Every Candidate for Kyiv's Winter Management Post Declined

Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on October 28 that every individual he approached to lead Kyiv City Administration for the upcoming winter rejected the position. The president disclosed this during a meeting with journalists, noting that he had considered several candidates for a special management body designed to oversee the capital as cold weather approaches.

Zelenskyy explained that the reluctance stems from the political risks associated with the role. He observed that public administrators and business leaders hesitate because the position offers little public gratitude while exposing the holder to constant political scrutiny. "No one wants to be involved, because afterwards no one will say thank you and others will constantly talk about politics," he said.

In response to the lack of interest, the president instructed Prime Minister Denys Shmygal to assemble a specialized team of managers for Kyiv. Although Zelenskyy did not define the specific powers of this new group, he indicated he would personally interview any candidate the team selects. The goal is to establish a council that can rapidly develop and implement solutions for the city's infrastructure and security needs.

The president named several former high-ranking officials whom he consulted or hoped to involve. These individuals included Vasyl Maliuk, former head of the Security Service of Ukraine; Oleksandr Kubrakov, former deputy prime minister for restoration; Volodymyr Groisman, former prime minister; and Serhii Sukhomlyn, former head of the Restoration Agency. Sukhomlyn is the only named official who explicitly declined the offer.

Zelenskyy reiterated his criticism of Mayor Vitali Klitschko regarding the city's winter readiness. This follows his statement on October 13 that Kyiv is the least-prepared region in Ukraine according to national resilience plans. The ongoing consultations focus on specific security and management steps to address these gaps before the season intensifies.