Vadym Prystaiko
Вадим Пристайко
Prystaiko in 2019
Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office
20 July 2020 – 21 July 2023
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal
Preceded byNatalia Galibarenko
Succeeded byValerii Zaluzhnyi[1][2]
First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine
for European Relations
In office
4 March 2020 – 4 June 2020[3]
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal
Preceded byDmytro Kuleba
Succeeded byOlha Stefanishyna[3]
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
29 August 2019 – 4 March 2020
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterOleksiy Honcharuk
Preceded byPavlo Klimkin
Succeeded byDmytro Kuleba
Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada
In office
8 November 2012 – 26 November 2014
Preceded byIhor Ostash
Succeeded byAndriy Shevchenko
Ukrainian Ambassador to NATO
In office
7 July 2017 – 29 August 2019
Preceded byYehor Bozhok
Personal details
Born (1970-02-20) 20 February 1970 (age 54)
Kiliya, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyIndependent
Alma materIgor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute

Vadym Volodymyrovych Prystaiko (Ukrainian: Вадим Володимирович Пристайко, IPA: [ʋɐˈdɪm ʋɔ.lɔˈdɪ.mer.ɔ.ʋet͡ʃ preˈstaj.kɔ]; born 20 February 1970) is a Ukrainian diplomat who was Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 20 July 2020 and held the position until he was dismissed by Zelenskyy three years later.[4][5]

Prystaiko is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine[6] and former Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine. Between 2014 and 2019, he was also the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada between 2012 and 2014 and the head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO from 7 July 2017 to 29 August 2019. In May 2019, Prystaiko served as the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for foreign policy issues.[7][8] He is a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine since 31 May 2019.[9] He is also former Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, serving from 4 March 2020 to 4 June 2020.

Biography

Prystaiko was born on 20 February 1970 in the city of Kiliya (Odesa Oblast), Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. He went to school in Odesa, Kyiv, and Zaporizhia. Eventually, the family settled in Kyiv.

In 1994, Prystaiko graduated cum laude from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute's Faculty of Computer Science. In 1998, he received a master's degree from the Ukrainian State University of Finance and International Trade. In addition to his native Ukrainian, he is fluent in Russian and English.

Prystaiko began his career in the private business sector. He was a co-founder of one of the first Ukrainian Internet providers and electronic media Electronni Visti.

In 1994, following his family's tradition of government service, he obtained a position at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of Ukraine. At that time, the Ministry was expanding rapidly as Ukraine began to negotiate with GATT/WTO.

In 1997, he took a position in the economic section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, where he tried to develop trade with Asian countries. It was the most important task because, at that time, the Ministry initiated negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the GATT/WTO and started to look for new opportunities for Ukrainian business in the markets, especially in Africa and Asia. In 1997, he moved to the Asia-Pacific Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2000, Prystaiko became a consul to Sydney, Australia, where he was involved in political and economic issues.

Since 2002, he worked in the Foreign Policy Directorate of the Administration of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma.

In December 2004, Prystaiko was appointed as a political counselor to the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada. Two years later, he became the acting chargé d'affaires (temporary counsel for Ukraine in Canada).

In 2007, he was a part of Ukraine's NATO negotiating team and served as the Deputy Director-General for NATO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2009, he became Deputy Chief of the Mission at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington D.C.

On 8 November 2012, the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich appointed Prystaiko as Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada.[10][11] He became also a Ukrainian representative in the International Civil Aviation Organisation.[12]

Prystaiko meets with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo in Kyiv, Ukraine on 31 January 2020.

In December 2014, he was named Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the apparatus under Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.[13]

He was Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO from 7 July 2017 until 29 August 2019.

On 22 May 2019, Prystaiko was appointed Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration by the decree of the President of Ukraine. He was a Member of the National Investment Council (21 June 2019).[14]

On 29 August 2019, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in the Government of Oleksiy Honcharuk.[15] But on 4 March 2020, he was released from the post and appointed Vice Prime Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration in the Government of Denys Shmyhal. On 4 June 2020, he was released from this post.[16][17]

From 20 July 2020, he is Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK.[5][18]

Since 30 December 2020, Prystaiko is a Representative of Ukraine in the International Maritime Organization (IMO).[19]

In February 2022, during the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Prystaiko said UK defence secretary's Ben Wallace's comparison of diplomatic efforts with Russia to the appeasement policies of the 1930s was unhelpful.[20] Prystaiko warned, "There's panic everywhere, not just in people's minds, but in financial markets as well" and it was "hurting the Ukrainian economy on sort of the same level as people leaving the embassy".[21]

On 21 July 2023, Prystaiko was sacked as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom by President Zelenskyy using a Presidential decree. No reason as to the sacking was given. He was also sacked from his role as the Ukrainian representative to the International Maritime Organization.[22]

Family

Prystayko's father Volodymyr Ilyich Pristayko [uk] (1941–2008) was Lieutenant General of Justice and Vice director of the SBU, but since 1991 he worked in a commission of adaptation of laws to EU standards and on rehabilitation of politically repressed. He is an Honored Lawyer of Ukraine.

He is married to Inna Prystaiko.[23] They have two sons Volodymyr and Andrii.

He likes sports, earning a black belt in Taekwondo.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ukraine's Ex-Army Chief Zaluzhny Appointed Ambassador to U.K." themoscowtimes.com. The Moscow Times. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  2. ^ Constant Méheut (7 March 2024). "Zelensky Names Ukraine's Ex-Top General Ambassador to U.K.". nytimes.com. Kyiv: The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Rada with 255 votes backs appointment of Stefanyshyna as deputy PM for European Integration", Interfax-Ukraine (4 June 2020)
  4. ^ "Zelensky appointed Pristaika ambassador to Britain". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 20 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №287/2020". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Пристайка призначили міністром закордонних справ".
  7. ^ Zelensky appoints Prystaiko as Deputy Head of Presidential Administration, 112.international, May 22, 2019
  8. ^ "Prystaiko was appointed as a Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration".
  9. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №340/2019". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  10. ^ УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 630/2012 Presidential order of appointment of Prystaiko as Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada.
  11. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 833/2014 Про звільнення В. Пристайка з посад Надзвичайного і Повноважного Посла України в Канаді та Представника України при Міжнародній організації цивільної авіації (ІКАО)".
  12. ^ УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 764/2012 Presidential order on appointment of Prystaiko as Ukrainian representative in the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
  13. ^ Ambassador Prystaiko named Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the apparatus Archived 17 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Argumenty i fakty Ukraine, December 19, 2014)
  14. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №423/2019". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Рада звільнила Кабмін Гройсмана". РБК-Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Парламент звільнив віцепрем'єра Пристайка". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Про звільнення Пристайка В.В. з посади Віце-прем'єр-міністра з питань європейської та євроатлантичної інтеграції України". zakon.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  18. ^ "Зеленський призначив Пристайка послом у Британії". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  19. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №611/2020". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  20. ^ "Ukraine tensions: US defends evacuating embassy as Zelensky urges calm". BBC News. 13 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Ukraine criticises Ben Wallace's appeasement comparison with diplomacy efforts". The Independent. 13 February 2022.
  22. ^ Mattea Bubalo (21 July 2023). "Ukraine's Zelensky sacks ambassador to UK Prystaiko after criticism". BBC. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Inna Prystaiko and Vadym Prystaiko".

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Political offices Preceded byPavlo Klimkin Minister of Foreign Affairs 2019–2020 Succeeded byDmytro Kuleba
Foreign Ministers of Ukraine (since 1990)
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