Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his government to keep tight control on wartime spending. His call led, among other things, to the Minister of Culture, champion of a series of high-profile and costly projects, to tender his resignation. Whether that has been accepted is not yet clear.
“In a time of war, most of the state’s attention, and therefore most of the state’s financial resources, should go to defense,” Zelensky said in a video address on Thursday night, referring to a conversation he had earlier with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Among other things, he told the prime minister to find alternative financing for projects “that are really needed”. As far as Zelensky is concerned, this concerns various sectors, including culture. “Museums, cultural centers, symbols, television series are important, but we have other priorities,” said the president.
Zelensky, himself a TV actor, comedian and author before entering politics, said he had appealed to local councils to exercise restraint so that “people feel that budget resources are being used fairly and correctly. Cobblestones, city decorations, fountains will have to wait. Victory first.”
He also asked Shmyhal to “consider” replacing Culture and Information Policy Minister Olexander Tkachenko. Within an hour, Tkachenko said he had resigned without apologizing for his projects.
“Wartime culture is important because this war is not only about territory, but also about people – our memory, history, language and creativity despite the war,” Tkachenko, who ran a television channel before entering politics, wrote on Telegram.
“Private and public funding for wartime culture is no less important than for drones. Culture is the shield for our identity and our borders,” said Tkachenko.
