July 21 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain, on Friday due to a dispute over Zelensky’s response to a statement made by Britain’s defense minister. The defense minister claimed that Ukraine was treating Britain and other weapon-supplying countries like an “Amazon” delivery service.
Zelensky announced this decision through a presidential decree, which was published on his official website in Ukrainian only. The decree did not provide specific details as to why Prystaiko, who assumed the role of ambassador in 2020, was relieved of his duties. Additionally, Prystaiko was also removed from his position as permanent representative of Ukraine to the International Maritime Organization.
The removal of Prystaiko came after he had engaged in “very strong and harsh” phone conversations with Kyiv. In these conversations, he accused Zelensky of displaying “unhealthy sarcasm” in response to the comments made by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace at the recent NATO summit. Wallace stated that Ukraine should express more gratitude if it wants to receive additional weapons, emphasizing that Britain is “not Amazon.” The Independent newspaper reported on these events.
Prior to this incident, Zelensky had criticized NATO for not allowing Ukraine to join the defensive alliance consisting of 31 member countries. In response to Wallace’s remarks, Zelensky questioned how else Ukraine could show its gratitude and suggested that the minister should provide guidance on the matter by writing to him.
Prystaiko’s actions were seen as gross insubordination in Kyiv, putting internal divisions within Ukraine on display in front of Russia. In an interview with Britain’s Sky TV, Prystaiko stated that such sarcasm was not “healthy” and emphasized the importance of working together. He expressed his willingness to listen to anything Wallace had to say.
Wallace, who has announced his resignation from politics, was reportedly unhappy with the lack of support he received from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak regarding the dispute. Sunak, however, defended Zelensky by highlighting the Ukrainian president’s gratitude expressed in his address to parliament earlier in the year. He acknowledged the sacrifices made by the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom and stated his understanding of Zelensky’s desire to protect his people and end the ongoing war.
This is not the first time Zelensky has dismissed diplomats from their positions. In July 2022, he removed ambassadors to Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Norway, and India in a single shake-up of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal was to strengthen Ukraine’s relations with other nations, as reported by Business Standard.
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