Ukrainian foreign minister announces new Ukrainian consulates in several European countries

Ukraine plans to open four embassies – in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama and Uruguay – by the end of 2025.

Sybiha announced the plans to open another four embassies on the first day of the annual meeting of the heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions.

Meanwhile, the minister reported that Ukraine’s diplomatic presence in Cuba is to be reduced and the freed-up resources redirected to strengthening Ukraine’s presence in the region.

Sybiha also announced plans to open over 10 new consular offices by the end of this year. New consulates will appear in Romania, Iraq, Italy, Germany and Slovakia, as well as two each in France and Poland. In addition, Ukraine’s consulates in Antalya and Gdańsk will be upgraded to general consulates.

Sybiha emphasised that Ukraine’s diplomatic service is initiating new strategies and rethinking previous ones: "We are looking to the future and can already see a global role for Ukraine, including in the post-war period. Because this meeting is about the future and our geopolitical role," he noted.

In this context, the Foreign Ministry has, for the first time, developed a Ukrainian Strategy on the Arctic, Antarctica and the Global Ocean.

"This will ensure that Ukraine’s voice is heard in global decision-making in the future," the foreign minister said.

Sybiha also announced the launch of a new cooperation format – Ukraine-Benelux, which will bring together Ukraine, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The first ministerial meeting in this format is to take place shortly.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined five priority tasks for ambassadors to help end the war.

Earlier on Monday, the president issued a series of decrees replacing several Ukrainian ambassadors in European countries and Canada.