Étienne de Poncins (born 6 March 1964) is a French diplomat, serving since 2019 as the Ambassador of France to Ukraine.[1]

Etienne de Poncins
French Ambassador to Ukraine
Assumed office
August 2019
PresidentEmmanuel Macron
Preceded byIsabelle Dumont
Personal details
Born (1964-03-06) 6 March 1964 (age 60)
Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France

De Poncins was noted as one of the last-remaining senior diplomats in Ukraine (having re-located to Lviv) amidst the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; engaged in distributing French aid to Ukraine. De Poncins told Politico that "you are here in the difficult moments and hours. I would have felt very bad if I had left."[2] De Poncins returned to Kyiv and re-opened the French embassy in the capital on 15 April.[3]

Education and career

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De Poncins graduated from Sciences Po and École nationale d'administration and also has a degree in history from the University of Paris.

He has served in various posting as French Ambassador; firstly to Bulgaria (2007–2010) and then to Kenya (2010–2013) and simultaneously Somalia.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ "Etienne de Poncins - Who's Who". www.whoswho.fr.
  2. ^ De La Baume, Maïa (1 April 2022). "'Our man in Kyiv': How war has flipped diplomats' day job". Politico Europe. Brussels. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  3. ^ Fitzpatrick, Michael (18 April 2022). "France reopens embassy in Kyiv but warns its nationals to stay away". Radio France Internationale. Paris. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Etienne de Poncins | Speakers | Kyiv International Economic Forum". forumkyiv.org.
  5. ^ Boiteau, Victor (28 February 2022). "Guerre en Ukraine: Etienne de Poncins, l'ambassadeur «chevronné» contraint de se délocaliser à Lviv". Libération (in French). Paris. Retrieved 18 April 2022.