The Russian Ambassador in Ukraine Hosted A Farewell Party Last Wednesday

Every Ukrainian and Russian, with at least the faintest idea of politics, knows the name of diplomat Yury Dubinin. Mr. Dubinin has devoted over forty years of his life to foreign policy: in the period of the cold war he represented the interests of the USSR in Spain, the USA, and France. After the collapse of the USSR, Mr. Dubinin headed the Russian delegation for negotiations with former Soviet republics. His appointment as Ambassador to Ukraine in 1996 was interpreted by many politicians and the mass media as proof that Moscow wanted to apply a “strong-arm” policy to Kyiv.

The firmness of Mr. Dubinin's positions was especially evident during the first talks about the division of the Black Sea Fleet. However, his views have notably changed over the three years of staying in Ukraine: he shed a categorical tone and showed understanding toward the problems of a neighboring country.

And although Ukrainian-Russian relations are still not cloudless, the two countries have gone half-way to each other in the past few years. This became possible also thanks to Mr. Dubinin's efforts. Before leaving Ukraine, the ambassador gave an exclusive interview to The Day .