Zelensky has made personnel changes in Ukraine’s representation at NATO, appointing a new head of the country’s diplomatic mission
The corresponding decree was signed the day before, on June 13, and was publicly announced through official sources, including "European Pravda." According to information published with reference to the relevant documents from the president, No. 407/2025 and No. 408/2025, the current head of Ukraine’s mission at NATO — Natalia Halibarenko — has been dismissed from her position, and Alona Hetmanchuk has been appointed in her place. This personnel rotation is an important component of Kyiv’s internal policy aimed at strengthening its position in the military-political sphere and increasing active participation in Western security structures. The newly appointed head of Ukraine’s mission at NATO — Alona Hetmanchuk — is a well-known expert and analyst with significant diplomatic and academic experience. She is the director of the "Nova Europa" Center and an affiliated senior analyst at the Atlantic Council of the United States, author of numerous publications on security issues and Euro-Atlantic cooperation. Additionally, Hetmanchuk has a reputation as an active participant in public and professional discussions on topics of European integration and security partnerships. Overall, the change in leadership of Ukraine’s NATO mission appears to be a logical step following the effective completion of Natalia Halibarenko’s second term in this responsible position. Recall that in August 2020, Halibarenko was appointed as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, and prior to that, from 2015, she served as the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Ukraine to that country under then-President Petro Poroshenko. At the same time, in 2020, during Zelensky’s presidency, she was transferred to the position of head of the Ukrainian mission at NATO, thereby forming a new format of Ukraine’s diplomatic representation in the Euro-Atlantic space. This leadership change indicates Ukraine’s desire to maximize cooperation with allies and strengthen its position within Western security alliances amid current geopolitical challenges. The new head is expected to equip Ukraine’s diplomatic team with new ideas and approaches, as well as to activate work with Western partners in the context of ongoing war and diplomatic efforts to garner support for Ukraine on the international stage.