Zelensky urges parliament to appoint Crimean Tatar Rustem Umierov as new defense minister

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a candidacy for the position of Minister of Defense. The ex-head of the State Property Fund, Rustem Umierov, will head the department.

This is reported by Rubryka, referring to the relevant draft resolution.

On the website of the Verkhovna Rada, the draft resolution on the appointment of Umierov as Minister of Defense is registered under number 10004.

"… I submit a proposal for the appointment of Rustem Umierov to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine post.

The representative of the President of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Fedir Venislavsky, is authorized to present this submission at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine," the document reads.

For reference:

It should be noted that today, the Verkhovna Rada adopted several personnel decisions. Thus, people's deputies supported Oleksii Reznikov's dismissal from the Minister of Defense of Ukraine post. The dismissal of the head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, Rustem Umierov, was also approved.

Rustem Umierov is a Ukrainian politician, businessman, investor, and philanthropist of Crimean Tatar descent. He serves as Deputy Head of the permanent delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, is a delegate of the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People, and acting as an adviser to former Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Mustafa Dzhemilev. Since December 2020, Umierov has been co–chairing the Crimea Platform diplomatic initiative.