He spoke about the bans on attending international events, noting that he has not yet heard the reason for this from any official from the office.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi spoke about the pressure from representatives of the president's office and the desire to put his own person in his position. During the interview with ZN.UA, he spoke in more detail about his conflict with the OPU and what caused it.
“I don't want to conflict and prove something in the conditions of war. I don't know what happened and what drives these officials. It could be their own ambitions or a desire to assert themselves in front of other mayors so that they know: if they disagree with something, they will get the same , – notes the mayor of Chernihiv. – In fact, such actions do not harm me, but all Chernihiv residents, the city, all of Ukraine and the president.”
At the same time, Atroshenko refused to name the person who is probably being prepared in the OPU as his replacement, noting that he will not and should not comment on gossip. When asked whether it could be, for example, Kyryl Tymoshenko, the mayor said: “If you are a journalist and you mention this surname, you probably have reasons for it. But, in my opinion, it is unethical to mention the surname. I think the president is well aware of this official”.
“But if such an event (removal of the mayor. – ed.) happens, it will be a slap not to me personally, but to the entire local self-government and to almost 80 percent of the voters who cast their votes for me in the elections. There were no comments to me during the active fighting actions, as well as to the people who defended the city. Moreover, the president honored Chernihiv with the title of a hero city and awarded me the order “For Courage”, – noted Atroshenko instead.
He also said that so far he has not heard from any official from the OPU the reason why he is not allowed out of the country to participate in international events.
“I submitted a request to the head of the State Border Service and received a written answer that he did not receive any verbal instructions regarding me, and the decision not to allow crossing the border was made in each case personally by the employee who provided me with the protocol on the refusal to cross the state border of Ukraine. Without no explanation from any official, what exactly were the comments on my documents, – says Atroshenko. – The president calls on city mayors to work more actively outside the country to attract international investments for the reconstruction of destroyed cities. International business trips are extremely necessary and hard work, and not walks (all the more so since the mayor is the bearer of state secrets, and when arranging a foreign business trip, I must inform about its duration, purpose and detailed agenda, agreed with the host party). And they are, without a doubt, necessary , because it is simply impossible to find partners at the international level online.”
HONEST Movement
Atroshenko said that the problems started after returning from the forum in Davos. Then he was searched at the border upon entering Ukraine for almost six hours in a row.
“After the second hour, the border guards admitted that they had no questions for me, they understood from the first minutes that I was not transporting prohibited items or substances, documents are fine, but they are just waiting for the command when I can be released.
Then I was not allowed to cross the border to sign an agreement with the Polish sister city of Rzeszów. And now let's weigh the cost of one person's self-assertion and the image loss of a country in which similar things are possible and which declares its European aspirations, explains the mayor of Chernihiv. – The city management and residents of Rzeszów supported this event so much, the city was decorated with our blue and yellow flags, they were preparing for the meeting there, a session of the city council was specially convened. We previously agreed on specific material support for Chernihiv from Rzeszów and further cooperation. And the mayor of Chernigov, on the instructions of a separate head of state power, is not released abroad. It was a scandal for Poland, dozens of publications wrote about it in an extremely negative context.”
However, the mayor of Chernihiv considers the trip to Lugano to be the quintessence of absurdity.
“Despite the fact that it was a trip specifically to attract investments from other countries. I repeat: if this is a state position, then call and say that there are reasons, it's very simple. Why these games? A delegation of 140 people went to Lugano, including middle-level employees of the ministries. The president even publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the composition of the Ukrainian delegation. Instead, I was forbidden to go to Lugano as the mayor of the city. In general, this whole story is shameful for Ukraine”.
Read also: Poland will focus its efforts on the restoration of Kharkiv Oblast, France – Chernihiv Oblast
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