What's it like being an ambassador in Ukraine during the war? A chat with Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc

Not many people know Canada has one of the largest Ukrainian populations abroad. And this fact has helped make Canada one of the most supportive countries of Ukraine in the Western world.  To understand the strong level of engagement Canada has here on the ground in Ukraine, I had the pleasure of having a very engaging discussion with Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc, whose positivity and vibrance was thoroughly inspiring.  Ambassador Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine. Amb. Cmoc was appointed Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine in August 2023. Earlier, she completed field research in Ukraine and Russia, including implementing Canadian technical assistance projects in Ukraine in the 1990s. She served as a counsellor for technical cooperation at the Embassy of Canada to Ukraine from 2011 to 2013, working on democracy and human rights programming. She then joined Global Affairs Canada’s Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force, where she was responsible for establishing the first security programming in Ukraine following Russia’s 2014 invasion. In 2015, she moved to the Department of National Defence and, in 2020, she became director general in the Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch at Public Services and Procurement Canada. Amb. Cmoc covered loads of topics, from what it's like operating an embassy in Ukraine during the war, to various programs Canada is involved with beyond defense, to women entrepreneurship and women's critical role in the economy at this difficult time. Here is a link to the fashion brand of Ukrainian clothing started by the Ukrainian woman entrepreneur mentioned in the podcast - https://www.instagram.com/svilamiya/ They ship abroad to please have a look! To learn more, visit: https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/