Ukrainian President Approves Former Chief of the Armed Forces Zaluzhnyi as Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, will become the new Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom.
This was announced on 7 March by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
"On Thursday, 7 March 2024, the President of Ukraine approved the candidacy of Valeriy Zaluzhnyi for the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has sent the British side a request for an agriman," the statement said.
In turn, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening video address that former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhnyy told him that he would like to work in the diplomatic field.
"Today I have agreed on the candidacy of our country's ambassador to the UK. General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi told me about this particular direction for himself - diplomacy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has sent a request to the Foreign Office. Our alliance with the UK should only get stronger," Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine's previous ambassador to the UK was former Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, who was appointed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 20 July 2020. Prystaiko was dismissed in July 2023 after the Ukrainian diplomat called the Ukrainian president's comment to then-British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace about the need for greater gratitude to allies "unhealthy sarcasm".
In response to Wallace's words, the Ukrainian president said that Ukraine was very grateful to Britain and its people for their support. But he also added that "we can wake up in the morning and thank the minister personally".
Later, Prystaiko issued an explanation in which he did not disassociate himself from the criticism, but softened it, saying that "sarcasm is not needed between friendly countries."
Valeriy Zaluzhnyi was dismissed by President Zelenskyy from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on 8 February 2024.