Ambassadors have left: what the diplomatic "revolution" under Zelensky signifies.

When discussing the decrees signed by the head of state last Saturday, December 21, it is important to note that these pertain to planned rotations within the diplomatic corps: these staffing decisions were announced by the current occupant of Bankova about a week ago. "We are preparing to strengthen our team - the team of Ukraine. Foreign policy work next year will be even more intense than this year and must be strong. The coming year should become a time for establishing peace - reliable peace," emphasized Zelensky in his traditional video address on December 16. The necessity for a significant diplomatic reset was also mentioned by Zelensky in the fall when presenting his "Resilience Plan" for Ukraine in the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada - internal steps aimed at strengthening the state’s positions across various spheres.

Perhaps one of the most resonant decrees from Saturday is the dismissal of Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Serhiy Kyslytsia. The 55-year-old Kyslytsia is a career diplomat who, in 2020, transitioned from the position of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to that of Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Kyslytsia, often referred to as a heavyweight of Ukrainian diplomacy, has represented Ukraine at the United Nations both as a selfless advocate and as an exceptionally tough prosecutor against the Russian Federation. Typically, his timely, profound, and almost aphoristic quotes have quickly circulated through the pages of influential global media. In this sense, the weight and influence of Mr. Kyslytsia on the global information "front" is difficult to underestimate.

On July 11, 2024, Serhiy Kyslytsia, speaking from the UN podium shortly after the shelling of the children's clinic "Okhmatdyt," while also reminding about preparations for the upcoming UN Summit scheduled for September, stated: "What future are we talking about, excuse me, when a killer feels comfortable sitting here right now, knee-deep in children's blood in the chair of the Security Council president!" Kyslytsia characterized Russia's presidency in the UN Security Council as a cancerous disease, "but worse." In general, sessions of the UN Security Council on Ukrainian issues, thanks to Mr. Kyslytsia's emotionality, are often perceived as a sort of derby between him and his Russian counterpart Nebenzya. It should be noted that the resignation of Serhiy Kyslytsia is a planned rotation and, as rumors suggest, he will soon be appointed as the deputy to the newly appointed head of the domestic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sibiga.

Kyslytsia's position at the UN will be taken by another well-known Ukrainian diplomat, former Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk, who in May 2022 referred to Chancellor Olaf Scholz as "liver sausage" for his refusal to visit Kyiv - this German idiom refers to someone pretending to be unjustly offended. This appointment has already sparked jokes. "I wonder what he will call Guterres? Bored pig chorizo?" asked political scientist Oleksiy Holobutsky.

One of the most significant ambassadorial appointments is the conclusion of the long saga of Fedor Shandor. An ethnic Hungarian, Doctor of Sociology, and Professor at Uzhhorod University, he voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in February 2022 and, after night shifts at the front, lectured his students, earning nationwide recognition as the "professor from the trenches." It was the current occupant of Bankova who decided to appoint him as Ukraine's ambassador to Hungary and announced this over a year ago. However, Zelensky has only now put a definitive end to this staffing story, despite the fact that the relations between official Kyiv and Budapest are, even with a stretch, hard to call smooth, and the Ukrainian ambassador to Hungary, as a top communicator, was necessary, especially since the local authorities had long given their "approval" for the candidacy of the "professor from the trenches."

As a result of another Saturday decree from Zelensky, the position of Ukraine's ambassador to Slovenia will be vacated by General, former Minister of Defense Andriy Taran. He will be replaced by Petro Beshta, who had held the position of Ukraine’s ambassador to Lithuania until now.

Another notable staffing decision is the dismissal of Ukraine's ambassador to China. After the death of Ambassador Serhiy Kamyshev in February 2021, this position remained vacant for more than two years, including over a year after the start of Putin's "special operation." Now Zelensky has "dismissed" the former Minister of Strategic Industries, Pavlo Ryabikin, who was appointed to this position in April 2023. However, the name of the new Ukrainian ambassador in China remains unknown for now (although the media has mentioned the name of Oleksandr Nechytaylo - a career diplomat and Ukraine's ambassador to Malaysia).

Meanwhile, Nariman Dzhelyal, the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, who spent nearly three years in Russian prisons, will soon become Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey. At the same time, as announced by the president, Alena Hetmanchuk, one of the most authoritative experts in the Euro-Atlantic direction in Ukraine, will head Ukraine's representation at NATO.

In a separate decree, Volodymyr Zelensky revoked his own February decree appointing Emine Dzheppar as Ukraine's representative to international organizations in Vienna. The former First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dzheppar was the driving force and organizer of the "Crimean Platform," actively participated in the return of "Scythian gold" to Ukraine, and was responsible for Ukraine's cooperation with UNESCO. However, this summer, Mrs. Dzheppar found herself at the center of a high-profile media scandal: investigative journalists accused her of facilitating the allegedly illegal exit of her husband, former co-owner of "PrivatBank" Henadiy Boholyubov, abroad. Rejecting these accusations, Dzheppar stated that she was leaving the diplomatic service at Mykhailivska Square.

Finally, in another decree, President Zelensky appointed Vyacheslav Yatsyuk, former ambassador to Norway, as envoy to Rwanda - previously, there was no official Kyiv embassy in this country, and this appointment, according to experts, can be seen as a confirmation of Bankova's promises to enhance communication with the so-called Global South.

Several sources Lenta.UA indicate that a number of other ambassadors will be replaced soon. One of them claims that the current guarantor of the Ukrainian Constitution intends to abandon his idea of appointing former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov as ambassador to neighboring Moldova. This position is expected to be filled by Paun Rohovei, who has worked in both Romania and Moldova.

At the same time, in recent days, the media has been circulating information about the possible appointment of former Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin as ambassador to the Netherlands.

The "big diplomatic reset" announced by President Zelensky has raised even more questions about the goals, methods, and intentions behind the reorganization of the diplomatic service. It should be noted that some of the announced ambassadors have yet to receive agréments (permission to accept) from the country of their potential residence. Additionally, some of the announced appointees have not undergone the special checks (a mandatory action before confirmation). I predict that some of these checks may not be passed. There are questions regarding some candidates from the special services. I won't even mention the necessary exams that should precede the appointments. When dozens of people called me to assess various candidates, my response was the same: we first need to understand whether the newly appointed have a mandate to carry out missions, and only then draw generalized conclusions. However, some things are already evident. Am I pleased that, for example, the absolutely unproductive Andriy Taran has been removed from Slovenia? Yes, of course. But who will bear responsibility for his appointment and for the fact that the outcome was predictable from the start? A person who was unsuitable for diplomatic service and experienced problems with effectiveness at their previous job was continuously paid a salary from the state budget. And no one takes responsibility for this completely unsuccessful experiment because it was a political appointment. And are we not stepping on the same rake with the potential appointments that are being prepared again?" poses the question Viktor Shlynchak, head of the Institute of World Policy.

"Perhaps the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has enough professional personnel who could enhance our positioning in the world. And this includes not only countries in Africa and Asia. However, political expediency and the intention to pander to society again dominate the choice of candidates. This leads to the conclusion that the President's Office does not intend to change its approach to understanding the importance and responsibility of diplomacy. Well, if it’s dead, then it’s dead..." concludes the expert.

By the way, the key diplomatic intrigue remains concerning the position of Ukraine's ambassador to the USA. As is known, the current ambassador, 48-year-old Oksana Markarova, who served as Minister of Finance under President Poroshenko, found herself at the center of a scandal related to President Zelensky's visit to a munitions factory in Scranton - Joe Biden's hometown - amidst the 2024 presidential campaign in the USA.

At that time, Trump's close associates perceived this event as election interference by official Kyiv in favor of the current occupant of the