Ukraine's new Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on Sept. 8 that he had recalled the Ukrainian charge d'affaires from Georgia, saying that "ambassadors of a country at war cannot be detached from the war's realities."
The current charge d'affaires in Georgia is Mykhailo Kharyshyn.
The announcement came amid deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Tbilisi as the Georgian Dream government seeks to normalize ties with Moscow.
"I voiced very clear criteria for the effective work of a Ukrainian ambassador. This means specific results, courage, and proactivity," Sybiha said after a meeting with consuls and ambassadors.
"Ambassadors of a country at war cannot be detached from the realities of war. In relation to this, I decided to recall the temporary representative of Ukraine in Georgia."
Kateryna Denisova
While condemning Russia's all-out war, Georgian Dream officials have also criticized Ukraine and refused to provide military assistance to Kyiv. A particularly contentious point in bilateral ties is the imprisonment of Georgia's former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who holds Ukrainian citizenship.
Tbilisi has accused people from Saakashvili's circle and supposed ex-Ukrainian officials of planning subversive activities in Georgia, such as coups or assassination plots, without providing evidence. The Georgian government has also begun investigating Georgian volunteer fighters returning from Ukraine.
Despite prevailing anti-Russian sentiments within the country, the government has sought to stabilize relations with Moscow, restarting flights and adopting a "foreign agents" law similar to the Kremlin's repressive legislature.
Kharyshyn's dismissal is part of wider personnel changes implemented by Sybiha after he took over from Dmytro Kuleba as Ukraine's top diplomat last week.
"We need young people to come to us. We will create conditions for this," the foreign minister said. Sybiha stressed that Ukrainian diplomats must act proactively without waiting for "instructions from the center" and must prioritize securing military assistance for the Armed Forces.
As part of further changes, Sybiha also filed a motion to dismiss Deputy Foreign Minister Iryna Borovets.
Nate Ostiller
