On Thursday, 24 April 2025, the Media Center of the Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions hosted the presentation of the book entitled Diplomatic Stories 2: Firsthand and Uncensored. The author, Volodymyr Khandohii, is a Ukrainian diplomat, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (March–October 2009), President of the Ukrainian Foreign Policy Association, chairman of the board of the public organisation Editorial Board of the Foreign Affairs Journal.

The event was co-organised by the GDIP, the Ukrainian Foreign Policy Association, and the Samit-knyha publishing house.

The book is the continuation of the Diplomatic Stories, which saw the light of day in 2017. This time, the true stories told by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Volodymyr Khandohii unfold in the midst of the difficult transition from the ‘phantom state’ diplomacy to the emergence of an independent diplomatic service as an inalienable element of independent Ukraine. The author participated directly in those complex processes while working at the top positions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the main foreign diplomatic missions of the nascent Ukrainian state. Hence, the reader has the unique opportunity to learn interesting facts firsthand and free of censure.

The event ran in a hybrid online/offline mode. The author was joined in the panel by moderator Borys Humeniuk — a diplomat, Doctor of History, Full Professor, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cyprus (2003–7, 2012–19), Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the MFA (1996–2003, 2007–12) — and GDIP Director-General Pavlo Kryvonos. This milestone event at the Media Center brought together Volodymyr Khandohii’s old friends, veterans of the diplomatic service, Ukrainian diplomats, partners, and scholars.

The event began with the welcome speech of Borys Humeniuk, who spoke about the author and his book’s unique value for the coming generation of Ukrainian diplomats:

‘This book is a continuation of the first Diplomatic Stories. In a nutshell, the two books cover 50 years of Ukrainian history, from the mid-1970s, when Mr Khandohii started his diplomatic career, until today. It’s our latest opportunity to delve into history and the events which the author witnessed and personally initiated. The new book includes many interesting stories, which will allow the reader to better understand the author and the flow of history of the Ukrainian diplomatic service with all its successes and victories alongside its shortcomings and miscalculations.’

Pavlo Kryvonos also congratulated the author on the book’s successful publication and said that presenting Volodymyr Khandohii’s works and his regular contributions to the Diplomatic Ukraine scientific yearbook have already become a wonderful tradition:

‘Mr Khandohii’s latest book is more than just memoirs. It’s a deep intellectual analysis of Ukrainian diplomacy’s emergence and transformation, made from a first-person perspective. I gladly went back through those recollections myself, as most of the book’s personalities and events were already familiar to me. The book is a bridge between generations, a record of an epoch. The author’s stories are full of professional experience, but also emotions, responsibility, doubts, decisions — all the things that distinguish a human being as a person, a diplomat as a statesman. I have to acknowledge that I was delighted to see the first mention of the GDIP and our joint projects as early as page 33 of the book. Indeed, you and the Ukrainian Foreign Policy Association under your leadership have been our partners in many projects.’

Volodymyr Khandohii began his speech by thanking the Ukrainian diplomats to whom he dedicated the second book, as well as the Media Center’s guests who attended the presentation.

‘If someone asked me what this book is about, I’d definitely say it’s about institutional memory. My goal was to trace and connect disparate episodes into complete stories about Ukrainian diplomacy, which didn’t come about from thin air; it emerged from the experience accumulated by our diplomatic service. This is something we need to talk about and remember,’

the author said. Mr Khandohii also spoke about the book’s structure, mentioned key ideas he wanted the readers to focus on, and remarked on the alphabetical index that allows readers to look up specific stories about extraordinary personalities of the diplomatic sphere. 

The author received congratulations from colleagues and like-minded people. Volodymyr Ohryzko — Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007–9), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, head of the Centre for russian Studies — added that the Ukrainian diplomatic service goes back to ancient times and how it’s important to remember that and work on expanding its historiography, which was precisely what Volodymyr Khandohii did in his original style.

‘The book is very interesting and necessary. Importantly, through this work, institutional memory takes on very specific attributes and dimensions. The book provides an in-depth retrospective view of all the events that took place during the covered period. I urge all my colleagues to do the same — to write.’

Sergiy Kyslytsya — a Ukrainian diplomat, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN (2020–25), First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine — thanked the author for his newest thorough work and recalled the times when they worked together and provided professional support to young diplomats.

‘Mr Khandohii is an incredibly well-mannered and polite individual. We would not be where we are today in terms of the robustness of our diplomatic service if not for the many of you who served in leadership positions, because you all worked so hard to get our diplomacy to the level where it is today. I am grateful to you for creating this book. May we find ways to share your experience not only through books, but also through personal communication and pass it on to young diplomats.’

After the presentation, the guests engaged in informal socialising, during which everyone got a chance to congratulate the author on the successful release of his new book.