“The president’s office found a common language with Richard Grenell, whom the US president-elect Donald Trump sees as his special representative on the issues of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The OP also began to consider the possibility of replacing Oksana Markarova, the ambassador of Ukraine to the United States.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
The president’s office found a common language with Richard Grenell, whom the US president-elect Donald Trump sees as his special representative on the issues of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The OP also began to consider the possibility of replacing Oksana Markarova, the ambassador of Ukraine to the United States.
Source: Ukrainian Pravda article “War for Trump and war with Trump. How Zelensky is preparing for a new reality”
Details: After President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s last visit to the USA and House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson’s criticism of Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, tension arose between the Ukrainian embassy and the speaker’s office. Zelensky himself has so far ignored Johnson’s demand to release Markarova. True, after Trump’s victory in the elections, Bankova still began to discuss such a possibility.
The “recommendations” to the President of Ukraine from one Andrew Mack, who positions himself in Washington as a key communicator for Zelenskyi, played a significant role in this. He is a lawyer, a former partner of the Kyiv firm Magisters. Since 2019, he has been registered as an unpaid lobbyist for Zelenskyi.
Although the “advisor’s” achievements in this direction are rather modest, he has close contact in Johnson’s apparatus. Therefore, it is not surprising that he is the one who convinces Bankova that the ambassador cannot be replaced.
If it comes to this, then Zelenskyi is considering several candidates for replacement, the main of which is Yermak’s deputy Ihor Zhovkva and current ambassador to Brazil Andriy Melnyk.
In addition, as UP learned, despite all the difficulties, the Office managed to establish some communication with the former US ambassador to Germany and the head of intelligence, Richard Grenell. Trump is going to appoint him as the special representative of the US president on the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Contact was established with Grenell after the meeting between Trump and Zelensky this fall, at which the former intelligence officer was present. The head of OP Andriy Yermak is now establishing contact with Grenell.
Direct speech one of the UP’s interlocutors in the political elite of Ukraine: “If we talk to the Americans, the conclusion so far is this: we are starting with a clean slate. Our main task right now is not to get caught up in anything and not to put too much pressure on it. Because there are a lot of people around Trump who, let’s put it this way , not our friends. That’s why we have to go through the winter and wait for the inauguration, and then talk objectively.”