Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Cyprus Serhiy Nizhynskyy has written a letter of resignation addressed to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is reported by the publication LB.ua, which has the relevant document at its disposal. Why the diplomat made such a decision and what is happening in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine — read further.
Points of attention
- Former Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin emphasizes the ambassador's responsibility in appointing honorary consuls, stressing the significance of avoiding failures in such appointments.
- The case sheds light on the challenges faced by Ukrainian diplomats in upholding diplomatic standards and principles amidst internal conflicts and external pressures.
Ambassador Nizhinsky's resignation — what's important to know
Nizhynskyi asks to accept his resignation "in connection with the demand of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, A. I. Sybiga, to implement decisions that contradict the legislation of Ukraine and may harm the state," journalists report.
As the ambassador himself noted, during his dismissal he is guided by the norms of the Law of Ukraine "On Diplomatic Service".
It is worth noting that the conflict within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has been going on for several years, reports "European Pravda" .
Thus, back in December 2025, Serhiy Nizhynsky announced that he had exposed cases where some Cypriots presented themselves as "honorary consuls of Ukraine" without having such status.
Then the center of attention was Cypriot Christodoulos Ellinas, who was indeed nominated for the position 3 years ago, but, without completing the procedure, began to present himself with a new status.
Against this background, Nizhinsky accused his colleagues of negligence.
According to the Ukrainian Ambassador to Cyprus, Ellinas has no right to hold the position at all, since he has a criminal record in the past and, accordingly, does not meet the criterion of "impeccable reputation", which is included in the requirements for this position.
Nizhynsky never hid from Ukrainians and the media that he was acting contrary to the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was trying to convince Kyiv to make the right decision.
The final decision on (appointment — ed.) Ellinas' candidacy for the position of honorary consul was made by the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine without taking into account the embassy's position, risk assessment, and the relevant materials provided... But the issue of the integrity of honorary consuls is not a personal discussion, but a matter of national interests and the international reputation of Ukraine.
Serhiy Nizhynsky
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Cyprus
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin also commented on the current situation.
According to him, the responsibility for appointing an honorary consul will ultimately lie with the ambassador who signed the documents.
"It is the ambassador who is responsible for this person. And if they appointed an honorary consul with whom there are problems, then this is a serious failure of the ambassador and the embassy," the former minister emphasized.
