President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly informed Kyiv’s top envoy to the US, Oksana Markarova, of his intention to sack her on Tuesday.
The update followed a Bloomberg report on Monday that Zelensky discussed Markarova’s potential replacement with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during his Friday call with US President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne, citing “a source in the Presidential Office,” said Zelensky had informed Markarova of the pending dismissal, but it has not been made final. Her replacement has also not been decided.
But the source said Zelensky had already consulted Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on the matter. Zelensky also reportedly signaled to Markarova that she will remain on the team in some capacity.
Kyiv Post cannot independently verify the authenticity of the claim at the time of publication.
A day prior, Bloomberg reported that along with Shmyhal, other high-ranking officials were also being considered for the role during Zelensky’s call with Trump, including Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
But Stefanishyna told local television channel Edeniya Novyny that she has not been consulted for the position.
“I can definitely say that I have not had such conversations with anyone in the government, in parliament, or anywhere,” Stefanishyna said, according to Suspilne.
It is unclear if Trump or Zelensky initiated the conversation on replacing Kyiv’s top envoy to the US.
During the 2024 elections, Trump supporters criticized Markarova for arranging Zelensky’s visit to a munitions factory in Pennsylvania – former US President Joe Biden’s hometown – accusing her of election interference.
But it is unclear if the incident is related to the alleged replacement talks.
News that Shmyhal might be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko has featured in Ukrainian media reports in recent weeks.
The reason for the cabinet shuffle is supposedly Zelensky’s desire to bring in fresh ideas amid internal power struggles within the Presidential Office – reports Kyiv Post has not been able to verify.