Prystaiko Vadym Volodymyrovych

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador to the UK — dismissed by Zelensky over public criticism of the president and declaration violations

In the summer of 2023, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace stated that Ukraine should be more grateful to its partners. Zelensky sarcastically replied that "he might wake up in the morning and thank him personally." On Sky News, Prystaiko called this comment "unhealthy sarcasm." The ambassador's reaction angered the Presidential Office — Zelensky immediately signed a decree on his dismissal. Prystaiko had wanted to leave the position even before the scandal and had discussed it with the relevant agencies — the public dispute became a convenient reason to "slam the diplomatic door."

Declaration violation and commercial projects in the security sector

The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) conducted a full review of Prystaiko's declaration and sent conclusions about detected violations to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU): the ambassador did not declare income from the sale of a car to a foreign citizen in the amount of UAH 676,000. A criminal case was not opened — the article had already been decriminalized. After dismissal, Prystaiko stated that he "is no longer part of the diplomatic service" and is engaged in "commercial projects in the sphere of security and defense," without disclosing details.