Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, whose political future has been the subject of intense speculation, said on Wednesday President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had asked him to remain in his current post.
Asked in a Reuters interview whether he expected to continue as defence minister in the months to come, he replied: "Yes, it was the decision of my president."
Reznikov's future was thrown into doubt in recent weeks after a senior parliamentarian from Zelenskiy's party said he would be replaced. But Reznikov remained in post.
A lawyer who became defence minister only a few months before Russia launched its invasion, he has been under pressure due to a corruption scandal linked to his ministry.
Reznikov said Zelenskiy had asked him to remain as defence minister but also discussed a future role leading a legal battle to ensure Russian war crimes are punished. Reznikov said he hoped that role would come after the end of the war.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Johnny Cotton; Wirting by Andrew Gray)
