abroad Ukraine
Zelenskyy’s struggle against the “traitors” – deposed generals, withdrawn ambassadors
Status: 01/04/2022 | Reading time: 2 minutes
Ukraine wants to buy weapons from German manufacturers
Ukraine wants to buy certain weapons from German and European manufacturers, but the Bundeswehr itself doesn’t have much to offer. But that must change. In addition to the current budget, there are 100 billion euros for the upgrade.
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The Ukrainian president deposed two generals, including the head of the secret service, who has been abroad since the start of the war. Selenskyj speaks of “traitors” and threatened that “gradually everyone will be punished”. He had already withdrawn two ambassadors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed two generals from their titles, former SBU head Andriy Naumov and former SBU head for the Kherson region Serhey Kryvoruchko. “Now I don’t have time to deal with all the traitors. But gradually they will all be punished,” Zelenskyy said in a video message.
He didn’t give further details. Naumov had already been sacked as head of the secret service last summer and allegedly fled abroad before the start of the war. According to the media, he is involved in smuggling and customs corruption.
Selenskyj during a video speech, heavily armed patrol in the background
Source: dpa/uncredited
Zelenskyj had also recalled his country’s ambassadors to Georgia and Morocco. In a video message on Wednesday, Zelenskyy criticized that Ambassadors Igor Dolgov in Tbilisi and Oksana Vasilieva in Rabat had not been “effective” in securing Ukraine’s arms supply for defense against Russian invasion and sanctions against Russia.
“With all due respect, there are no weapons, sanctions or restrictions on Russian companies. Please find another job,” Zelenskyy said.
Since the start of the Russian war of aggression on February 24, the Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin Andriy Melnyk has repeatedly caused an uproar with loud calls for increased and accelerated German military aid. For example, Melnyk recently criticized the federal government’s lack of approval for readily available tanks and air defense systems from German arms companies.
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“There are those who work to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself and fight for its future,” Zelenskyy said. “And there are those who waste time clinging to their posts.” The ambassador in Morocco is “such a person”.
Georgia’s ambassador Dolgov was temporarily recalled from Tbilisi for consultations with his government in early March after Georgia refused to pass sanctions against Russia. Tbilisi has also blocked the departure of volunteer fighters from its territory to Ukraine.
“The diplomatic front is a key front,” said the Ukrainian leader. He now also expects “results in the coming days” from his country’s diplomatic representatives and military attaches in Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.