Dmytro Kuleba declines offer to become Ukraine's U.S. ambassador — FT

His appointment reflected Kyiv intetions to "appease" the camp of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump by replacing its ambassador in Washington, Oksana Markarova, after the scandal in September, when Ukrainian delegation visited a factory in Pennsylvania (which is a swing state) producing 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

The Republican Party "has lost confidence in Markarova’s ability to fulfill her diplomatic duties fairly and effectively in the U.S." then.

She has held the position since April 2021.

The Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Kuleba himself declined to comment.

Earlier, The Washington Post reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to replace Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, following Trump’s election victory.

On Sept. 25, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called on Zelenskyy to dismiss Markarova after the Ukrainian delegation visited Pennsylvania.

Johnson claimed that Zelenskyy was accompanied by Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania and supporter of presidential candidate Kamala Harris. No Republicans were present as they were “intentionally not invited.”

On Sept. 29, in an interview with Fox News, Zelenskyy said that he could discuss the dismissal of Ukrainian ambassadors only with the Verkhovna Rada Speaker, not with foreigners.