Media outlets noted the absence of Valeriy Zaluzhny at President Zelenskyy’s meeting with the British Defence Secretary.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Wes Streeting / © Office of the President of Ukraine
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Great Britain, Valeriy Zaluzhny, was not present at the meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the new British Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting.
This is reported by “European Pravda,” which points out differing explanations from Zaluzhny’s team and the Office of the President.
What Zaluzhny’s team says
“Ambassador Valeriy Zaluzhny was not invited to the meeting between the President of Ukraine and the British Defence Secretary,” the publication quotes Zaluzhny’s media advisor, Oksana Torop.
What the OP responded
Advisor to the President for Communications, Dmytro Lyutvyn, in turn, told journalists that Zaluzhny was supposed to initiate his participation himself but did not do so, opting for another event instead.
“This is an initiative-based matter (during official visits) for levels below the Prime Minister or President. There is a long-standing protocol practice where the ambassador in a country almost always accompanies the Prime Minister or President of another nation, but if the level is lower, each ambassador decides independently and informs if they will (participate in the meeting – Ed.). Today, the Ambassador, as far as we know, is participating in MFA events as part of the annual meeting with ambassadors,” stated Lyutvyn.
However, “European Pravda,” citing its own sources, asserts that Zaluzhny learned about the meeting only after it had taken place.
It should be noted that in addition to the President, First Deputy Head of the OP Serhiy Kyslytsia and Deputy Head of the OP Pavlo Palisa were present at the meeting with the British minister from the Ukrainian side.
As a reminder, on Tuesday, August 4, Valeriy Zaluzhny stated that our country allegedly would not be able to join NATO.
Today, Zaluzhny and the MFA had to explain such a loud statement.
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