SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 7 February 2025, Friday |

Ukraine Appoints New Defense Minister amid Scrutiny on Russian Troop Movements

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s nominee Oleksii Reznikov was appointed by the Ukrainian parliament, as the new defense minister.
A 55-year-old former lawyer and deputy prime minister, Reznikov will replace Andrii Taran who resigned this week after his track record on reforms was criticized by lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties.
The appointment comes as Ukraine said Russia had left military units near Ukraine’s border after exercises, with the number of Russian troops in the area now totaling 90,000.
The United States said the Russian troop movements were significant but not “overtly aggressive”.