Vadym Prystaiko, the ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, was dismissed by Volodymyr Zelensky after he criticized the president’s handling of a dispute involving British military aid.
Zelensky had been criticized by Prystaiko for his response to British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s advice that Ukraine should be more appreciative of the weapons that its allies provide.
Without providing a justification, Zelensky signed a decree dismissing Prystaiko, which was made public on the presidential website.
Wallace reportedly said at a NATO gathering in Vilnius this month that the UK was not an Amazon arms delivery service to Ukraine and suggested that Kyiv could show more “gratitude” to London. This sparked a disagreement.
Wallace recalled saying, “I am not Amazon,” to Kyiv officials after receiving a list of the country’s requests for weapons last year.”
Since the start of the military conflict in Ukraine, Britain has been one of the primary suppliers of arms to that country, as well as a provider of training services for Ukrainian forces.
Zelensky responded by saying he was unsure of the best way to express Ukraine’s gratitude during a press conference at the summit, adding: “We could wake up in the morning and personally express our words of gratitude to the minister.”
The Ukrainian diplomat, however, acknowledged that Zelensky answered Wallace “with a little bit of sarcasm.”
“I don’t think this sarcasm is healthy. The Russians must be aware that we are cooperating with one another; we do not need to demonstrate anything to them, Prystaiko said.
The diplomat said, “If anything happens, Ben can call me and tell me everything he wants.
Prystaiko is a career diplomat who has held the position of ambassador to the United Kingdom since July 2020. He previously served as Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs from 2019 to 2020.
Tens of billions of dollars worth of military supplies have already been given to Kyiv by Western nations, or they have pledged to do so.
Ukraine has frequently requested more military aid, particularly long-range weapons. Additionally, over the past few months, Kyiv has frequently urged NATO membership.
