Volodymyr Zelenskyy sacked Vadym Prystaiko. Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.K. | Isabel Infantes/AFP via Getty Images

By Smartencyclopedia Staff

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, has been fired by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after criticizing the Ukrainian president’s response to a row over gratitude for British military aid.

Prystaiko was dismissed on Friday, just days after he told Sky News that he did not believe Zelenskyy’s sarcastic response to U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace was “healthy”.

Wallace had suggested that Ukraine should show more gratitude to its allies, after Zelenskyy criticized the level of military assistance being provided by the West.

Prystaiko’s dismissal is seen as a sign of Zelenskyy’s determination to maintain good relations with Ukraine’s allies, even in the face of tensions over NATO membership.

Here are some additional details:

• Prystaiko was appointed ambassador to the UK in 2019.
• He is a career diplomat who has also served as Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister.
• His dismissal is the first diplomatic casualty of Ukraine’s dispute with its allies over NATO membership.
• The dispute has been simmering for some time, but it came to a head in recent weeks after Zelenskyy criticized the level of military assistance being provided by the West.
• Wallace’s comments about gratitude were seen by some as a way of trying to smooth over the tensions.
• However, Prystaiko’s dismissal suggests that Zelenskyy is not willing to back down on his demands for more military assistance.

The dismissal of Prystaiko is a significant development in Ukraine’s relations with the West. It remains to be seen how the dispute will be resolved, but it is clear that the issue of NATO membership is still a major source of tension between Ukraine and its allies.