Former German ambassador to Ukraine set to become Ukraine’s new business ombudsman

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is expected to approve German diplomat Anka Feldhusen as the country’s new Business Ombudsman, according to the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture.

Since 2021, the position has been held by Roman Vashchuk, whose four-year term expires in January.

On November 25, the Supervisory Board of the Business Ombudsman Council (BOC) decided to appoint Feldhusen, who headed the German Embassy in Kyiv from 2019 to 2023, to the post.

The Business Ombudsman Council is an independent institution that assists entrepreneurs in protecting their legitimate rights and interests in disputes with government authorities outside the court system. According to the Ministry of Economy, the continuity of the Council’s work is crucial for maintaining business confidence in public institutions, reducing administrative barriers, and improving the quality of public services for entrepreneurs.

Anka Feldhusen is a career German diplomat with extensive experience in foreign policy and international relations. She has worked for the German Federal Foreign Office since the early 1990s, holding various positions in Berlin and abroad, including assignments in Ukraine, Cuba, and the European Union. She is fluent in Ukrainian.

From 2019 to 2023, Feldhusen served as Germany’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine, becoming one of the key figures in German diplomacy in Kyiv before and during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Since 2023, she has served as Director for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Stabilization at the German Federal Foreign Office.