What Ukraine loses by not having an ambassador in Athens: a view from Greece

Since October 2023, Ukraine has not appointed a new ambassador to Athens.

After Serhii Shutenko, who had served as Ukraine’s ambassador in Athens for five years, was reassigned to Kyiv, the Ukrainian diplomatic mission has been operating under a chargé d’affaires. This situation has now lasted for two and a half years.

The embassy, of course, has not stopped functioning, but the prolonged absence of an ambassador is becoming increasingly noticeable.

Read more the importance of appointing a Ukrainian ambassador to Greece in the column by Greek journalist Kostas Onisenko, who reports on Ukraine: Why the absence of an ambassador in Greece is becoming a real problem for Ukraine. 

"In Athens, there is an understanding of the difficulties Ukraine is facing, awareness of the need to staff other embassies and recognition of the shortage of experienced personnel. However, in informal conversations one increasingly hears that the failure to appoint an ambassador to Greece is beginning to be seen as a problem," the author notes.

He explains that Greece is one of those EU countries where protocol, institutional procedures and hierarchical channels of communication truly matter.

A chargé d’affaires, regardless of their abilities or activity, cannot fully replace an ambassador in high-level contacts.

In addition, Kostas Onisenko reminds readers that in the second half of 2027, Greece will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

"For Ukraine, which will continue to need stable European support and progress on its path towards EU membership, and where the presiding country has significant procedural influence over the accession process, this absence becomes even harder to explain," the journalist writes.

Therefore, the author adds, the prolonged absence of a Ukrainian ambassador is creating increasing space for new problems to emerge.

"The immediate appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to Athens would not simply be a step towards diplomatic normalcy. It would be a step demonstrating political seriousness and respect for a country that has supported Ukraine. And above all, it would be a step in Ukraine’s own interest," the author concludes.