KYIV — Ukraine’s top diplomat Andrii Sybiha announced a major shakeup in the foreign ministry on Tuesday, including the creation of a small department focusing on “unfriendly countries.”

“It will include not only Russia, but also its allies, such as North Korea or Belarus,” Sybiha said. “This is not about bilateral relations, but about countering threats. Ukraine is defending itself from full-scale aggression, and our policy should prioritize the neutralization of threats,” he added.

Sybiha’s deputy Sergii Kyslytsya, one of Ukraine’s negotiators with Russia in Turkey, will initially oversee the sub-department, though no official boss has been appointed yet.

The new unit is part of a wider reform of the foreign ministry, which includes the disbanding of the disarmament department, as Russia’s years-long full-scale invasion continues to wreak havoc across Ukraine.

“The times when the ministry had a department with the word ‘disarmament’ in its name will forever remain in the past. It was a long time ago, but once such a unit existed. Ukraine will never disarm again. Therefore, in the modern structure, we will have the Department of International Security and Defense of Ukraine,” Sybiha said.

The foreign ministry will also reorganize special departments dedicated to diplomatic relations with Europe, Latin America, the U.S., Asia and the Pacific Ocean, Central Asia and others.

A special NATO sub-department will also be established, as Kyiv still sees membership in the transatlantic military alliance as its priority. Previously, Ukraine had a single department dedicated to its EU and NATO course.