Scandal involving honorary consul: Foreign Ministry revokes accreditation and recalls ambassador from Cuba
8 April 21:44
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the revocation of the appointment of Viktoria Yakimova as Honorary Consul of Ukraine in La Romana, according to Ukrinform , as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
The decision was made following public outcry over the appointment and the conduct of an additional review.
The ministry also announced the decision to recall Ukraine’s ambassador to Cuba to Kyiv.
What is the institution of honorary consuls?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasized that honorary consuls:
- are not employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- are not in the civil service or diplomatic service;
- do not receive salaries from the state budget;
- do not perform functions of political representation for Ukraine.
They are typically citizens of the host country or individuals who reside there permanently, and they assist the diplomatic system in a limited scope of consular matters—primarily regarding the protection of Ukrainian citizens abroad.
How the appointment took place
Viktoria Yakymova’s candidacy was submitted by the Ukrainian ambassador to Cuba.
The selection process took into account:
- the candidate’s long-term residence in the Dominican Republic;
- her Ukrainian and foreign education;
- experience in government, auditing, and administrative work;
- work in the field of digital technologies;
- recommendations regarding professional qualities.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the candidate was vetted with the participation of competent authorities, and there were no objections at the time of appointment.
What has changed
The ministry explained that the decision was reconsidered after media reports emerged that sparked a sharp public outcry.
Following an additional review, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to:
- revoke the honorary consul’s accreditation;
- recall Ukraine’s ambassador to Cuba to Kyiv;
- make personnel changes within the ministry’s central administration.
Opening of the Embassy
The ministry also noted that this year Ukraine plans to open a full-fledged embassy in
the Dominican Republic this year.
This was one of the factors that influenced the decision to review the work of the honorary consulate.
In February 2026, the President of the Dominican Republic granted exequatur for the operations of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in La Romana.
What’s Next
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that it plans to tighten the rules governing the work of honorary consulates.
Specifically:
- the regulatory requirements for candidates will be reviewed;
- they will conduct an audit of the activities of all Ukrainian honorary consulates;
- based on the results, they may decide on the advisability of their continued operation.
The Office of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in the Dominican Republic was opened on March 21 in the city of La Romana.
It is headed by Viktoria Yakimova.
Following her appointment, her past activities—including revealing photos and old posts—were actively discussed on social media and in the press, sparking widespread public reaction.
