European Commission names Pole to head delegation in Ukraine

The European Commission announced yesterday that Jan Tombinski will head the EU delegation in Ukraine. He takes over for Jose Manuel Teixeira, a critic of the Ukrainian government who was once quoted as saying President Viktor Yanukovych fell “short of expectations” and had been accused by Ukrainian officials of overstepping his position and meddling in domestic affairs, who is leaving as part of regular staff rotation. Tombinski, a Pole, was most recently head of the Polish mission to the EU.

Brad Wells: As Poland has traditionally been Ukraine’s strongest ally within the European Union, 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, particularly from Germany, no political breakthroughs are expected in the near future.