Defense Minister Reznikov fuels change talk, tells Zelenskyy he's open to fresh brief
If President Volodymyr Zelenskyy now offers him another position, he will "gladly" accept it, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said during a press conference on Monday, which was attended by a LIGA.net journalist.
"He knows for sure that I didn't ask for this position – on the contrary, I refused him this appointment. He knows exactly how much and what I have done. He knows for sure that if he asks, if he assigns some other project that is important in his opinion, I will gladly agree, because this position is Calvary," said Reznikov.
He also noted that 95% of his communication with Zelenskyy is devoted to the provision of the Defense Forces, the other 5% of conversations are devoted to the future — what the state will do after victory, security architecture, reforms, high-profile cases.
"He sends me every news piece — I give him an explanation, tell him, show him the documents... There is the State Bureau of Investigation, there is National Anti-Corruption Bureau, there is the Security Service of Ukraine. I have a clear conscience," Reznikov stated.
Amid controversies over defense procurement, Reznikov on Friday proposed a wager tied to an ongoing investigation. Reports by Ukrainska Pravda and the Anti-Corruption Action Center alleged that the defense department purchased some 180,000 summer jackets from a Turkish company instead of winter gear, paying a price several times higher than normal.
