Zelenskyy reshuffles ambassadors: Who gained and who lost posts
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has carried out reshuffles among Ukrainian ambassadors. The relevant decrees were issued on Saturday, December 21, according to the President's Office.
The President has dismissed a number of Ukrainian ambassadors, including:
- Andrii Pravednyk, who held the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Rwanda;
- Andriy Taran, Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia;
- Petro Beshta, Ambassador of Ukraine to Lithuania;
- Serhiy Korsunskyi, Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan;
- Vasyl Hamiainin, Ambassador of Ukraine to Indonesia and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations;
- Emine Dzhaparova, who held the position of Ukraine's Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna;
- Yevheniy Filipenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
Additionally, Zelenskyy dismissed Pavlo Ryabikin from the position of Ambassador of Ukraine to China. He was appointed to this position in April 2023. Prior to this, Ryabikin served as Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine and, from 2021 to 2023, led the Ministry for Strategic Industries.
The president also dismissed Serhiy Kyslytsya from his position as Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations and as Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Appointments
The President also signed a number of decrees appointing new Ukrainian ambassadors, including:
- Viacheslav Yatsyuk as Ambassador of Ukraine to Rwanda;
- Yulia Fediv as Ambassador to the Philippines;
- Olha Nikitchenko as Ambassador to Lithuania;
- Fedir Shandor as Ambassador to Hungary;
- Petro Beshta as Ambassador to Slovenia;
- Vasyl Hamiainin as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo;
- Yevhen Tsymbalyuk as Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
Additionally, Zelenskyy replaced the head of Ukraine's National Commission for UNESCO Affairs. Iryna Borovets was dismissed, and Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, was appointed in her place.
It is worth noting that in September, during the government reshuffle, a new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine was appointed. Previously, this position was held by Dmytro Kuleba. He was succeeded by Andrii Sybiha.
Recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the approval of more than 30 new Ukrainian ambassadors. Among them are Nariman Celâl, recently released from Russian captivity, Aliona Hetmanchuk, and Andrii Melnyk.
