By Burc Eruygur
ANKARA (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Ukraine’s ambassador to Kazakhstan, a decree by the Ukrainian presidency announced.
The decision on Tuesday comes amid Ukrainian Ambassador Petro Vrublevsky’s comments about the "killing of Russians" in Ukraine.
"We are trying to kill as many of them as possible. The more we kill Russians now, the fewer our children will have to kill," Vrublevsky said during an interview on Aug. 21.
The statement sparked outrage in Moscow and Astana, both of which criticized the comments made by the Ukrainian ambassador. Kazakhstan later demanded his replacement from Ukraine.
Vrublevsky issued a formal apology, Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said after the Ukrainian ambassador was called to the ministry.
On Oct. 4, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Kazakh Ambassador Yermek Kosherbayev after reports appeared that Vrublevsky had returned to Astana.