Denys Shmygal for blocking him from traveling to Germany this week for an upcoming conference on rebuilding efforts in Ukraine.
The decision came after the country’s infrastructure minister was dismissed last month.