Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi has criticised the appointment of Russia's Ambassador to Jordan, Gleb Desyatnikov, as United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police in the Department of Peace Operations. In a statement on X, he said the decision undermines trust in the organisation.
Tykhyi pointed out that Ukraine has become the most heavily mined country in the world after more than a decade of Russian aggression. Nevertheless, this did not prevent the appointment of a representative of Russia, which continues its full-scale war against Ukraine, to lead the UN's mine action efforts.
"Moscow has mined the United Nations," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, commenting on the appointment.
Mine action is essential for civilian safety and the recovery of territories contaminated with explosive ordnance.
The appointment of a Russian representative to a senior position in this field raises questions about confidence in the impartiality of international mechanisms intended to assist countries affected by mine contamination.
According to Tykhyi, the question is how the UN Secretariat reconciles these two facts and what results it expects from such a decision.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stressed that entrusting such responsibility to a representative of a state responsible for aggression "raises serious concerns and undermines trust in the UN".
He said the appointment confirms a problem Ukraine has been highlighting for years:
"Russia's illegal occupation of the Soviet Union's permanent seat on the UN Security Council is poisoning the entire UN system."
Gleb Desyatnikov is 60 years old and graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
Between 1994 and 1997, he served on assignments with the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq. From 2004 to 2010, he was a senior adviser on the Middle East and North Africa at Russia's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
He has served as Russia's Ambassador to Jordan since 2018.
In his public statements, Desyatnikov has promoted Moscow's official position. In May 2026, during an interview with RIA Novosti, he commented on Russia's war against Ukraine, which the Kremlin refers to as a "special military operation", saying that he considered comparisons between it and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "not entirely appropriate".
In February 2026, he called for an end to the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip and for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
During his tenure as Russia's Ambassador to Jordan, Desyatnikov participated in the "Immortal Regiment" parade in Amman, held to mark 9 May and used by Russia as part of its state propaganda activities.
He also held meetings with young people at local universities, attended military exhibitions and maintained close contacts with China.
