Ukraine's ambassador to the UK sacked - who is Vadym Prystaiko and why was he fired?

Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, has been sacked from the role after a public disagreement with President Volodymyr Zelensky over comments made in response to the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

Prystaiko was dismissed via a presidential order which was released on Friday 21 July and signed off by Zelensky. No official reason was given for the departure.

However, it comes days after Prystaiko called out Zelensky's "sarcasm" when referencing his response to Wallace suggesting that Ukraine was treating the West as an Amazon-style delivery service for military aid and appeared to ask for more gratitude from Kyiv for the support offered by the West.

The comments are said to have angered officials in Kyiv, with Wallace later backtracking on his comments. Zelensky had responded to the comment by saying that “each and every morning we’ll wake up and call Ben Wallace to thank him” in the future.

Prystaiko told Sky News following the comments: “I don’t think that kind of sarcasm is healthy. We don’t have to show the Russians there is something between us.

"They have to know we are working together. If something happens, Ben can call me and tell me everything he wants.”

Following his dismissal, former Prime Minister and close ally of Zelensky, Boris Johnson, called Prystaiko a "great Ukrainian ambassador and friend to this country. He added: “I hope he will emerge soon in another incarnation!”

Who is Vadym Prystaiko?

Prystaiko is a prominent figure in Ukrainian politics, having held the role of Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine from 2019 to 2020.

He took up the role of Ukrainian ambassador to the UK in July 2020 and became a prominent representative of the country, appearing in television interviews as the war broke out in his home country.

He was also seen attending events in Downing Street, and is believed to have played a key role in securing a strong support from the UK, and at a wider scale, from the West.