Up to 60% of Ukrainian diplomats refuse to return to their homeland after foreign business trips. This was reported on August 4 by Zerkalo Nedeli, citing diplomatic sources.

“Since the beginning of 2022, from 40 to 60% of employees of diplomatic departments have not returned from Ukrainian embassies abroad, but in practice these figures can be even higher,” says Vladimir Kravchenko, columnist for the international policy department of the publication.

He writes that last year about 20 employees of embassies and consulates were supposed to return from the United States, but only one of them came to their homeland. At the same time, none of the diplomats returned from some embassies.

Ambassadors do not return to their homeland due to problems with employment in Ukraine, an established life abroad, fear of mobilization, or the inability to visit the family that will remain abroad.

According to Kravchenko, more than a hundred diplomats who returned to Ukraine from a long trip abroad for a long time cannot get a job in the central office of the ministry. This demotivates them and leaves no hope for career growth.

“When diplomats do not return, who must always be at the forefront to defend the interests of their country, this means that they do not believe in the future of this country. And this is an indicator both for the Ukrainian society and for foreign investors,” emphasizes Kravchenko.

At the same time, the decision not to return to their homeland is made by both young employees of diplomatic institutions and senior ones, third secretaries and envoy advisers.

“The decision of a large number of qualified specialists not to return to Ukraine is a disaster, demonstrating the failure of the state and its diplomatic service,” the observer summed up.