Zelensky Names Controversial Ex-Deputy PM as Ambassador to US

By Staff, Agencies

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has appointed former Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishina as Ukraine’s new ambassador to Washington, despite ongoing corruption allegations tied to her previous government work.

In his evening address on Wednesday, Zelensky said that “formal procedures have been completed” and instructed Stefanishina to “fully implement all the agreements reached in Washington, primarily in the defense sphere.”

Stefanishina previously served as deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration [2020–2025] and as justice minister [2024–2025], before taking up a temporary post as special envoy to the US in July amid renewed graft allegations.

Last month, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau [NABU] confirmed it had launched a probe into possible abuses at the Asset Recovery and Management Agency [ARMA], following a media investigation linking Stefanishina’s ex-husband to questionable asset transfers.

Although she has not been formally charged, the probe coincided with Zelensky’s short-lived decision to strip Ukraine’s anti-graft bodies of their independence — a move that drew protests, EU warnings of aid suspensions, and international backlash.

Zelensky later restored the agencies’ autonomy under pressure from Western partners, though officials say “the damage has been done,” pointing to collapsing whistleblower cooperation and fears of political meddling.

Stefanishina has rejected the allegations, stressing she divorced in 2017 and has “no connection” to her ex-husband’s dealings.

She is also linked to an older corruption case from 2014, when investigators she signed off on inflated contracts during EU accession talks. She has denied wrongdoing, calling the claims exaggerated and politically driven.

Despite the controversy, Zelensky defended the appointment, highlighting Stefanishina’s experience and arguing that Ukraine’s long-term security relies on its partnership with Washington. He voiced confidence in “swift progress in our relations with the United States”.

Her predecessor, Oksana Markarova, had served as ambassador since 2021 but lost Zelensky’s support after US House Speaker Mike Johnson accused her of interfering in American elections in favor of Democrats.