Ukrainian reconstruction chief resigns ahead of Berlin conference

Kyiv, June 10: Mustafa Nayyem, the head of the Ukrainian agency for reconstruction, has handed in his resignation shortly before the start of the next round of talks on rebuilding Ukraine begins in Berlin.

"Since November last year, the agency's team has been confronted with constant resistance and the creation of artificial obstacles," Nayyem wrote on Facebook on Monday.

In his post, Nayyem lamented the underfunding of his agency and excessive bureaucracy, which delayed reconstruction measures. Further work had become impossible since the dismissal of Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov at the beginning of May.

Nayyem's resignation was prompted by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's refusal to authorise a business trip to the reconstruction conference in Berlin. The third international conference to date is planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to a media report, a large part of Nayyem's team is also quitting, which calls the agency's future work into question.

Nayyem, a former journalist, has headed the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development since January 2023. He first became internationally known for his prominent role in starting the 2013 pro-Western protests in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine is estimated to have caused damage, totalling several hundred billion dollars since Russia started it more than two years ago.