Zelenskyy awards Stefanchuk the highest diplomatic rank

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary – the highest in Ukraine's system of diplomatic ranks.

The corresponding decree No. 831/2026 was signed by the President on August 25.

At the same time, the awarding of the diplomatic rank does not mean the appointment of Stefanchuk as Ukraine's ambassador to any state. He remains the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, and the decree concerns precisely the diplomatic rank.

This is not the first case during Zelenskyy's presidency when an official who at that time does not head a Ukrainian embassy receives the highest diplomatic rank.

Thus, in December 2021, Zelenskyy awarded the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to then Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Brusylo. In the same year, this rank was received by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

In December 2024, Zelenskyy awarded the highest diplomatic rank to the Head of the Staff of the Presidential Office, Mariia Vitushok, and the Head of the State Protocol and Ceremonial Service of the Presidential Office, Ruslan Kurochenko. Simultaneously, several incumbent Ukrainian ambassadors and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleksandr Karasevych, received it.

In December 2025, Zelenskyy also awarded the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to, among others, Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa and Director of the Second European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nataliia Zadorozhniuk.

As a separate item of the new decree, the President awarded the Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, Ihor Ostash, the diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the second class.

The rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary corresponds to the first, highest rank of a civil servant according to the ratio of diplomatic and civil service ranks established by the government.

Based on materials from: Office of the President of Ukraine, Decree No. 862/2024, Decree No. 976/2025