Zelenskyy sacks Ukraine ambassador to UK after sarcasm row

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sacked his country’s ambassador to the UK after a row over the Ukrainian president’s perceived ingratitude towards the British government.

The presidential order dismissing Vadym Prystaiko, who has been in the post since 2020, did not give a reason for the removal. But The Telegraph reported that he was dismissed in response to a “public interview, which appeared to criticise Mr Zelenskyy’s choice of words”.

The interview in question was one the veteran diplomat gave to Sky News last week. In it he accused Zelenskyy of an “unhealthy sarcasm” in response to Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, suggesting that Kyiv should show more gratitude for Western support in its war with Russia.

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Wallace had said he’d warned Ukraine that its allies were “not Amazon” in that they could not deliver military assistance all the time. But Zelenskyy hit back saying: “How else can we show our gratitude? We can wake up in the morning and thank the minister. Let him write to me and tell me how to thank him.”

It was this response that Prystaiko criticised, telling Sky News: “President Zelenskyy saying ‘each and every morning we’ll wake up and call Ben Wallace to thank him’ – I don’t think that kind of sarcasm is healthy. I don’t think we need to show the Russians there is something between us. We’re working together, Ben [Wallace] can call me and tell me anything he wants to.”

Prystaiko’s public criticism of the Ukrainian president caused “very strong” telephone conversations with the government in Kyiv, according to The Independent. There were private concerns that Russia would use the public spat to highlight division within Zelenskyy’s administration.

Last year, Zelenskyy “sacked Ukraine’s ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary”, said the i news site, but the Ukrainian president insisted it was a “rotation” and a “normal part of diplomatic practice”.