New EU Ambassador to Ukraine takes over

Polish diplomat Jan Tombinski presented his credentials to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych yesterday and officially assumed the position of head of the European Union delegation in Ukraine. He takes over for Jose Manuel Teixeira, a critic of the Ukrainian government who had been accused by Ukrainian officials of overstepping his position and meddling in domestic affairs. He left as part of regular staff rotation. Tombinski, a Pole, was most recently head of the Polish mission to the EU.

Brad Wells: As we noted when this appointment was first announced in May, since Poland has traditionally been Ukraine’s strongest ally within the EU, Tombinski’s appointment should refresh EU-Ukraine relations somewhat, at least domestically. We believe Tombinski will strike a more constructive approach when dealing with the current administration and will strive to keep bilateral dialogue pragmatic, though given the current backdrop of broader criticism from the EU no breakthroughs are expected in the near future.