Ukraine’s representative in Georgia fired over washing machines – Tbilisi
Ukraine’s new Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has reportedly fired the country’s temporary charge d’affaires and effective head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Georgia, Mikhail Kharishin, for allegedly purchasing home appliances, according to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Speaking at a briefing on Monday, the prime minister stated that Tbilisi has received information suggesting that the firing of the diplomat was “not a political act.”
“This particular representative, if I am not mistaken, has diplomatic status. He purchased household items and this was considered inadequate against the backdrop of the war. This was the reason for his dismissal,” Kobakhidze said, adding that the items in question were washing machines.
Previously, Sibiga himself had announced the dismissal of Kiev’s temporary representative in Georgia, accusing the diplomat of a “complete lack of understanding of the realities of diplomacy of a warring state.” In his post on Facebook, however, the minister failed to provide a detailed explanation for Kharishin’s firing.
Sibiga, who had previously served as his country’s ambassador to Türkiye and as deputy head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, was appointed Foreign Minister last week. His predecessor, Dmitry Kuleba, had resigned from the position amid a major reshuffle of Vladimir Zelensky’s cabinet, which saw more than half of the country’s senior government members let go.
According to Suspilne, a news outlet, Kuleba lost his position after being accused of failing to secure more weaponry from Kiev’s Western sponsors. Zelensky had reportedly criticized the former minister for lacking “the energy to push forward the supplies of weapons,” and had been considering replacing him for several months. However, the US State Department had reportedly discouraged Zelensky from firing Kuleba for some time, according to The Economist.
