KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed the potential replacement of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, during his recent phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a report by Bloomberg News on Monday.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that a shortlist of potential successors includes high-profile Ukrainian officials: Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Energy Minister German Galushchenko.
The reported discussion of ambassadorial changes came after what Zelenskiy described as his “best and most productive” conversation with President Trump to date. Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskiy said the two leaders had addressed a number of “important matters,” without elaborating further.
The White House has not commented on the report, and Reuters noted it could not independently verify Bloomberg’s claims as of press time. Ambassador Markarova, a former finance minister, has represented Ukraine in Washington since February 2021 and played a key role in maintaining strong diplomatic ties during the ongoing war with Russia.