Crisis response in a twenty-first-century British embassy

This chapter offers a diplomatic insider’s perspective on the challenges in dealing with an escalating political crisis as it unfolded in Ukraine. Its analysis begins with Simon Smith’s ambassadorial appointment to Kiev in September 2012. Simon contextualises the conflicting claims of the supporters and opponents of pro-Russian separatists in the Crimea and the Donbass region before considering the difficulties facing UK Embassy staff in Kiev, and the challenges of foreign policy practice amidst a worsening regional conflict.