Andrii Bohdanovych Deshchytsia (Ukrainian: Андрій Богданович Дещиця; born 22 September 1965) is a Ukrainian diplomat and politician.
Andrii Deshchytsia | |
|---|---|
| Андрій Дещиця | |
 | |
| Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland | |
| In office 13 October 2014 – 10 June 2022 | |
| President | Petro Poroshenko Volodymyr Zelensky |
| Preceded by | Vladyslav Kanevsky (temporary chargé d'affaires) |
| Succeeded by | Vasyl Zvarych[1] |
| Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 27 February 2014 – 19 June 2014 | |
| President | Oleksandr Turchynov (acting) Petro Poroshenko |
| Prime Minister | Arseniy Yatsenyuk |
| Preceded by | Leonid Kozhara |
| Succeeded by | Pavlo Klimkin[2] |
| Ambassador of Ukraine to Finland | |
| In office 2008–2012 | |
| President | Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Yanukovych |
| Preceded by | Oleksandr Maidannyk |
| Succeeded by | Oleksiy Selin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Andrii Bohdanovych Deshchytsia 22 September 1965 Spasiv, Lviv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR |
| Alma mater | Lviv University University of Alberta |
From February to June 2014 Deshchytsia was Acting Foreign minister of Ukraine.[2]
Deshchytsia was from October 2014 to June 2022 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Republic of Poland.[1][3]
Early life and education
editAndrii Deshchytsia was born on 22 September 1965 in Spasiv, near Pervyatychi, Lviv Oblast. His father, Bohdan Deshchytsia, worked as a postmaster in Sokal, and in the 1990s held the first rallies for Ukraine here. His mother worked as a paramedic and nurse.[4]
In 1989, he graduated from Ivan Franko Lviv National University.[citation needed]
Then, in 1995, he graduated with a master's degree from the Department of History of the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada).[citation needed]
Deshchytsia became a Candidate of Political Science after the successful defense of his master's thesis "The Rise of Multi-Party Systems in Poland and Ukraine", written under the supervision of Professor John-Paul Himka.[5]
He is fluent in Ukrainian, English, Russian, and Polish.[citation needed]
Professional career
editEarly positions
editFrom 1996 to 1999, Andrii Deshchytsia served as press Secretary, First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Republic of Poland.
In 1999–2001, he was a Senior Coordinator of PAUCI (Polish-American-Ukrainian Cooperation Initiative).
From 2001 to 2004, he took a position of a counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Republic of Finland and then as Counselor and Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Republic of Poland until 2006.
In 2006–2007, Deshchytsia was Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
From 2008 to 2012, he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Finland and Iceland, while living in Finland.[6][7]
From 2012 to February 2014, Andrii Deshchytsia was Ambassador-at-Large. During that time, from January–December 2013, he was Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for Conflict Resolution.[8][9]
As Ukrainian Foreign Minister
editOn 27 February 2014 he was appointed Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.[10][11]
UN Resolution on Territorial integrity of Ukraine
editOn 27 March 2014, at the UN General Assembly, Deshchytsia presented the resolution on "Territorial integrity of Ukraine", which was supported by 100 United Nations member states, affirming the United Nations commitment to recognize Crimea within Ukraine's international borders and to condemn Crimea's annexation by Russia as illegal.
Geneva Statement on Ukraine
edit
On 17 April 2014, Deshchytsia negotiated with John Kerry, Catherine Ashton, and Sergei Lavrov at a quadrilateral meeting in Geneva in an attempt to find a diplomatic solution to the war and humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The resulting Geneva Statement on Ukraine laid the ground for de-escalating the crisis. However, Russia has repeatedly breached its commitments under the Geneva agreement, according to official statements of the leaders of the EU and the United States. One week after the joint Geneva Statement, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of failing to adhere to Geneva commitments by orchestrating armed resistance in eastern Ukraine.[12] U.S. President Barack Obama stated that Vladimir Putin has 'not lifted a finger to ease tensions.[13] President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy acknowledged that Russia has not lived up to its Geneva commitments.[14]
Advocating sanctions against Russia
editIn May 2014, Deshchytsia said: "The West should impose more severe sanctions that hit specific economic sectors such as banking and target Russian decision-makers.[15] Deshchytsia labeled pro-Russian separatists as "terrorists".[16]
Progress in visa-free regime with EU for Ukrainian citizens
editDeshchytsia also said "We expect that the decision (to switch to the 2nd phase of the introduction of a visa-free regime with Ukraine) will be taken at the EU Council's meeting on June 23".[17]
Incident near the Russian Embassy
edit
On 14 June 2014 protesters had swarmed on the Russian embassy - overturning the embassy car and throwing paint and egg missiles — after pro-Russian combatants shot down a Ukrainian plane, killing 49 on board. Deshchytsia had descended on the protest in the hope that he could quell the escalating trouble, pleading with the demonstrators not to attack the building despite also understanding their concerns. "Did I say that I am against you protesting? I am for you protesting. I am ready to be here with you and say 'Russia, get out of Ukraine'," he told the baying crowd. "Yes, Putin is a khuilo!, yes," he said.[18][19] However, Geoffrey Pyatt, the US ambassador to Ukraine, wrote on Twitter that the minister had been "seeking to defuse a dangerous situation", adding that Deshchytsia is "a skilled diplomat and credit to Ukraine".[19] On 19 June 2014, with the recent Presidential change, Deschytsia was replaced with Pavlo Klimkin, the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany.[20][21]
Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland
editOn 13 October 2014, President Petro Poroshenko appointed Deshchytsia Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland.[22]
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Deshchytsia as Ukraine's ambassador to Poland on 8 February 2022.[1]
Diplomatic rank
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Zelensky appoints Zvarych as Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Ukrinform (8 February 2022)
- ^ a b Parliament appoints Klimkin as Ukrainian foreign minister, Interfax-Ukraine (19 June 2014)
- ^ "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Poland".
- ^ "Співай, Дещице, співай! | Високий Замок - онлайн". 2014-06-23. Archived from the original on 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 1180/2007 - Офіційне представництво Президента України". Archived from the original on 2014-01-28. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
- ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 898/2008 - Офіційне представництво Президента України". 2014-01-28. Archived from the original on 2014-01-28. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
- ^ "Ambassador Deshchytsia: Ukraine optimistic about prospects of Transnistrian settlement". Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ "Специальный представитель ОБСЕ, на переговорах в формате 5+2 по приднестровскому урегулированию, подчеркивает необходимость сохранения динамики". osce.org (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-04-13.
- ^ "Deshchytsia Andrii - Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine". MFA of Ukraine. Archived from the original on March 27, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ "Deshchytsia was appointed Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine".
- ^ "Kerry Accuses Russia of Ignoring Geneva Agreement on Ukraine". 25 April 2014.
- ^ "Video Obama: Vladimir Putin Has 'Not Lifted a Finger' to Ease Tensions". ABC News.
- ^ Statement by President Herman Van Rompuy following his meeting with Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk. EUCO 106/14. (PDF)
- ^ "Ukrainian foreign minister calls on West to impose tougher sanctions on Russia". Reuters. May 16, 2014. Archived from the original on May 18, 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine's interim foreign minister advocates tougher Russia sanctions". Deutsche Welle. May 17, 2014. Archived from the original on May 18, 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine expects EU Council decision to switch to 2nd phase of visa liberalization on June 23 – Deschytsia". June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ "Міністр Дещиця: "Путін х...ло! Ла-ла-ла"". YouTube. YouTube. June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Shaun Walker (June 15, 2014). "Ukraine minister's abusive remarks about Putin spark diplomatic row". The Guardian. Moscow: theguardian.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ Ambassador to Germany Klimkin may become Ukraine's foreign minister, Ukrinform (19 June 2014)
- ^ Ukraine president gets parliament boost for peace plan Archived 2014-06-20 at the Wayback Machine, AFP news agency (19 June 2014)
- ^ Poroshenko appoints Deschytsia ambassador to Poland, Shamshur ambassador to France, Interfax-Ukraine (13.10.2014)
- ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 517/2012 - Офіційне представництво Президента України". 2014-01-27. Archived from the original on 2014-01-27. Retrieved 2021-04-13.