Zelensky Dismisses Stefanishyna as Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Monday, Aug. 3, ousting Olha Stefanishyna from her post as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States.According to a corresponding decree No. 696/2026 published on the president’s website, Stefanishyna has been relieved of her duties as Ukraine’s Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the US. No specific reason was provided, nor were additional details.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“He [Zelensky] did not ask me to resign, and in fact, he does not want me to leave,” Stefanishyna said at a Washington press conference on Thursday, July 30, according to Liga news media.According to Liga, Stefanishyna also attended the Zelensky-Trump meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday, July 28, in which the two leadersdiscussed Patriot interceptor production licenses and additional ways of reviving diplomacy with Moscow.A short, turbulent tenureZelensky appointed Stefanishyna as Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington in August 2025, replacing Oksana Markarova, who had drawn sustained criticism from senior Republicans over perceived favoritism toward Democrats.From September 2024, Stefanishyna served as deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and as justice minister.After stepping down from her deputy prime minister role, she spent about a month in mid-2025 as Zelensky’s special representative for developing cooperation with the US, according to Bloomberg. Other Topics of Interest Russia Threatens Apple With $50M Fine Over Kremlin-Backed Messenger The company announced its departure from Russia in March 2022, days after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. She had also played a role in finalizing Ukraine’s natural resources agreement with Washington.Corruption allegations shadowed her exitAt the same Washington press conference, Stefanishyna acknowledged “an attempt to bring charges” against her over asset declarations, though she has not been formally notified of suspicion, Liga reported.She described the scrutiny as “an absolutely normal process,” adding that “everyone in the president’s inner circle is suspected of many things.”The allegations trace back to a June 2025 investigation reported by Ukrainska Pravda, which said that people close to Stefanishyna, including her former husband, had obtained management rights over four major real-estate properties through Ukraine’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency while she was serving as deputy prime minister.Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) opened a criminal case the following month based on the investigation’s findings.Stefanishyna said she was prepared to return to Ukraine to answer the allegations if necessary, calling the matter unrelated to her official duties, Liga reported.According to the same Liga report, she had previously confirmed, in 2020, that she was a suspect in a separate case tied to fugitive former justice minister Olena Lukash. However, she did not admit guilt.Part of a wider government shakeupStefanishyna’s ouster comes amid a sweeping government reshuffle of Ukraine’s leadership that began in mid-July, when Zelensky announced a planned reshuffle of the Cabinet of Ministers and law enforcement agencies.On July 16, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted to approve a new government led by Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky, replacing former Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.Koretsky was praised by Zelensky as “most prepared” for the role given his experience running the state-owned gas conglomerate Naftogaz.During the cabinet’s reshuffle, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was also ousted, with his resignation sparking nationwide protests.Despite major protests, reports suggest that Zelensky is unwilling to reinstate Fedorov. Instead, he offered him the role of “deputy prime minister for military innovations” on July 23 – an offer Fedorov turned down. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.