Ukraine President: No Candidate Accepted Role Leading Kyiv Into Winter

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Tuesday that every individual he approached to head the Kyiv City Administration for the coming winter season has refused the position. The president disclosed this during a meeting with journalists, noting that he had evaluated several potential leaders for a special management body designed to stabilize the capital before colder weather arrives.

Zelenskyy identified several specific figures he consulted for the role. These included Vasyl Maliuk, the former chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, whom the president wants to advise on security matters. He also spoke with Oleksandr Kubrakov, a former deputy prime minister for restoration, and Volodymyr Groisman, a former prime minister. Serhii Sukhomlyn, the former head of the Restoration Agency, explicitly turned down the offer.

In response to the rejections, Zelenskyy has asked Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, referred to as Koretskyi in the report, to assemble a special team of managers for Kyiv. The president did not define the specific powers this new council would hold. He indicated he is prepared to speak personally with any candidate the team names to make a direct request for their service.

Zelenskyy attributed the reluctance of potential candidates to the political nature of the job. He noted that business leaders and public administration officials are hesitant because they believe the role offers little public credit for success while exposing them to political criticism for any failures. He said, 'No one wants to be involved, because afterwards no one will say thank you and others will constantly talk about politics.'

The announcement follows a previous assessment by Zelenskyy on October 13. At that time, he declared Kyiv the least prepared region in Ukraine according to the country's resilience plans. He has since initiated consultations on security and management steps, while again criticizing Mayor Vitali Klitschko for the city's inadequate winter preparation.