Ukraine Recovery Conference head resigns in bitter row with Kyiv

A Ukrainian national guard serviceman prepares to reload his D-20 cannon near Kharkiv, Ukraine,June 10, 2024 ©AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Berlin, the German capital, is gearing up to host the next session of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, making it the first to be held in an EU member state, scheduled for Tuesday to Wednesday.

Tensions escalated surrounding the event on Monday when conference chairman Mustafa Nayyem announced his resignation, who cited "systemic obstacles" as the reason for his departure, saying they prevent him from effectively performing his duties.

In a Facebook post, he targeted the Ukrainian government, particularly lamenting budget cuts and bureaucratic "nightmares".

The Ukrainian government didn't immediately respond to Nayyem's statements.

The final straw, he said, came when Kyiv canceled his trip to the conference in Berlin.

Nonetheless, he claimed he was proud of what the initiative had achieved so far.

The Ukraine Recovery Conference brings together heads of government and state with the goal of rallying international support for the reconstruction and modernisation of the war-torn country.

Following the conference, the Ukraine Peace Summit is set to take place in Switzerland on Saturday and Sunday.

Russia will not participate.

© Euronews