President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Thursday that he offered former Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko the post of Ukraine’s envoy to Washington.
Speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Kyiv on Thursday, Zelensky confirmed his offer was for Svyrydenko to become Kyiv’s envoy to Washington, replacing the current ambassador Olha Stefanishyna.
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“We have a proposal, it’s no secret that with all due respect to Olha Stefanishyna, I really calculated and offered Yulia Svyrydenko the position of ambassador to the United States of America,” Zelensky said, according to state media Ukrinform. “Because this position is very responsible, there should be a person at the level of vice prime minister, at least a minister, and preferably a prime minister.”
Svyrydenko was replaced by former Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi on July 16 after the latest government reshuffle initiated by Zelensky; at the time, the Ukrainian president suggested that he offered the former prime minister “to lead a new significant direction in relations with a key partner.”
Zelensky added that he made another offer to Svyrydenko but declined to disclose more information.
“But there is another proposal – to lead one direction, and we will return to it,” he said.
Svyrydenko, who helped negotiate the minerals deal with the US while serving as the economy minister, reportedly declined Zelensky’s offer to become the new ambassador to the US, according to local outlet Ukrainska Pravda at the time.
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Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky also said he offered former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov the role of “deputy prime minister of Ukraine for military innovations.”
Fedorov has yet to comment on the proposal, and some questions remain as to the power of the proposed title without an established ministry.
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