Kyiv Leadership: Zero Candidates Accept Winter Management Role
President Zelenskyy revealed that every individual he approached to head the capital's administration for the coming season has declined the position.
By Megan Parker ·
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that zero candidates accepted the offer to lead Kyiv City Administration ahead of the winter season. Speaking to journalists, the president stated that he engaged with various managers to fill the role but found that no one wanted the position.
The search for a new leader began after Zelenskyy declared Kyiv the least-prepared region in Ukraine on October 13. That assessment came from the country's resilience plans. Since that date, the president initiated consultations on security and management steps to address the city's vulnerabilities.
Zelenskyy has asked Prime Minister Denys Shmygal to assemble a special team of managers for Kyiv. Although he did not specify the exact powers of this group, he said he is prepared to speak personally with the individuals selected. He wants to set up a council to work out solutions for the capital.
The president named several former officials he consulted. These include Vasyl Maliuk, former head of the Security Service of Ukraine, who was invited to advise on security. He also spoke with Oleksandr Kubrakov, a former deputy prime minister for restoration, and Volodymyr Groisman, a former prime minister. Serhii Sukhomlyn, former head of the Restoration Agency, explicitly declined the offer.
Zelenskyy explained the reluctance by noting that no one wants to be involved because the work is often unappreciated. He said others will constantly talk about politics after the fact. He again criticized Vitali Klitschko for the city's poor preparation for winter. The next step involves Prime Minister Shmygal naming the members of the new management team.
The president quoted his own summary of the situation: “I spoke with various managers about whether they want to head the Kyiv Administration. No one wants to.” He added that he spoke with people from business and other spheres of public administration. He noted that no one wants to be involved because afterwards no one will say thank you.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
