Kiev refuses to consider candidature of new Russian ambassador

The issue of appointing Mikhail Babich as Russia’s ambassador to Ukraine instead of Mikhail Zurabov who was dismissed earlier has been removed from the agenda, but this is not supposed to influence the Russian-Ukrainian relations, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal says on air of the Ukrainian Fifth Channel.

Earlier, Moscow asked Kiev for preliminary consent for appointment of Mikhail Babich. “The issue is removed from the agenda. At least in the way it was articulated. But I need to remind you that as early as in 2014 we recalled our ambassador and we have a charges d'affaires working there. All those developments will not affect the relations of the two countries,” she said noting that activities of the previous ambassador were minimal due to a number reasons.

Late July, spokesman for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov announced that Russia asked for agrement for Mikhail Babich. Before it, Mikhail Zurabov was dismissed from the post of Russia’s ambassador to Ukraine.