Main points
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy probably discussed new candidates for the post of Ukrainian ambassador to the United States with Donald Trump.
- It is expected that the final decision may be made at Headquarters on July 15; the current ambassador Oksana Markarova is unlikely to remain in office.
- Potential personnel changes could impact interactions with new Republican leadership in the US
Western media reported that Volodymyr Zelensky allegedly discussed new candidates for the post of Ukrainian ambassador to the United States with Donald Trump. Today, these duties are performed by Oksana Markarova, but her term ended in the winter.
As international political scientist Yaroslav Bozhko noted to Channel 24, a replacement is definitely needed, so it is not surprising that this is being discussed. However, potential candidates are causing heated discussions.
Who can become the new ambassador?
Bloomberg journalists named Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Energy Minister German Galushchenko among the candidates for this position.
The political scientist noted that “removing” one minister from the cabinet could lead to a whole series of personnel changes. For example, appointing Umerov as ambassador would require replacing him with another security official. Accordingly, this could “expose” another department.
I think that these issues will be finally resolved at Headquarters on July 15. But the fact is that over time, Ukraine will definitely get a new candidate for ambassador to the United States. It is unlikely to be Oksana Markarova, because her term is already “overripe,” said Yaroslav Bozhko.
It is obvious that Bankova is currently looking for new approaches to interaction with the Republican leadership in the United States. It is not a fact that Markarova is ideal for this.
It is also worth understanding that the human factor in matters of strategic importance is reduced to a minimum. Now the relations between the USA and Ukraine are influenced by the interaction between Trump and Putin. After all, the American president has placed his bets on resetting relations.
The Americans' cool tone still remains, but we see a change in this trend. Of course, this is not connected with personnel issues, the political scientist emphasized.
The further development of events depends on the international strategic position of Ukraine and Russia, on Putin’s readiness to continue waging war, and on his willingness or unwillingness to negotiate.
