Zelenskyy Discussed Replacement of Ukraine's US Ambassador with Trump, Bloomberg Reports

During a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on 4 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the replacement of the current Ukrainian ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to Bloomberg.

A source familiar with the matter told the publication that the list of potential candidates for the post of ambassador to Washington includes Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

Zelenskyy instructed the Foreign Ministry to discuss with the American side the appointment of a new Ukrainian ambassador, the source said.

The President of Ukraine held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on 4 July.

In June, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga reported that Zelenskyy had already made ‘certain personnel decisions’ regarding changes in the leadership of some foreign institutions, which are expected in July.

Last September, a scandal erupted around the post of Ukrainian ambassador to the United States when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a shell factory in Pennsylvania during his visit to the United States in the midst of the presidential election campaign.

At that time, US House Speaker Mike Johnson demanded the dismissal of Oksana Markarova from the post of ambassador, claiming that she had organised an event at which ‘there was not a single Republican’. 

Johnson also said that Republicans had lost confidence in Ambassador Markarova's ability to perform her diplomatic functions in the United States honestly and effectively.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by refusing to discuss Markarova's dismissal.

Markarova has been ambassador to the United States since 25 February 2021, i.e. for more than four years. The average term of Ukrainian ambassadors abroad is about 3-5 years.