He served as Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations.
Volodymyr Martynenko graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (1951).
From 1968–1973 he served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR.
From 1979–1980 he served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR.
From 18 November 1980 to 28 December 1984 he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR.