Ukraine set to tap former ambassador Andrii Sybiha as top diplomat

Sybiha, a senior diplomat, left his role as Yermak’s deputy earlier this year to serve as deputy foreign minister. He was ambassador to Turkey from 2016 to 2021, an experience that was likely seen as an asset due to the critical role Turkey plays in the war.

A NATO country that also maintains ties to Russia, Turkey recently applied to join BRICS, a group of emerging nations founded in part by Russia. Its application marks the first time a NATO country and European Union candidate applied to join the group.

But Turkey has also maintained ties with Ukraine. In March 2022, it held unsuccessful peace talks with leaders from both sides in Istanbul. Last month, Ankara and Kyiv ratified a free-trade agreement after years of disagreements over key details.

“Turkey can become a strong country, prosperous and respected if it simultaneously develops relations with the East and West,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.

Sybiha is likely to accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his trip to the United States this month, when he will travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly and hopes to unveil a “victory plan” to President Joe Biden.

The upcoming presidential election in the United States has left Ukraine on uncertain footing. Former president Donald Trump has not outlined any clear plan for handling the war, and his vice-presidential nominee, JD Vance, opposed a bill that included a large aid package for Ukraine in February.

Ukraine blamed delays in U.S. support at that time for the fall of Avdiivka, a key eastern city where Ukrainian forces were outgunned. The fall of that city paved the way for Russian forces to advance steadily on the key transit hub of Pokrovsk. Emergency civilian evacuations are now underway in Pokrovsk amid fierce fighting just outside the city.