Strong signal: one year after the start of the war, Ukraine appoints ambassador to Argentina

In a move that matches the recent announcement by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba a clarionthat your country will strengthen ties with Latin America and Argentina, President Volodimir Zelensky appointed a new ambassador to Argentina.

Regard Yuriy Klymenkothat this Friday he will present his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to this country before the Argentine Foreign Ministry.

Klymenko was Ukraine’s special representative for the resolution of the conflict in Transnistria (the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, internationally recognized as part of Moldova). But two presidential decrees by Zelenski changed his destination from there to Buenos Aires.

In the first place, the news has two facts to highlight: For more than three years there has been no Ukrainian ambassador to Argentina.

The last was Yuriy Diudin, and his term ended parallel to the assumption of the government of Alberto Fernández. Since, the diplomatic post was commanded by charge d’affaires Sergiy Nebrat.

Second comes his nomination coincides with the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, country with which the Fernández government was changing its position.

The close alliance that Kirchnerism maintained with Vladimir Putin later became a condemnation of the invasion and to the demand that Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine and make way for peace.

And while there hasn’t been a strong link with Ukraine, Nebrat said clarion that they were grateful for the humanitarian aid sent, that they had already had twelve different cargoes, handled by the White Helmets. At the same time, Nebrat spared no complaints. As he did on other occasions, his country, and as this newspaper reported, he thought about it the Argentine government could implement “more sanctions against Russia”. He specifically called for “sanctions” on agriculture, “to reduce the number of Russian diplomats” at the embassy.

Nebrat spoke Thursday with clarion at the headquarters of ICANA (the Argentine American Institute of Culture) in Buenos Aires, where there was an act on the anniversary of the invasion, in which Putin’s attitude was once again repudiated. This was organized by its president, Santiago del Sel, and the US ambassador, Mark Stanley. Ambassadors Amador Sánchez Rico (European Union), Dan Petre (Romania), Aleksandra Piątkowska (Poland), Yamauchi Hiroshi (Japan) and Fabrizio Lucentini (Italy) were also present. The group posed for a photo with the Ukrainian flag and a sunflower each, the national flower of Kyiv.

For his part, Stanley, who qualifies the Russian military incursion as “brutal aggression”, told ICANA that “Europe and other countries have responded very well to Ukraine’s needs”. He recalled that in the last month the German chancellor and the Japanese foreign minister went to Buenos Aires and that both had said that it was “very important that all countries, including those of Latin America, give more support to Ukraine“.

Then, he said: “Argentina voted strongly and, in my opinion, correctly, in the UN system to denounce Russian aggression and defend Ukraine. But as long as Russia decides to continue this war, more needs to be done. Democratic governments must unite to defend democratic values ​​and human rights”.

The year of the Russian invasion is on the lips of the entire diplomatic corps in Argentina. This Thursday, several diplomats attending ICANA spoke after the uncertain future of war at the reception that the Kuwaiti ambassador, Abdullah Ali Alyahya, held at the Sheraton hotel for the 32nd anniversary of his country’s Liberation and the year 62 of its national day.

This Friday the invasion will be repudiated in other acts. Ambassador Sánchez Rico will meet the diplomatic corps which repudiates the invasion.

In the afternoon, the Undersecretary for International Relations of the Legislature, Pablo Garzonio, will also receive the ambassadors on the occasion of the war year. This meeting could be attended by Klymenko, who is already in the country.

who is the new ambassador

Yuriy Klymenko has worked in the diplomatic service since 1992, points out a profile of the future Ukrainian ambassador to Argentina published by his country’s press. He has worked both within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the embassies of other countries.

In 2005-2006 he was consul in the Greek city of Thessaloniki and in 2006-2010 He was consul in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

The Babel.ua site reports that he later went to work in the presidential administration, where he was engaged in international relations. And that between 2013 and 2021 he was the Ukrainian ambassador to international organizations in Geneva.