British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons announced that she is staying in Kyiv.
“I am staying in Kyiv and continue to work there with a core team. The embassy remains operational,” she said on Twitter on Saturday morning.
At the same time, the ambassador attached a message stating that British citizens who are in Ukraine “should leave Ukraine by commercial means.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed the importance of negotiations on a new agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, which will guide relations after Brexit, with British Ambassador in Ukraine Melinda Simmons. The press service of the president reported that on Wednesday after accepting credentials Zelensky thanked the United Kingdom for help in conducting reforms and strengthening Ukraine’s defense during the conversation with the ambassador.
High intensity of political dialogue was noted, in particular at the level of leaders of the two countries.
“The importance of continuing negotiations on a new agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, which will determine the political and economic relations between the two countries after the United Kingdom leaves the EU, was also discussed,” the press service said.
In turn, according to the British Embassy in Ukraine, Ambassador Simmons said that she is looking forward to welcoming Zelensky to the U.K. later this year to discuss Ukraine’s progress and consider how the U.K. can support the Ukrainian president further in his ambitious program for the development of Ukraine.
She said that The United Kingdom remains Ukraine’s steadfast friend and partner on your path of reforms, as well as in your efforts to defend your sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
New British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons has arrived in Kyiv and handed over the copies of her credentials to Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal. “New British Ambassador Melinda Simmons has handed over copies of her credentials to Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal,” the British Embassy said on Twitter.
The press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine, in turn, reported that Simmons reaffirmed the unchanged position of the UK government regarding political and practical support for Ukraine, primarily in the issue of resolving the situation in Donbas caused by Russian aggression.
The UK is determined to expand and diversify its technical assistance programs for Ukraine with a particular emphasis on the development of regions suffering from Russian aggression, Simmons said.
