'Look for other work': Zelensky recalls Ukraine's envoy to Rabat, after her failure to shift Morocco's neutrality

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recalled Kyiv’s ambassadors to Morocco and Georgia on Wednesday, saying the diplomats had not done enough to convince those countries to punish Russia for its invasion.

“With all due respect, if there won’t be weapons, won’t be sanctions, won’t be restrictions for Russian business, then please look for other work,” Zelenskyy said during a video address to the nation.

Zelensky, who has been addressing parliaments around the world via video urging more aid for his war-torn country, said that he is waiting for “concrete results in the coming days from the work of our representatives in Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa.”

On Tuesday, Nasser Bourita, the Moroccan FM, burst out in laughter after a journalist asked the diplomat to clarify Rabat's “blurry” position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He did not answer the reporter's question.

One day after Morocco's foreign minister laughs at a question about the country's position on Ukraine, President Zelensky recalls Ukraine's ambassador to Morocco. This comes after Morocco failed to show up (not even abstain) for two UNGA resolution votes on Russia's invasion. https://t.co/ZY9IrYtopK

— Samia Errazzouki (@S_Errazzouki) March 31, 2022

In March, Morocco chose not to attend two UN votes that condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Moroccan ministry of foreign affairs said that Rabat’s decision "cannot be the subject of any interpretation regarding its principled position on the situation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.”

The reasons behind Morocco’s refusal to take a stance against Russia remain unclear, as Rabat is a key US ally in the MENA region. 

While some experts interpret it as a “wise” move that will allow Morocco to avoid an unnecessary dispute with a global power like Russia, others argue that taking a side in a conflict over territory would reignite the debate about Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.