The post of Ukraine's ambassador to the United States remains vacant, and the race to fill the seat continues to reshape the circle of potential candidates. As Deputy Head of the President's Office Pavlo Palisa told journalists, his own candidacy for the post is effectively fading away: he sees no possibility of combining military and diplomatic service. Thus, another name from the list of possible candidates is de facto out of the race, although the search for a new ambassador continues.
Palisa puts the final point on the question of his candidacy
Speaking to journalists, Palisa stated outright that legislation does not allow him to simultaneously perform military and diplomatic functions. "Under the law, I cannot carry out both military and diplomatic service at the same time," the Deputy Head of the President's Office emphasized. In his words, this is not a matter of personal preference but a strict regulatory constraint that makes his appointment as ambassador legally impossible without changing his current status.
Why leaving military service is not an option for him
At the same time, Palisa ruled out the alternative scenario — voluntarily leaving military service for a diplomatic career. He explained this by his personal convictions and the current situation in the country: "At the same time, leaving military service contradicts moral and life principles. During the war, I must be here, in my country." The only format in which he considers a trip to the US acceptable is training, which finally closes the diplomatic track for him.
Timeline: from Stefanyshyn's dismissal to the empty seat
The post of Ukraine's ambassador to the US became vacant on August 3, when President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree dismissing Olga Stefanyshyn. After that, various names were successively mentioned in the media: it was first reported that the position was offered to former Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, but she declined the offer. Rustem Umerov was named as another possible candidate, but this option also did not materialize — on August 3, Zelensky appointed Umerov head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. Only later did Pavlo Palisa appear among the candidates, and he has now himself removed his name from the list.
Who else is on the list of candidates
According to media reports, the circle of possible candidates for the post of Ukraine's ambassador to the US also includes other names, including Dmytro Kuleba and a number of other persons, indicating that the selection process remains open and unfinished. Palisa's de facto withdrawal from the race narrows but does not exhaust the list of options being considered by the President's Office to fill the vacancy.
Context: the former ambassador's case
Additional context to the situation around the diplomatic mission in Washington is provided by the fact that former Ukrainian ambassador to the US Olga Stefanyshyn has, according to reports, become a subject of an anti-corruption case. This factor, although not directly linked to the procedure for appointing a new ambassador, heightens attention to personnel decisions in the sphere of Ukraine's foreign policy representation in the United States.
