Zelenskyy Makes Personnel Decisions in Diplomacy and Prepares Reforms of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry
Government circles and the Ukrainian diplomatic community received new signals — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made changes to the staffing of Ukrainian diplomatic representations abroad. This was announced by Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiga, on Saturday during a telethon broadcast by the information agency "European Pravda." These decisions are part of a broader plan to prepare for a structural reform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the country’s foreign policy in the face of current challenges. The information voiced by the Minister indicates that the adoption of personnel decisions is already actively being discussed and is scheduled before the upcoming meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors, planned for the end of July. According to him, the main motivation for these changes is the need to adapt the diplomatic corps to new geopolitical realities shaped by the ongoing war and global instability. “The geopolitical situation requires the diplomatic service to seek new approaches, decisive arguments, and effective tools to achieve set goals. Therefore, the President has already made several personnel decisions regarding the heads of foreign missions,” the Minister noted. “The primary criterion for their appointment is the concrete results they will mobilize — primarily, ensuring effective military, humanitarian, and economic support for Ukraine within international institutions and among partners.” He added that the heads of Ukrainian diplomatic missions are expected to actively promote Ukraine’s interests, particularly in making important decisions regarding military, humanitarian, and financial aid packages, mobilizing support for Ukraine on the international stage, and strengthening diplomatic presence in key regions of the world. "All these are measures of the effectiveness of each head of a foreign mission. Accordingly, a series of personnel decisions aimed at strengthening the diplomatic corps and increasing its effectiveness will be adopted before the ambassadorial meeting, approved by the President," Sybiga emphasized. Moreover, the Minister spoke about the Ministry’s plans to undertake an important step — to carry out a structural reform that will align with new security challenges and Ukraine’s strategy for defense on the international arena. One of the key aspects of this reform will be the abolition of the disarmament department, which, according to Sybiga, is "a particular anachronism" within the structure of the ministry. “Since Ukraine’s independence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has had a disarmament department — which, to put it mildly, is not modern. Such a structure has exhausted itself and no longer meets today’s challenges,” he said. At the same time, the Ministry plans to introduce new units focused on enhancing the country’s defense capabilities. “Departments and divisions will appear that will work on strengthening the defense potential, developing strategies, and securing international support in this area,” the minister stressed. In his view, the implementation of a new structure will facilitate more effective execution of Ukraine’s foreign policy, enable rapid response to contemporary challenges, and foster modern diplomatic practices aligned with international standards. It is noteworthy that preparations for the reforms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are underway amid statements by Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding Russia’s global objectives and their aggressive war against Ukraine. At this time, the Ukrainian foreign policy establishment is considering the creation of new departments and divisions, including a NATO department, which would be a separate aspect of strengthening security cooperation with allies. The groundwork for this step was laid back on June 21, when President Zelenskyy announced a series of personnel and organizational decisions aimed at strengthening the diplomatic corps amid Russian aggression and deepening international partnerships. During that announcement, he specifically emphasized the importance of selecting leaders of Ukrainian diplomatic missions based on their ability to deliver results — a key factor for achieving strategic goals during this critical period.