Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry did not ask him to dismiss CEO of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolyev.
Asked whether there was such a request, he briefly answered at a press event in Kyiv on Oct. 10″ “No, there wasn’t.”
Earlier, the Associated Press reported that a group of individuals linked with U.S. President Donald Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani had tried to change the top managers of Naftogaz and appoint Andriy Favorov instead of Kobolev.
The plan was reportedly disrupted by the then president Petro Poroshenko’s loss during the 2019 presidential elections and Zelensky’s landslide victory. After that, according to AP sources, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry made efforts to change Naftogaz’s management team.
