Ukraine reconstruction official resigns, cites travel ban, budget cuts
3 Min Read
The official says his agency's budget was cut, with projects stacked due to excessive paperwork amid salary reductions.
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Ukrainian lawmaker Mustafa Nayyem gestures as he speaks to an AFP journalist in his office in Kiev on March 19, 2019. (AFP)
Ukrainian reconstruction official Mustafa Nayyem announced his resignation on Monday, citing excessive bureaucracy and a travel ban.
Known for instigating rallies in Kiev a decade ago, Nayyem made his name in 2013 when he called for people to stand against the decision by Ukraine's then-president to impede integration talks with the EU.
The protests ousted then-leader Viktor Yanukovych and prompted hostilities with separatists in the east until the Ukraine war started in February 2022.
Nayyem has led the country's main reconstruction agency – the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine – since last January. However, on Monday, he cited "constant opposition, resistance, and creation of artificial obstacles" to his agency's work as the reason behind his resignation.
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Nayyem took to social media to say, "I made the decision on my own due to systemic obstacles that do not allow me to fulfill my duties effectively," adding that his agency's budget was cut, with projects stacked due to excessive paperwork, and that colleagues' salaries had been slashed as well.
I've made the decision to resign from my position as Head of the @RestoreUA. I reached this decision independently due to systemic obstacles that prevent me from effectively carrying out my duties. Thank you all for your support and work! https://t.co/YQpz0HCQ7x
— Mustafa Nayyem (@mefimus) June 10, 2024
"All of this negatively affects the country's defense capabilities, cargo logistics, protection of critical infrastructure, and exports of our goods," he stressed.
Nayyem blamed Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal for banning him from traveling to Germany this week for a conference on rebuilding efforts in Ukraine.
This comes days after a Ukrainian border guard official revealed that Ukrainians with dual citizenship are now banned from leaving the country, as they are also no longer exempt from the military draft under a new mobilization law.
Border service spokesperson Andrey Demchenko told state TV on Tuesday, "We are not letting this category of citizens through now," announcing that a new government decree requires those concerned in the matter to register for draft within 30 days.
Previously, dual nationals and Ukrainians living abroad under a residence permit were exempted from military service.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesperson Dmitry Lazutkin stated that the Ukrainian society must be prepared to make sacrifices and relinquish their peaceful lives to overcome the threat posed by Russia.
Kiev is revamping its military conscription system to increase the number of soldiers amid setbacks in the ongoing war with Russia.
