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The ambassador to the U.S. will have more work than might appear at first glance The post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States remains vacant despite the critical importance of the American direction for Kyiv. A certain circle of candidates has already been outlined at Bankova, but a final decision has not been made. Why difficulties arose in appointing a new ambassador, who still might take the post, and what challenges await the head of the diplomatic mission — read in the piece by RBC-Ukraine journalists Roman Kot and Milan Lelic. Key points: Staffing shortfall: The Office of the President ran into difficulties finding a new ambassador to the U.S. because candidates declined and political nuances intervened. Possible candidates: Several well-known political and diplomatic figures were discussed in the power corridors as potential contenders for the post. Decentralized tracks: Several key members of Zelenskyy’s team are working on the American direction in parallel, including the Office leadership and the intelligence service. Requirements for the post: The future ambassador must have a high level of media presence and be effective working with the American political establishment. A year ago, in August 2025, Ukraine sent a new ambassador to Washington, and already this August the key chair at the diplomatic mission is again empty. The United States remains Ukraine’s key partner, but finding a full-fledged head of mission there has proved not easy. Olha Stefanishyna left the post in Washington before completing a year. The day after the presidential decree on her dismissal, NABU handed her a suspicion notice. The search for a new ambassador turned into a protracted behind-the-scenes process. Instead of a line of eager applicants, the Office of the President once again faced a staffing shortfall. Potential ambassadors either refused the posting due to personal circumstances, or their candidacies were weeded out because of political nuances. Who as a replacement Instead of Stefanishyna, Yuliia Svyrydenko, recently removed from the prime ministerial post, was supposed to go to Washington. Moreover, some interlocutors of RBC-Ukraine in power insisted that the need to replace Stefanishyna in Washington became the catalyst for the July government reshuffle. However, Svyrydenko refused to leave Ukraine, according to the outlet, citing family circumstances. As for Rustem Umerov, sources told RBC-Ukraine that he was not considered for the U.S. post this time, despite such rumors on social media. The outlet wrote about this in detail in a piece focused on key figures in Zelenskyy’s inner circle. Photo: Donald Trump and Olha Stefanishyna (facebook.com.olga.kravets) Read also: Zelenskyy’s top managers: who influences the president and what they are responsible for The Office deputy head Pavlo Palisa was also eyed for the new post. As a military man, he mainly handles the defense sector at the Office. An argument in favor of Palisa’s appointment was that Trump called him his favorite soldier in Ukraine. Also, his important role in his current position likely matters, and for now he remains alongside President Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Various RBC-Ukraine sources in government named other surnames as well. According to a well-informed interlocutor of the outlet, there are several potential candidates now: among military figures, diplomats, and even politicians. In particular, there is former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. In any case, if someone from current officeholders goes to Washington — for example, from Bankova — this would force some rearrangement of the entire diplomatic track structure, and that factor is also being taken into account, an informed interlocutor told RBC-Ukraine. So there are several reasons the ambassador’s seat in the U.S. remains vacant. First, the current presidential team has a very short bench. Read also: Midlife crisis: what mistakes Ukraine is making in the fight for independence The ambassador in Washington has long held a special place in the diplomatic hierarchy and in influence was comparable to a deputy minister. Now even more so. This place is very responsible; there must be a person at the level of a deputy prime minister, at minimum a minister, and better a prime minister, President Zelenskyy said 23 in July. A month later the head of state clarified the requirements for the ambassador, slightly adjusting them because political weight inside Ukraine does not necessarily mean effectiveness in international negotiations. Still, he said a candidate exists. The embassy in the United States needs an experienced person. That is very important. Elections are happening there now. We need a communicator so that Ukraine is not forgotten, the president emphasized. Meanwhile, American analysts advise widening the search, although their remarks often collide with a lack of understanding of political realities and how the current government in Ukraine works. For example, Melinda Haring, editor of the UkraineAlert column at the influential American think tank Atlantic Council, suggested looking at figures with strong personal ties among Republicans and conservative circles. Among the names she proposed are former MP Pavlo Unguryan, who has contacts in U.S. religious circles; entrepreneurs like Andrii Stavnytsier or Serhii Husovskyi, who can speak the language of American business; or even former vice prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. However, appointing someone so clearly from the outside, and especially someone from the opposition camp (Klympush-Tsintsadze is an MP from European Solidarity), is very unlikely in the current political culture. But the final decision depends not only on the situation in Kyiv — equally important obstacles remain in securing agreement in Washington, where its own political rules apply. Political subtleties Although career diplomats previously headed the mission in Washington, the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. is now a true political hot seat. Especially given how close Kyiv–Washington ties have become since the full-scale war began. And it’s not only about Ukraine’s dependence on American military aid and diplomatic efforts. It’s also that Ukraine itself has become one of the important factors in domestic American politics. Ex-ambassador Oksana Markarova felt this firsthand. During her tenure from 2021 she managed to build good relations with much of the American establishment; top U.S. media wrote favorable articles about her. True, mostly from the Democratic flank. A turning point for Markarova was President Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. in September 2024, right in the middle of the U.S. presidential campaign. During his trip to a weapons factory in Scranton, it turned out that American participants were representatives of the Democratic Party and almost no Republicans. Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to a weapons factory in Scranton, USA. Behind him — Oksana Markarova (president.gov.ua) The then-campaign team of candidate Donald Trump decided to use this episode to accuse Markarova, and Ukraine in general, of siding with the Democrats and their candidate Kamala Harris (which the Ukrainian side, of course, denied). Despite the scandal, Markarova remained in her post, but it became clear that Ukraine needed to look for a new representative in the U.S. Moreover, Markarova’s tenure had already exceeded four years — more than enough by diplomatic standards. In the summer of 2025 it was precisely the search for a new ambassador to the U.S. that became the official reason for the government change. At that time, then-defense minister Rustem Umerov was planned for the post. As to why that appointment never happened, all sorts of unverified rumors circulated in the corridors, including alleged excessively close ties between Umerov and Turkey that Americans did not like. In the end, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olha Stefanishyna went to the U.S. as ambassador. Sources told RBC-Ukraine that Kyiv and Washington were quite satisfied with her work in the post. According to Ostap Yarysh, media advisor at Razom for Ukraine in Washington, Stefanishyna successfully picked up the baton from her predecessor. I never heard any complaints about her, neither from Republicans, nor from Democrats, nor from the White House. Plus she tried to establish contacts in places or groups where previously there may have been gaps or problems, Yarysh told RBC-Ukraine. However, this summer an external factor intervened. Bankova learned that Stefanishyna was soon to receive a suspicion notice from anti-corruption authorities, and she had to be brought back home. In the U.S. itself, a NABU suspicion did not greatly affect how the ambassador was perceived. For the current White House team it is not a decisive factor — at least because a number of criminal cases of varying levels of politicization have previously been brought against Donald Trump himself. Despite all the political storms around Washington, the embassy performs many other practical tasks. Not only Washington Relations with the U.S. in Ukraine today are handled by far more than just the embassy. The process is decentralized. The head of the delegation for peace talks, which are currently on pause, remains the head of the Office of the President, Kyrylo Budanov. Issues of defense cooperation and preparation of the drone agreement (Drone Deal) are fully monopolized by the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Rustem Umerov. Ultimately, the more informal communication track is actively joined even by the head of the Servant of the People faction, Davyid Arakhamia. So what place in this system does the official head of the diplomatic mission occupy? The ambassador helps with contacts and on-the-ground logistics. The ambassador is a linking element when needed, Ostap Yarysh describes the current role of the head of mission. According to him, the ambassador’s main task now is to support all tracks Ukraine pursues at the formal or informal level and to engage people with direct access to American leadership. Presence in the information field is no less important. American venture investor and philanthropist who actively helps Ukraine, Gregory Sleighton, believes Ukraine needs a specialist with a high level of media skills. I personally knew a few of the recent ambassadors. And I think you had good ambassadors, but I would like to see someone who handles media better, someone who can appear on CNN and Fox and really work well to persuade people, to push back against this Russian trash. Because in the absence of truth, lies win, Sleighton said in a comment to RBC-Ukraine. In addition to high diplomacy in Washington, the head of the embassy faces a colossal amount of routine work across the country. Vadym Dashkevych, leader of the American-Ukrainian Christian Alliance, who advocates for Ukraine in the U.S. through religious circles, emphasizes the need to unite the Ukrainian diaspora across various states around a single agenda and clearly convey tasks from Kyiv to them. Close ties are also needed to build such friendships with Americans across different structures so that Americans in Washington can not only be informed about what is happening in Ukraine, but can be involved, Dashkevych explained to the outlet. Photo: Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and U.S. congressmen (Getty Images) Andrii Dobrianskyi, an expert at the Center for U.S.-Ukraine Relations in New York, believes a new ambassador is always a good reason to reopen doors to more than 400 congressmen and senators involved in passing legislation. Among the main priorities for Ukraine now remain security issues, in particular stable supplies of scarce munitions for Patriot systems, as well as political pressure through key initiatives — for example, the Graham-Blumenthal bill, which enables imposing tough sanctions on Russia. But, Dobrianskyi says, the key task is to shape Ukraine’s image and work in the regions. At the same time, the expert points to purely everyday and financial challenges. The embassy in Washington supervises four general consulates and a number of honorary consulates. It doesn’t have to be an oligarch or corrupt person, but living in America is expensive. It is also not easy to visit different regions, whether around Washington or in other individual states, and Ukraine currently has no budget for fuel or additional cars, Dobrianskyi summarizes. *** Some informed interlocutors of RBC-Ukraine said the ambassador should be appointed after the U.S. congressional elections, which will take place in early November. Others think it is not worth tying the decision to any dates, and as soon as an acceptable candidate who agrees to go to Washington is found, the ambassador will be appointed. For now, Bankova continues to weigh the pros and cons, and the Ukrainian representation remains without a leader. In Washington, in turn, they are again waiting for President Zelenskyy’s final decision. The main thing is to find a person who can not only hold a prestigious post, but withstand political pressure and ultimately deliver practical results. Questions and answers (FAQ): – Why has the appointment of a new Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. been delayed? – The Office of the President has faced a staffing shortfall: potential candidates often refuse the appointment due to personal circumstances or are filtered out because of complex political nuances. – Which Ukrainian officials were considered for the post of head of the mission in Washington? – There are several potential candidates now: among military figures, diplomats, and even politicians. At various times, names discussed in the corridors included Yuliia Svyrydenko, Pavlo Palisa, and Dmytro Kuleba. – Who else from the Ukrainian government is working on the American direction? – In addition to the embassy, communication and security tracks in the U.S. are led by OP head Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Rustem Umerov, and Servant of the People faction leader Davyid Arakhamia. – What are the main tasks set for the future Ukrainian ambassador in Washington? – The head of mission must ensure steady support for key tracks, engage with congressmen, actively work with American media, and maintain ties with the regions and the diaspora.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Вакансія номер один. Хто може стати послом України в США та які виклики на нього чекають". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: RBC-Ukraine.
