Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is struggling to find a new ambassador to the United States, with potential candidates refusing the post, Politico reported, citing two former senior Ukrainian officials and four lawmakers.
According to the sources, potential candidates are reluctant to take on the job in Washington at a critical moment in the war, and because of the need to deal with the "unpredictable administration of Donald Trump."
Lawmaker Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a former deputy prime minister of Ukraine, said that candidates with sufficient weight and experience fear that "they will not have the conditions necessary for full-fledged work." In her view, the ambassador should come from a narrow circle of Zelensky's trusted associates, but none of them meet the requirements.
A former Ukrainian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that "there are people who want this position, but there is no one who really fits it," and that Zelensky "finds it hard to fill this position."
In late July, Zelensky said he had offered the post to Yulia Svyrydenko, who had resigned as prime minister, counting on her. However, she refused. According to Ukrainska Pravda, her reaction was categorical. Politico notes that other candidates "show no less restraint."
The previous Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanyshyna, was dismissed on August 3. She herself said she left voluntarily "due to personal circumstances." Two days later, Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies notified her of suspicion of illegal enrichment and submitting false information in her declaration.