Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has agreed to replace Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, following a recent phone call with U.S. President, Donald Trump.
According to the Financial Times, both countries are now discussing potential successors, who would require approval from Washington and Kyiv. The newspaper cited two individuals familiar with the matter.
Markarova, who has been serving as ambassador in Washington since 2021, has faced criticism from some Republican figures for reportedly being “too closely aligned with the Democratic Party.”
Her replacement is seen as a possible gesture by Zelenskyy to “appease Trump during a sensitive time for Ukraine,” as the report put it.
The move comes as the United States delays previously approved arms deliveries, while Russia continues its missile and drone attacks more than three years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Financial Times reports that Zelenskyy plans to announce the new ambassador next week as part of a wider cabinet reshuffle.
A senior Ukrainian official was quoted as saying, “Zelensky intends to appoint someone who is a good dealmaker and understandable to the White House and at the same time to Congress.”
Potential candidates mentioned include Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, and Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov.
Former EU diplomat in Kyiv, Balázs Jarábik, commented that the changes appear aimed at “managing growing political, economic, and social pressures through renewal and control, rather than signaling shifts,” according to the publication.
