Overview

• Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that Oksana Markarova’s four-year term as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States has formally ended under the country’s routine rotation cycle.
• Kyiv sees the reshuffle as a chance to strengthen relations with President Trump after Republican lawmakers criticized Markarova for perceived Democratic bias.
• President Zelenskyy and President Trump discussed Markarova’s departure during what Kyiv described as an unusually constructive phone call last week.
• Potential successors include deputy head of the president’s office Ihor Zhovkva, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna and presidential aide Andriy Yermak.
• The changes come as Ukraine seeks continued arms support from the United States and prepares for a two-day postwar recovery conference in Rome.