Zelensky sacks Ukraine envoys, including to Germany

KYIV－Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he has dismissed several of Kyiv's senior envoys abroad, including the ambassador to Germany.

Zelensky announced the sacking of Ukraine's ambassadors to Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, India and Norway on Saturday, saying new candidates were being readied for the positions. "This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice," he said.

It was unclear whether the envoys would be assigned new positions.

Zelensky has urged his diplomats to drum up international support and military aid for Ukraine.

Ukraine and Germany are at odds over a German-made turbine undergoing maintenance in Canada.

Germany wants Canada to return the turbine to the Russian natural gas company Gazprom to pump gas to Europe, but Ukraine had urged Canada to keep the turbine, saying a return would violate sanctions against Moscow.

The turbines are undergoing maintenance at a Canadian site owned by the German company Siemens.

Berlin says it has been in regular contact with Ottawa in recent weeks in order to ensure the turbine's swift transfer back to Europe without Canada falling foul of Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has signaled that the Kremlin is in no mood for compromise, saying sanctions against Russia risk causing catastrophic energy price rises.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Saturday that Ukraine will receive $1.7 billion in grant aid from international donors.

The money will be channeled to Ukraine through a single-donor trust fund set up by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association and the US Agency for International Development, Shmyhal said.

The funds will be used to cover Ukraine's spending on medical services under a medical guarantee program. Ukraine plans to raise $20 billion in international aid from its Western partners by the end of this year, said the country's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko last month.

On Friday US President Joe Biden signed a weapons measure for Ukraine worth up to $400 million, including four additional high mobility artillery rocket systems.

Agencies - Xinhua