KIEV, March 27 – The Association of Ukrainian Banks has slammed the work of the National Bank of Ukraine and called for a change in its leadership.

"My duty as a citizen, the AUB president and a specialist in the banking industry force me to raise the question of dismissing the NBU's leadership," AUB President Oleksandr Suhoniako said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"It's the duty of every citizen to be an honest professional in his field, and call a spade a spade. This concerns the protection of banks. I know what state the banks are in, what they're suffering from. I have to defend them this way, I don't see any other way," he added.

According to the AUB head, the current NBU leadership is constrains lending to the economy and causing risks to the balance of payments.