Interior minister offers to dismiss Donetsk governor Kikhtenko
Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov intends to initiate the dismissal of Oleksandr Kikhtenko from the post of the head of Donetsk Military and Civil Administration.
"The governor of Donetsk region Kikhtenko in an interview with the Dzerkalo Tyzhnya (Mirror of the Week newspaper) has called to restore economic relations with the occupied territories. I call for severing Kikhtenko's ties with the civil service. At the next Cabinet meeting I will certainly put forward a proposal to dismiss him from the post of the head of Donetsk Regional State Administration!" the minister wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
"To speak in support of the occupation regime, when the world imposes sanctions on this regime?! To finance terrorists through 'economic relations'? It is a position of a collaborationist to put it mildly," Avakov said.
In an interview published in this week's issue of Dzerkalo Tyzhnia. Ukraine Kikhtenko said: "Apart from the fact that there is a war, the most difficult thing is to convince the public and the country's leadership that is necessary to restore economic relations with the occupied territories. I proceed from my own understanding that the mines, factories, all enterprises in the region should be operating. So that people could keep their job, wages and provide for their families. "
Kikhtenko is an army general, former commander of the Interior Troops. He was appointed the head of Donetsk Regional State Administration in October of 2014.
