Zelensky sacks Ukraine ambassador to US

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna.

The sacking, announced by decree on Monday, August 3, 2026, occurred however as Kyiv was lobbying the United States to obtain more Patriot air defence missiles to block Russian strikes.

In a Facebook post in which she also posted a letter asking to be relieved of her duties, Stefanishyna said the decision was her own and “dictated by personal circumstances”.

She called her posting to Washington “the greatest honour” of her life.

“We increased the supply of American weapons and maintained support precisely when the political climate in Washington was shifting against us,” Stefanishyna added.

Stefanishyna, a former deputy prime minister and justice minister, was nominated as ambassador in July 2025.

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The role is crucial for Ukraine, which depends on U.S. arms deliveries and intelligence-sharing in the conflict against Russia.

Relations between Zelensky and his United States counterpart Donald Trump have been strained and, at times, stormy.

But Trump has recently been more encouraging towards the Ukrainian leader.

According to Ukrainian media, Stefanishyna is under investigation by the country’s anti-corruption agency on suspicion of wrongdoing, although she has not been formally accused.

Zelensky, who made a controversial government reshuffle in July, has not yet announced who will replace Stefanishyna as ambassador in Washington.