ZELENSKIY MOVES TO DISMISS UKRAINE CABINET

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, fired his Cabinet of ministers Wednesday after suggesting in a speech that they had become overly solicitous of Western nations that financially support Ukraine by appointing foreigners to the boards of state companies.

“With all respect to our international partners and with all appreciation for their help, the citizens of our country on governing boards of our companies are feeling like an ethnic minority,” Zelenskiy said in the speech in Parliament, where a vote was needed to dismiss the Cabinet.

Zelenskiy also faulted the ministers for poor performance but offered praise and thanks that none had become entangled in a corruption scandal in the six months they served.

The shake-up was the most sweeping since Zelenskiy, a former comedian, won a presidential election last spring on promises to end a six-year war with Russianbacked separatists and to root out corruption.

Over the summer, President Donald Trump strained U.S. ties with Ukraine by withholding around $400 million in military aid while requesting that Zelenskiy announce an investigation of unsubstantiated corruption accusations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Trump also wanted the Ukrainian government to look into unfounded claims that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 election to help Hillary Clinton.

Those requests led to Trump’s impeachment.

In a more routine form of tying foreign aid to actions by the Ukrainian government, donors including the U.S. government and the International Monetary Fund have for years endorsed independent appointees to state company boards to tamp down on corruption.

But pushback from Ukrainian politicians against requirements imposed by the IMF has stepped up. A former business partner of Zelenskiy’s, Ihor Kolomoisky, a banking and media tycoon, has protested the nationalization of his bank, something the IMF supported.