The dismissal of Vadym Prystaiko was confirmed through a decree signed by President Zelensky and published on the presidential website. However, the decree did not provide a specific reason for the dismissal.
The row between the two officials arose when Defence Secretary Wallace stated at a NATO summit in Vilnius that Britain was not an "Amazon delivery service" for providing weapons to Ukraine and hinted that Kyiv could express more gratitude for the assistance.
The United Kingdom is the second-largest donor of weapons to Ukraine, having committed £4.6 billion in military aid to the country thus far. Additionally, British troops have been actively involved in training thousands of Ukrainian soldiers.
In response to Wallace's remarks, President Zelensky held a press conference during the summit, expressing his uncertainty about how else Ukraine could show its gratitude. He even humorously suggested that they could wake up in the morning and directly express their appreciation to the minister personally.
Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko agreed with a Sky News interviewer that Zelensky's response had been "a little bit of sarcasm." However, Prystaiko expressed his concern that such sarcasm might not be healthy for diplomatic relations. He emphasised the importance of fostering a smooth partnership with the UK and conveyed his readiness to address any concerns raised by Ben Wallace.
Vadym Prystaiko, a career diplomat, had been serving as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom since July 2020. His dismissal adds a new dimension to the ongoing discussions surrounding military aid and diplomatic relations between the two nations.