Zaluzhny and the Office of the President Gave Different Explanations for the Ambassador’s Absence During Zelensky’s Meeting with Strating

Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valentyn Zalozhnyi, and the Office of the President express divergent positions on why the diplomat was not present at the meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

This was reported by Euronews (European Truth).

On Wednesday, news surfaced of the visit to Ukraine by the newly appointed British defense minister. Official photos and videos from the meeting show that the British ambassador was present, but the Ukrainian ambassador was not.

In Zalozhnyi's circle, they claim he was not informed about the meeting.

“The ambassador Valeriy Zalozhnyy was not invited to the meeting of the Ukrainian president and the British defense minister,” Eurortruth media spokesperson Oksana Torop said.

Instead, the president's adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, said that the ambassador should have independently initiated his participation in the event, but did not do so.

“This is an initiative-based story (for official visits) at a level below prime minister or president. There is a long-standing customary practice in protocol that with the prime minister or president of another country, the ambassador in that country almost always attends, and if the level is lower, then each ambassador independently determines and informs if they will participate in the meeting. Today, as far as we know, the ambassador is participating in events of the Foreign Ministry within the annual ambassadors' conference,” Lytvyn said.

At the same time, according to sources of Euronews (European Truth) that are not officially confirmed, Zalozhnyi learned of the meeting only after it had ended, so he had no opportunity to announce his intention to be present.

The publication notes that it is not precisely known how much the Ukrainian Embassy in London was involved in preparing the visit of the British minister.