Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said in an interview published on Sept. 6 that he receives approval for key decisions from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Monastyrsky replaced long-time Interior Minister Arsen Avakov in July. A former lawmaker with Zelensky’s party, he was handpicked by the president, and there have been concerns that he would not be independent of him.
“The offer to head the Interior Ministry was made by the president personally,” Monastyrsky told Interfax-Ukraine news agency. “My response was that I would also like to discuss key projects and processes personally with the president… I get approval personally from the president for key issues.”
He also said that top police officials discuss certain issues for which the President’s Office is responsible.
In Ukraine’s government structure, the Interior Ministry is supposed to be independent of the president and his administration. Only two Cabinet ministers are appointed by the president: foreign minister and defense minister.
The exit of Avakov, who resigned in July after seven years, is believed to have tipped the balance of power in favor of the President’s Office and its head, Andriy Yermak.
There has also been speculation on whether Monastyrsky would keep Avakov’s legacy and influence at his ministry.
In July, Monastyrsky fired Anton Gerashchenko, a staunch Avakov ally, from the job of deputy interior minister. However, in August Gerashchenko returned to the ministry as an aide to Monastyrsky, indicating that Avakov’s legacy remains.
