Reportedly, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has removed the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom following the ambassador’s criticism of Zelensky’s handling of a dispute over British military aid.
Vadym Prystaiko had openly criticized Zelensky’s sarcastic reaction to Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s suggestion that Ukraine should exhibit more gratitude for arms supplies from its allies.
A decree signed by Zelensky and published on the presidential website announced the dismissal of Prystaiko without citing a specific reason.
The controversy emerged when Wallace, at a NATO summit in Vilnius, remarked that Britain was not akin to an Amazon delivery service for weapons to Ukraine and hinted that Kyiv could display more ‘gratitude’.
The UK stands as the second-largest donor of weapons to Ukraine, with a commitment of £4.6 billion in military assistance to the country. Moreover, British troops have trained thousands of Ukrainian soldiers.
Zelensky, speaking at a press conference during the summit, expressed his perplexity at how else Ukraine could demonstrate gratitude, adding, “We could wake up in the morning and express our words of gratitude to the minister personally.”
During an interview with Sky News, the Ukrainian diplomat acknowledged that Zelensky’s response to Wallace contained “a little bit of sarcasm.”
“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 asserted, emphasizing the importance of smoothing over relations with the UK.
“If anything happens, Ben can call me and tell me everything he wants,” the diplomat added.
Prystaiko, a career diplomat, has held the position of ambassador to the United Kingdom since July 2020.
