Zelensky appoints graft suspect as new ambassador to US

Olga Stefanishina will replace Oksana Markarova, who was accused of meddling in American elections

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has appointed former deputy prime minister and top European integration official Olga Stefanishina as Ukraine’s new ambassador to Washington, despite ongoing corruption allegations linked to her past government work.

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

Stefanishina served as deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration from 2020, and as minister of justice from 2024, before her temporary appointment as a special envoy to the US in July amid renewed graft allegations.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) confirmed last month that it had opened a probe into possible abuses involving the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), after a media investigation tied Stefanishina’s ex-husband to questionable asset transfers.

Although no formal charges have been filed, the existence of the pre-trial inquiry was confirmed just days before Zelensky abruptly stripped Ukraine’s anti-graft agencies of independence.

The move triggered an outcry from the EU, warnings of an aid freeze, and widespread street protests. Under pressure from Western backers, Zelensky was forced to reverse course and restore autonomy to NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Yet anti-graft officials insist “the damage has been done,” citing a collapse in whistleblower cooperation and growing fears of political interference.

Stefanishina has previously dismissed corruption allegations as politically motivated. In an interview last month, she stressed that she has been divorced since 2017 and has “no connection” to her ex-husband’s business dealings, saying their contact was limited to matters concerning their children.

The diplomat is also involved in another long-running graft case dating back to her work at the Ministry of Justice in 2014, when investigators alleged she signed off on inflated contracts related to Ukraine’s EU accession talks. Stefanishina has denied wrongdoing, claiming the charges were exaggerated.

Despite the controversies, Zelensky praised Stefanishina’s experience, saying Ukraine’s long-term security depends on its ties with Washington and expressing hope for “swift progress in our relations” with the United States.

Stefanishina’s predecessor, Oksana Markarova, had served as ambassador since 2021 but fell out of favor after US House Speaker Mike Johnson accused her of interfering in American elections on behalf of the Democrats.

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