Rainin replaces Lozhkin as Ukraine presidential administration head

Borys Lozhkin, 44, the head of the Presidential Administration since President Poroshenko took office in June 2014, resigned his post on Aug. 29. The president said Lozhkin would remain as his advisor and serve as the secretary of the National Investment Council.

In his place, the president appointed Ihor Rainin, 43, who served as the head of the Kharkiv regional administration since February 2015. Both Lozhkin and Rainin are natives of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Rainin served as Lozhkin’s deputy between November 2014 and February 2015.

Zenon Zawada: This is a very smooth transition between two colleagues who respect each other. Lozhkin has referred to Rainin as a “top class career official.” Another example of the amicable transition is that all of Lozhkin’s six deputies will remain in their posts. So we expect no changes in the way the Presidential Administration conducts itself, particularly in working with oligarchs and cobbling together majorities for parliamentary votes.

Rainin also enjoys close relations with Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, a Kharkiv politician who called Rainin an “independent, authoritative leader.” So we can expect calm relations between the president’s circle and the influential, rival entourage of former Prime Minister Yatseniuk, to which Avakov belongs.

Meanwhile, Lozhkin has indicated he will closely interact with globalist financier George Soros, announcing that he has already agreed to serve on Lozhkin’s investment council.