Pavlo Klimkin

Pavlo Anatoliiovych Klimkin was born on December 25, 1967, in Kursk, Russia, then part of the Soviet Union, although he spent only the first two months of his life there. He graduated in 1991 from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology with a degree in aerophysics and space research, specializing in physics and mathematics. At the age of 24, Klimkin relocated to Ukraine and worked as a research officer at the E. O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine from 1991 to 1993.

Klimkin began his career in the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in 1993, undertaking various roles including attaché and second secretary in military control and disarmament. By 1997, he was working for Kostiantyn Hryshchenko, the future Vice Prime Minister, who later appointed him as deputy minister. In 2004, he was appointed Minister-Counselor at the Ukrainian Embassy in the United Kingdom, serving until 2008, before becoming the director of the European Union department in the Foreign Ministry in March 2008.

On April 21, 2010, Klimkin became Deputy Foreign Minister in the First Azarov Government, where he played a crucial role in negotiating the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement, particularly in its early stages in 2012. His efforts in European integration were recognized, with Klimkin being described as 'the face of European integration of Ukraine' during these negotiations.

Klimkin served as Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry until June 22, 2012, when he was appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany. In this role, he was instrumental in international negotiations, including discussions in June 2014 aimed at ceasing hostilities in eastern Ukraine, where he met with representatives from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Russian Ambassador to Ukraine.

Klimkin's candidacy for the Minister of Foreign Affairs was proposed by President Petro Poroshenko in early June 2014, and he was appointed on June 19, 2014, with a unanimous vote from 335 members of the Verkhovna Rada, excluding the 'Freedom' faction. His appointment was positively received by various foreign ministers and academics, and he engaged in discussions with Russian officials regarding measures to address the crisis in Ukraine.

As Minister, Klimkin was seen as a proponent of improved relations with Russia while remaining committed to European integration, playing a key role in negotiating association and free trade agreements with the EU, which were expected to be signed later in June 2014. He served until August 29, 2019, when Vadym Prystaiko succeeded him.

Klimkin was previously married to Natalia, a fellow diplomat, with whom he has two sons. Natalia Klimkina serves as the first secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands. His second wife is Maryna Mykhaylenko, the daughter of a Russian Major General. Klimkin is fluent in Russian and Ukrainian, as well as English and German, and has basic knowledge of French and Spanish. He holds the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine.

In 2019, Pavlo Klimkin's salary as Minister of Foreign Affairs was ₴553,904 (approximately US$20,515), with additional payments of ₴31,253 (about US$1,158) from civil law contracts. His financial disclosures included bank accounts with ₴2,823 (US$105) and €826, along with US$24,000 and €2,000 in cash. He also declared ownership of two apartments and two vehicles, a 2000 Skoda Felicia and a 2019 Mazda CX 5.