“Changes in the U.S. ambassador posting are coming,” Zelenskyy said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on July 10.
“I am grateful to [current Ukrainian ambassador in Washington] Oksana Markarova—we have been in touch. I can’t say what she will do next; much depends on her. I would like her to continue working in Ukraine.”
The president added that while he’s weighing sending Umerov to Washington, it would require a significant reshuffle of the Cabinet.
“Because today every decision and our entire budget are about the war,” he said.
“A lot depends on the Ministry of Defense. This is a serious decision. Strengthening relations with the United States is very important for us. We need someone strong, someone who is focused on our main priority—making Ukraine stronger through arms support. One of my ideas is that this role could be filled by the Defense Minister of Ukraine.”
On July 8, Suspilne public broadcaster reported that Zelenskyy told Markarova he was going dismiss her. Replacing Ukraine’s envoy to the United States was one of the topics raised in the July 4 phone call between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump.