India names new envoy to Ukraine amid ongoing Russia conflict

India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced on Wednesday that Anjani Kumar, a Joint Secretary at the ministry’s headquarters, has been appointed as the country’s next Ambassador to Ukraine. He is expected to take charge of the assignment shortly.

The appointment comes at a sensitive juncture for India’s diplomatic engagement with Ukraine, which remains in the midst of its prolonged conflict with Russia. Kumar’s extensive multilateral experience, including a stint as counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York, alongside earlier bilateral postings across Europe, Latin America and Africa, is expected to inform his approach as India continues to balance its ties with both Kyiv and Moscow.

A member of the 2003 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, Kumar began his career as third secretary at the Embassy of India in Madrid in August 2005, before postings in Mexico City and Caracas, Venezuela. He returned to Delhi as deputy secretary between 2014 and 2015 and later served as director before his UN posting and current role at headquarters.

His social media profile lists prior ambassadorial postings to Mali and Mauritania, as well as earlier academic stints at the University of Delhi and the University of Valencia in Spain.