San Francisco Frontiers - Dmytro Kuleba: the face of Ukraine's wartime diplomacy

The 43-year-old -- Ukraine's youngest ever foreign minister when President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed him in 2020 -- is the best-known figure to exit in a major government reshuffle.

The son of an ambassador, the bespectacled career diplomat is one of the most talented public speakers in Ukrainian politics.

Kuleba became a familiar face in the West after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, garnering support for his country and appealing for weapons.

"We know how to win. And will win," he told "The Late Show" on US television in 2022, to thunderous applause from the studio audience.

But, like Zelensky, he also grew visibly frustrated by Western fatigue and slow weapons deliveries as the conflict dragged on.

"When Ukraine has everything it needs, we do not lack courage and military skill to advance and win," he told CNN this week, referring to Kyiv's surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region this summer.

Kuleba was not present when Ukraine's parliament approved his resignation on Thursday.

Sources told AFP that Zelensky's entourage had increasingly been unhappy with Kuleba and wanted to exert greater control over the foreign ministry.

He will be replaced by Andriy Sybiga, a former presidential office staffer.

- Admired in the West -

Kuleba had spent recent months trying to persuade the West to allow Kyiv to use its weapons to strike military targets deep inside Russia, dismissing Western fears of escalation as an "excuse not to do anything".

Despite meeting some resistance from key allies, he earned admiration for his communication skills.

The United States praised Kuleba's efforts in "supporting Ukraine and for holding Russia accountable", while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said there were "few people I've worked as closely with" as Kuleba.

Ukrainian political scientist Mykola Davydiuk told AFP that Kuleba's popularity abroad stemmed from the fact that he was "understandable in the West, not corrupt... and behaved like a typical Western politician".

He added that Kuleba, while a good public speaker, "did not try to compete" with Zelensky.

- Presidency seeks control -

But although Kuleba was popular at home and his diplomacy was recognised, his removal was also part of a bid by Zelensky's circle to exert a tighter grip on foreign policy, sources suggested.

A source in the president's party said the head of state's entourage had been growing frustrated with the softly-spoken foreign minister and was unhappy with the way the foreign ministry was run.

"He was giving interviews, speaking beautifully, going on trips, this handkerchief in his jacket... He was engaged in self-promotion, instead of improving the work of embassies, working systematically on countries and getting their support," the source said.

His replacement by Sybiga -- until recently employed by the presidential office -- seemed to confirm reports that Zelensky's circle wanted tighter control.

Speculation was rife in Kyiv that Kuleba would be moved to a role involved in Ukraine's bid to join the NATO military alliance.

Born in Sumy -- a city in northeastern Ukraine now regularly shelled by Russia -- Kuleba studied international relations in Kyiv.

He built a diplomatic career in the early 2000s but quit in 2013, denouncing former pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych and joining the Maidan protest movement that overthrew him.

He rejoined Ukraine's foreign ministry in 2014, the tumultuous year when Russia annexed Crimea and war broke out in the east.

E.Walker--SFF