Political vacation season began today in the Ukrainian MFA. This is the vacation that the head of the MFA, Pavel Klimkin, went on. He did it on the day when President Zelensky went on a trip to Canada. Against the background of political conflicts, several thousand foreign servicemen arrived in the south of Ukraine.
Anton Lyadov has the details on what events the country is preparing for.
3,000 servicemen from 19 countries are there for the large-scale "Sea Breeze" military exercises launched in Odessa, Nikolaev, and Kherson Oblasts. Ukrainian channels describe in detail almost every warship that enters Ukrainian waters.
"The largest participant of Sea Breeze, 500-feet long American missile destroyer Carney entered the waters".
The troops of Great Britain, Romania, Moldova, the U.S. practice joint actions. Here's a Ukrainian woman demonstrating to foreigners how to cut a trouser leg of a wounded man. Those carefully watch and comment.
Matthew Lehman, US Drill Supervisor: "We support Ukraine, we're trying to ensure stability in the Black Sea region".
Apparently, in the hope to receive support from another country, President Zelensky went to Canada today. One of the largest Ukrainian Diasporas lives there. But in the presidential election, they voted for Poroshenko. No wonder that today, Poroshenko congratulated Canadians on their national holiday — Canada Day — even earlier than the current president. In Canada, Zelensky will have meetings with the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, MPs.
But ordinary Ukrainians will have to pay over $100 to hear and see the Ukrainian president. This is the website of the Economic Club of Canada, which organizes the meeting. The price for club members is 89 Canadian dollars plus tax, for the rest it's 110 dollars plus tax. Interestingly,
Zelensky flies to Canada without the foreign minister of Ukraine. Pavel Klimkin said today that he, in fact, will stop working.
Pavel Klimkin, Foreign Minister of Ukraine: "I decided to go on vacation. I think that this will be fair and the right thing to do. It isn't just a vacation, but a political vacation since I can't do things at half-strength. I call upon anyone who doesn't like the modern political mess: join me".
In fact, this is sabotage against Zelensky. Klimkin doesn't resign while refusing to fulfill his duties. The same thing happens in the parliament, which stubbornly doesn't vote for Klimkin's dismissal. Today, Zelensky's Rada representative, Stefanchuk, said that the MPs sabotage this issue every time.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, Ukrainian President's Representative in the Verkhovnaya Rada: "As soon as it came to personnel proposals, two members of the committee secretly disappeared, which broke the quorum".
Andrey Parubiy, Chairman of the Verkhovnaya Rada: "We heard "liars" and other insults in his speeches".
Ruslan Stefanchuk: "In the external arena, we play on the same team, and it's called "Ukraine." Let's remember this together and not play pre-election tricks on each other".
Andrey Parubiy: "I hope that we'll cooperate through consultation and agreement, and not by blackmail and disregard for the highest legislative body of the state".
As a result, Zelensky asked the country's Prime Minister, Vladimir Groysman, to bring the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Pavel Klimkin, to disciplinary responsibility for not coordinating his actions with the head of state.
It's unknown who'll ultimately fulfill the duties of the foreign minister of Ukraine.
Anton Lyadov, Anna Kolk for Vesti.
