Newly appointed Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is well-known and respected in the United States, former U.S. special envoy Kurt Volker said on September 7 in Kyiv. Responding to a question about personnel changes during wartime, Volker said: "You have cabinet members who come and go, and that's normal for democracies. It should not be like in Russia, where the fact that someone was removed is a crisis or a signal of something." He also said former Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov was very effective and in the West "there is great appreciation for his work." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Ukraine's New Defense Minister 'Well-Known And Respected' In U.S., Former Envoy Says
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (left) during the presentation of the newly appointed Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Kyiv on September 7.