President Zelensky fired the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK after he publicly criticized him. For his part, the Minister of Culture announced his resignation due to disagreements with the president about the expenses of the war. Meanwhile, fighting continues, Russia once again shelled the port of Odessa, killing at least four in an attack on Zaporizhia.
Internal political tensions surface in Ukraine. President Volodimir Zelensky dismissed Vadym Prystaiko on Friday, July 21, as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and as Ukraine’s representative to the International Maritime Organization.
Although kyiv did not express the reasons for this decision, it comes a few days after the diplomat publicly criticized the president.
A week ago, outgoing British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said kyiv should show more gratitude for Western-supplied weapons. President Zelensky had replied that Ukraine had always expressed gratitude and said that Wallace should teach him how “we could get up in the morning and express our words of gratitude to the minister.”
When Prystaiko was asked what he thought of the president’s response, he noted that there was “a bit of sarcasm” on Zelensky’s part and that he did not think “this sarcasm is healthy,” adding that “they have to know that we are working together.”
It is not yet known who will replace Prystaiko, who served as London representative for three years.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian Minister of Culture, Oleksandr Tkachenko, also had disagreements with the president and announced his resignation on Friday. The day before, Zelensky had criticized the portfolio’s spending on “museums, cultural centers, symbols and television series”, funds that, according to the head of state, should have been allocated to the war effort.
“I have submitted my resignation due to a series of misunderstandings about the importance of culture in wartime,” Tkachenko said on Facebook, adding that culture is “no less important than drones” as it is “the shield of our identity.”
Since the start of the war, Minister Tkachenko has promoted cultural and historical memory projects, some at a cost of millions of euros.
New Russian attacks in Zaporizhia and Odessa
Ukraine’s Zaporizhia Oblast was the target of Russian attacks on Thursday night. At least four workers died, the head of the area’s Military Administration, Yuri Malashko, reported this Friday. In addition, at least two people were injured.
The Russian forces attacked with artillery fire the Zaporozhye towns closest to the front, as confirmed by the regional authorities. Russia also used anti-aircraft missiles, drones, and planes.
Moscow also bombed infrastructure in Odessa for the fifth day in a row and for the second time in 24 hours.
“The target was an important infrastructure,” said the representative of the region’s Military Administration, Oleg Kiper.
On Monday, Russia withdrew from the agreement. signed with the UN and with Türkiye a year ago on the export of grain that allowed Ukraine to export its grain through the Black Sea and despite the war. Since then, Moscow has massively attacked port facilities dedicated to the export of grain and has launched exercises in the Black Sea to destroy ships.
Potential risks to global food security
The UN warned that attacks on Black Sea port infrastructure could have “far-reaching repercussions on global food security, particularly in developing countries.” Rosemary DiCarlo, the organization’s head of Political Affairs, said Friday.
“Any risk of the conflict escalating as a result of a military incident in the Black Sea, whether intentional or accidental, must be avoided at all costs, as it could have catastrophic consequences for all of us,” United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said Friday.
The end of the agreement on the Ukrainian grain created uncertainty on the part of several African countries.
“We understand the concerns that our African friends may have, which are understandable and will be taken into account,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Verchinin said on Friday.
The pact had, among other things, made it possible to control international grain prices and supply grain to countries like Afghanistan, Sudan or Yemen.
kyiv began using US cluster munitions
Washington reported that kyiv has already started using the controversial cluster munitions that were supplied to it by the United States. According to John Kirby, a White House spokesman, he would have started using them “in the last week or so.”
“They are using them properly. They are using them effectively and they are having a real impact on Russian defensive formations and on Moscow’s defensive manoeuvres,” Kirby told reporters.
The US decision to supply cluster weapons to Ukraine was widely criticized by the international community. These munitions can disperse multiple small explosive charges that often remain unexploded and pose a risk to the population after the conflict. According to the United Nations, Russia also makes use of these weapons in the conflict in Ukraine.
With EFE and Reuters
