UWC leadership thanks Sergiy Kyslytsya for dedicated service to Ukraine

UWC President Paul Grod, UWC Vice President for North America Marta Farion, and leaders and representatives of Ukrainian organizations in the U.S. expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Sergiy Kyslytsya for his five years of service to Ukraine as the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

A farewell event was held at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York on Jan. 22. In his speech, Grod particularly highlighted Kyslytsya’s steadfast commitment to advancing Ukraine’s interests on the international stage.

UWC President @PaulMGrod thanked Amb. @SergiyKyslytsya for 5 years of exceptional service as 🇺🇦 Permanent Representative to the @UN , highlighting his unwavering dedication to Ukraine’s interests on the global stage 🌍🌏 pic.twitter.com/cvHQgvWsa5

— Ukrainian World Congress 🇺🇦 (@UWCongress) January 23, 2025

Many ambassadors and colleagues of Kyslytsya attended the event to express their appreciation, Farion said.

“A diplomat of diplomats – erudite, eloquent, endowed with a formidable and powerful sense of dry humor and cynical dynamism that we all witnessed during his five years of service to Ukraine,” Farion said. “He has been admired and loved by many, including diplomats, members of the diaspora, and everyone who had the fortune to engage with him.”

Kyslytsya, in turn, thanked the Ukrainian-American and Crimean Tatar communities for their unwavering support and cooperation in working for Ukraine’s benefit.

“In moments of despair, your determination has brought Ukraine’s voice to parliaments, media outlets, and streets across the globe. Your advocacy ensures that Ukraine is not just seen as a battleground but as a nation of resilient people – people who deserve freedom and a future,” Kyslytsya said.

He also separately expressed special gratitude to war veterans and volunteers. 

“Every effort you make, every act of courage on the frontlines and in communities under siege, is what holds our nation together,” he said.

The diplomat admitted that there were times when the scale of the nation’s challenges seemed overwhelming. 

“But in those moments, I always found strength in our unity. It is this unity – between Ukrainians at home and abroad, between governments and civil societies, between soldiers and artists, between partners and allies – that has kept Ukraine standing,” Kyslytsya said.

Kyslytsya became Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations in 2020 and was the bane of Russia for his speeches in the international arena.