NEW DELHI: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday dismissed several of Kyiv’s senior envoys abroad, including India’s, according to the presidential website. In a decree that gave no reason for the move, he announced the sacking of Ukraine’s ambassadors to India, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary.
It was not immediately clear if the envoys would be handed new jobs. Igor Polikha, Ukraine’s ambassador to India, was amongst the most vocal proponents of Ukraine’s position in the conflict with Russia and constantly appealed to the Indian government to help.
Sources say that the Ukraine Embassy in India was taken aback by the announcement as it came all of a sudden. However, they also say that Ambassador Igor had worked in India for over seven years and it was time for him to return.
Igor was concurrently the envoy for Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Last month, while speaking with TNIE, Ambassador Igor said that he was hoping India would help rebuild Ukraine post the conflict. No dates of his departure have been fixed yet, nor his replacement announced. There is no clarity on whether he would be redeployed as another country’s envoy.
Apart from him the envoys that have been recalled include Andriy Melnyk (Germany), Liubov Nepop (Hungary), Vyacheslav Yatsyuk (Norway) and Yevhen Perebyinis (Czech Republic). Ukraine’s envoy to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, was one of their most outspoken envoys. He once accused German chancellor Olaf Scholz of behaving like an “offended liver sausage” when Chancellor Scholz did not accept an invitation by the Ukrainian president to visit Kyiv. Some reports suggest that he could be appointed as Foreign Minister in Kyiv.
Ukraine and Germany are currently at odds with each other over a German made turbine that has to be sent to Russian gas company Gazprom. Kyiv is against the turbine being returned to Russia as they allege it would violate sanctions. However, the fact is that the turbine will be returned to Russia after it undergoes maintenance in Canada shortly. “This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice,” President Zelensky had said in the statement that mentioned the envoys recall which was referred to as dismissal. However, it was not clear if the envoys would be assigned new positions.
Russia started its military operation in Ukraine in the last week of February this year which resulted in a large-scale humanitarian situation. Under operation Ganga, India had facilitated the safe return of 22,500 Indian nationals, most of them students, studying in various universities in Ukraine.
India has reiterated its stand for diplomacy amid the Ukraine conflict and said humanitarian measures should not be politicized at a time when the impact of the situation is affecting the food security situation.
The war in Ukraine has led to a large-scale humanitarian and refugee crisis. Moreover, the security situation in Ukraine deteriorated rapidly following the launch of a Russian Federation military offensive on February 24.
According to UN agencies, the escalation of conflict in the eastern part of the country has triggered an immediate and steep rise in humanitarian needs as essential supplies and services are disrupted and civilians flee the fighting. The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while several other Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighbouring countries in the coming months.
(With ANI inputs)