UN appoints Russian diplomat to senior mine action and police role, drawing Ukrainian criticism
UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Russian diplomat Hlib Desiatnikov assistant secretary-general for mine action and police in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations on October 27, 2026. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry criticized the decision, saying it undermined trust in the UN and placed a representative of an aggressor state in charge of an area of particular importance to Ukraine.
Key points
- Guterres appointed Hlib Desiatnikov on October 27, 2026.
- Desiatnikov became assistant secretary-general for mine action and police in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
- He was Russia’s ambassador to Jordan at the time of his appointment.
- Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said the appointment undermined trust in the UN.
- Ukraine says it has the world’s highest mine contamination after more than a decade of Russian aggression.
- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tyyhy said Desiatnikov represented Russia throughout the full-scale war against Ukraine.
Why it matters
The decision gives a Russian diplomat a senior UN role overseeing mine action and police. For Ukraine, this creates a direct institutional contradiction because the country faces the world’s highest mine contamination following more than a decade of Russian aggression. The dispute also reflects broader tensions over Russia’s representation and influence within the UN.
What happened
On October 27, 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Hlib Desiatnikov assistant secretary-general for mine action and police in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Desiatnikov was serving as Russia’s ambassador to Jordan and has represented Russia throughout the full-scale war against Ukraine. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said the appointment undermined trust in the UN and expressed serious concern about entrusting a representative of an aggressor state with such responsibility. Spokesperson Georgiy Tyyhy questioned how the UN Secretariat could reconcile Ukraine’s severe mine contamination with the appointment and what results it expected from Desiatnikov’s work.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian officials and media emphasize the contradiction between the appointment and Ukraine’s experience of Russian aggression. They foreground Ukraine’s status as the world’s most mine-contaminated country, Desiatnikov’s representation of Russia throughout the full-scale war and Russia’s alleged occupation of the Soviet Union’s permanent Security Council seat. Ukrainian coverage frames the appointment as evidence of Moscow gaining or displacing influence within the UN.
Background
Desiatnikov has more than 35 years of experience in international relations, political affairs, security and multilateral diplomacy. He worked with the UN Special Commission for Iraq from 1994 to 1997 and served as a senior adviser at Russia’s UN mission from 2004 to 2010. He has represented Russia throughout the full-scale war against Ukraine and has been Russia’s ambassador to Jordan since 2018. Ukraine initiated a campaign to exclude Russia from permanent Security Council membership and from the UN as a whole in December 2022.