KYIV -
After President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chief of Staff Valeriy Zaluzhny, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov is Ukraine's third most important man in the midst of the war.
In late January, a corruption case rocked Ukraine and threatened to oust Reznikov from office, after revelations that his ministry had paid double prices for goods and foodstuffs intended for soldiers.
The file of the Minister of Defense is seen as the largest corruption case during the war (Reuters)
The biggest corruption in the war
Although the case is not comparable to the size of other corruption cases and scandals that the country previously witnessed, it received wide official and popular echoes as the largest issue affecting the defense sector in light of Russia's ongoing war since February 2022.
This case prompted President Zelensky - apparently - to announce inspections, audits, government amendments, and the issuance of presidential decrees dismissing a number of officials in various sectors.
As rumors circulated about his dismissal or transfer to another position (reportedly Minister of Strategic Industries), it prompted Reznikov to say, "There is no eternal official, and I will support the candidacy of my successor, draw conclusions and continue reforms, even in times of war."
"effective" minister
Meanwhile, the Verkhovna Rada actually moved to dismiss Reznikov, but the presidency decided to keep him in office because he "works effectively with foreign partners regarding arms supplies," according to her statement.
The deputy of the ruling "Servant of the People" party, Fyodor Venislavsky, told Al-Jazeera Net, "As soon as a misunderstanding arose about the purchase of food, there was a discussion that the minister may or may not be corrupt, but he must bear political responsibility because he chose his team alone and appointed the people responsible for the scandal." The discussion revolved around the possibility of other possible corruption operations in the ministry, especially with regard to the purchase of weapons.
However, the deputy head of the National Security Committee in Parliament, Marianna Bezugla, told Al-Jazeera Net that "the issue has been frozen for a while. The majority of Ukrainians are skeptical about it, and believe that this is not the time."
Bezugla explained that raising the issue came on the eve of a new meeting of Allied defense ministers at the "Ramstein" summit at the beginning of the month, and the threat of a new large-scale Russian attack, "and this harms the country's defense capacity."
The Minister of Defense is one of the most important men in Ukraine and is expected to face dismissal, but not during the (European) war
European approach
However, why was the presidency silent and the parliament divided, and what is the fate of the minister as the war continues?
Representative Veneslavsky says, "The discussion of the minister's account and his dismissal was impromptu, and we know that his dismissal in light of the war requires a presidential decision and is a possibility in the future, but the matter is currently being discussed at the parliamentary level," he said.
Reznikov himself supports the resignation of his deputy, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who was responsible for the logistics of the Ukrainian armed forces.
And the Ministry of Defense said, in a statement, that "Shapovalov's resignation comes as a commitment to the traditions of European politics and democracy, and is evidence that the interests of the defense are higher than any desks or chairs. Such a step maintains the confidence of the community and international partners, and guarantees the objectivity of possible investigations. This is the philosophy of the Ministry's team." Defense".