Zelenskyy says deputy PM Stefanishyna to become new envoy to U.S.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who currently oversees European and Euro-Atlantic integration, has been appointed as Ukraine’s next ambassador to the United States.

Zelenskyy said she would serve initially as his special presidential representative to the U.S., allowing her to begin engaging with Washington even as formal diplomatic approval processes proceed.

Stefanishyna, a lawyer by training, has held her current post since June 2020 and briefly served as Minister of Justice starting in September  2024. The appointment reflects Kyiv’s intention to deepen ties with the U.S. at a pivotal moment for bilateral relations.

She succeeds Oksana Markarova, who has represented Ukraine in Washington since April 2021 . As Stefanishyna prepares for her new role, Ukraine's foreign ministry and U.S. partners will work through the necessary diplomatic procedures.

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