Andrii Kudriachenko
Doctor of History, Full Professor, corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine, director of the State Institution ‘Institute of World History of the NAS of Ukraine’
Liudmyla Chekalenko
Doctor of Political Science, Full Professor, leading research fellow of the State Institution ‘Institute of World History of the NAS of Ukraine’
DOI:
Abstract. Ukraine’s history is interwoven with a protracted struggle for statehood, the protection of citizens committed to European values, and the defence of the country’s sovereign choice. From the restoration of independence in 1991 to the present, diplomacy has been central to this trajectory. The article traces the institutional evolution of Ukrainian diplomacy from early precedents in the Ukrainian People’s Republic through state-building under the Hetmanate and Directory, to the consolidation of a contemporary diplomatic service. Particular emphasis is placed on the professional creed articulated and exemplified by Hennadii Udovenko — patriotism, propriety, professionalism.
Against the backdrop of russia’s full-scale aggression, the article analyses current diplomatic tasks: forging a durable coalition of allies; translating political declarations into timebound defence deliverables; and sustaining sanctions and legal accountability. It argues that effective diplomacy must be ‘armed’ with credible defence capabilities, empowered institutionally to combine analytical leadership with operational initiative, and adept in both traditional quiet diplomacy and calibrated public diplomacy. The article also reflects on the contribution of leading practitioners who shaped Ukraine’s external policy, and distils lessons on continuity, prioritisation, and capacity-building for a wartime foreign service.
Keywords: diplomacy, succession, diplomats, creed of diplomacy, patriotism, propriety, professionalism.
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