Zelensky Sacks Ukraine Envoy to UK after British Military Aid Row – News18

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Last Updated: July 21, 2023, 15:06 IST

Vadym Prystaiko, who has been dismissed as Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain, waves as he and his wife Inna Prystaiko walk outside Number 10 Downing Street in London, February 24, 2023. (Reuters File Photo)

Ukrainian President Zelensky dismisses UK ambassador after disagreement over British military aid. Diplomat criticizes Zelensky’s response

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday dismissed the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadym Prystaiko, after he criticised the president’s response to a row over British military aid. Prystaiko had criticised Zelensky’s sarcastic response to suggestions from British defence minister Ben Wallace that Ukraine should show more gratitude for arms supplies from its allies.

Zelensky signed a decree dismissing Prystaiko, published on the presidential website. It did not provide a reason. The row began when Wallace told journalists at a NATO summit in Vilnius this month that Britain was not an Amazon delivery service for weapons to Ukraine and suggested Kyiv could express more “gratitude”.

The UK is a major donor of weapons to Ukraine and also trains its troops.

Zelensky responded at a press conference at the summit, saying he did not know how else to make clear Ukraine’s gratitude, adding: “We could wake up in the morning and express our words of gratitude to the minister personally.”

The Ukrainian diplomat agreed with a suggestion from a Sky News interviewer that Zelensky responded with “a little bit of sarcasm” to Wallace.

“I don’t believe that this sarcasm is healthy. We don’t have to show the Russians that we have something between us, they have to know that we are working together,” Prystaiko added, stressing the need to smooth over relations with the UK. “If anything happens, Ben can call me and tell me everything he wants,” the diplomat said.

Prystaiko is a career diplomat who has served as ambassador to the United Kingdom since July 2020. He was previously Ukraine’s foreign minister from 2019 to 2020.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)