Date of recognition of Ukraine: February 7, 1992
Establishment of diplomatic relations: September 8, 1993
Political relations:
During the first decades of Ukraine's independence, Ukrainian-Rwandan relations were limited. In the first half of the 2020s, Ukraine began to pay significantly more attention to developing bilateral relations with Rwanda. During the same period, a decision was made to open the Embassy of Ukraine in Rwanda, which began its activities on December 22, 2023.
A particularly important impetus for the development of the Ukrainian-Rwandan dialogue was the first meeting in the history of bilateral relations at the level of heads of state: on January 16, 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with President of Rwanda Paul Kagame on the sidelines of the 54th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In May 2023, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine paid the first official visit to Rwanda in the history of bilateral relations, during which a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Rwanda was signed.
Among other important events of the Ukrainian-Rwandan dialogue in recent times, it is worth noting:
- a working meeting of the delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, led by Oleksandr Kornienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, with Augustine Iyamuremye, Chairman of the Senate of Rwanda, which took place on October 11, 2022, on the sidelines of the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali;
- a meeting of the Ukrainian delegation led by Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, with Joseph Nzabamvita, Secretary General of the National Security and Intelligence Service of Rwanda, which took place on January 14, 2024, on the sidelines of the fourth meeting of national security and political advisors on the implementation of the Peace Formula in Davos, Switzerland;
- working visit of Maksym Subh, Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa, to Rwanda on April 16, 2024, during which the opening ceremony of the Embassy of Ukraine in Rwanda took place;
- telephone conversation between Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda, which took place on April 9, 2025;
- meeting between Andriy Sybiha, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda, which took place on April 11, 2025, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey.
On February 22, 2022, a deputy group of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on interparliamentary relations with the Republic of Rwanda was established.
In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 873/2024 of December 21, 2024, Viacheslav Yatsyuk was appointed as the first Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Rwanda with a residence in Kigali (he assumed duties on February 27, 2025).