Zelenskyy appoints 16 new ambassadors, sets diplomatic priorities for 2025
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed 16 new ambassadors, marking a major diplomatic reshuffle as Ukraine outlines its foreign policy priorities for the remainder of 2025. The appointments were announced on July 21 following decrees published on the president’s official website.
Among the new envoys, Andrii Plakhotniuk has been named ambassador to Canada and Ukraine's representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization, while Yurii Lutovinov will serve as ambassador to Japan. Yaroslav Melnyk will head Ukraine’s diplomatic mission in Belgium, and Serhii Pohoreltsev has been appointed ambassador to Mexico, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Two key appointments include Olha Selykh as ambassador to Oman and Yuliia Sokolovska as ambassador to Spain. Sokolovska will also represent Ukraine at the World Tourism Organization.
“This morning, after receiving briefings from our military and interior officials, I met with the foreign minister and our Office team. We finalized the long process of selecting ambassadorial candidates,” Zelenskyy stated on Telegram.
“Each ambassador has been given specific tasks and performance benchmarks. Later today, we’ll define Ukraine’s key diplomatic priorities for the next six months during a meeting with all ambassadors.”
Other key appointments:
Oleksandr Voronin – Algeria
Oleksandr Balanutsa – UAE & International Renewable Energy Agency
Volodymyr Bachynskyi – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Volodymyr Boiechko – Estonia
Andrii Kasyanov – Angola
Hennadii Nadolenko – Malaysia
Serhii Nizhynskyi – Cyprus
Maksym Subkh – Kuwait
Yurii Tokar – Kenya & UN Environment Programme
Oleksandr Scherba – South Africa
The appointments come as Kyiv aims to bolster ties with key international partners. On July 17, Zelenskyy named Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna as special envoy to the United States, pending her formal approval as ambassador to Washington. The same day, Ukraine’s parliament confirmed Yuliia Svyrydenko as the country’s new prime minister in a sweeping government reshuffle.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha previously announced that around 20 new ambassadorial positions would be filled as part of a strategy to enhance Ukraine’s diplomatic presence, particularly among G7 and G20 nations.
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