--- title: "Vacancy No. 1: Who Is Actually Leading Ukraine's Dialogue with the US After Stepanishyna's Departure" description: "The post of Ukraine's ambassador to the US has been vacant since Olha Stepanishyna's departure. Who is actually leading the dialogue with Washington and what is the real role of the diplomat — we break it down track by track." date: 2026-08-26T05:04:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraines-ambassador-vacancy-in-us-who-is-leading-dialogue-with-washington tags: [ukraine-usa-relations, ambassador, diplomacy, stefanishyna, peace-talks] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Vacancy No. 1: Who Is Actually Leading Ukraine's Dialogue with the US After Stepanishyna's Departure ![Ukraine and US flags against the Capitol dome — a symbol of diplomatic dialogue between the two nations](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/26/vakantsiya-posla-ukrainy-v-ssha-kto-vedet-dialog-s-vashingtonom/vakantsiya-posla-ukrainy-v-ssha-kto-vedet-dialog-s-vashingtonom-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The post of Ukraine's ambassador to the US has been vacant since Olha Stepanishyna's departure on 3 August 2026. - The peace negotiations with the US as mediator are led by Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office. - Defense cooperation and the Drone Deal are overseen by Rustem Umerov, head of the FIS, while the informal track is handled by David Arakhamia. - According to Ostap Yarish, the ambassador's main task is to support all tracks and ensure access to the American leadership. - Accounts of the circumstances of Stepanishyna's departure and the posting of a 6 million hryvnia bail contradict each other. The post of Ukraine's ambassador to the United States remains vacant as of today. As of 26 August 2026, the diplomatic mission in Washington is effectively operating without a permanent head: Olha Stepanishyna left her post on 3 August, and a legal conflict with law enforcement has erupted around her. Nevertheless, this does not mean that Kyiv–Washington relations are "hanging in the air." On the contrary, as Ukrainian sources note, the communication process with the US is now fairly centralized, and a whole range of senior officials — not just the ambassador — is handling urgent matters. ### A Centralized Multi-Track System According to sources, the key directions of dialogue with the American side are distributed among several figures. The head of the delegation at the peace negotiations, in which the US acts as a mediator, remains Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office. The issue of defense cooperation with Washington and the preparation of the drone agreement (the so-called Drone Deal) has been fully taken on by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. The more informal track of communication is, reportedly, actively handled even by Dmytro Kuleba — no, by David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People faction. Thus, the embassy is just one element of a complex multi-level system, not the sole channel. ### What Is the Real Role of the Ambassador Ostap Yarish, a Ukrainian journalist working in the US, explained that in such a configuration the official head of the diplomatic mission performs a supporting but necessary function: he helps with contacts, ensures on-the-ground logistics, and serves as a liaison link when needed. In his words, the ambassador's main task today is to support all the tracks that Ukraine is running at either the formal or informal level, as well as to engage people who have direct access to the American leadership. In other words, the ambassador does not conduct negotiations "single-handedly" but provides the infrastructure for the other channels to work. ### Contradictory Data At the same time, sources disagree on the circumstances of Stepanishyna's departure and her legal status. On the one hand, the widely used formulations state that she was dismissed on 3 August, and that law enforcement charged her with illegal enrichment and abuse of office; it is also reported that a bail of 6 million hryvnia was posted on her behalf on 13 August. On the other hand, some sources characterize her departure as a request for resignation, and the data on the bail contradict each other: according to one account, the 6 million hryvnia bail was posted, while according to another, the former ambassador did not post this bail herself but only reported who would do so. These inconsistencies in the dates and facts of the bail, as well as in the nature of the termination of her mandate (dismissal versus resignation), require additional verification and are presented here in both versions. ### What Comes Next Thus, the search for a new Ukrainian ambassador to the US has become the so-called "vacancy no. 1": the candidate is expected not merely to provide formal representation but to be able to sustain a branched multi-track system and ensure access to the American leadership. According to RBC-Ukraine materials, discussions over who might take up the post and what challenges await it are ongoing, but no final decision on the candidate has been recorded in open sources at this point. Until one is made, the functional duties are, in effect, distributed among Budanov, Umerov, and Arakhamia, while the embassy remains the liaison and logistical link in this structure. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [What Is the Main Task of Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Today: Sources Answer](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ke-golovne-zavdannya-sogodni-posla-ukrayini-1787720154.html) - Подтверждает централизованную систему треков (Буданов, Умеров, Арахамия) и роль посла по словам Остапа Ярыша; ссылается на материал РБК-Украина о вакансии. - [Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Stepanishyna Requested Her Resignation](https://svpressa.ru/politic/news/523388/) - Характеризует уход как просьбу об отставке, что расходится с формулировкой 'уволена' в основе. - [Ukraine's Former Ambassador to the US Stepanishyna Said Who Would Post Her Bail](https://news.rambler.ru/world/56898046-eks-posol-ukrainy-v-ssha-stefanishina-rasskazala-kto-vneset-za-nee-zalog/) - Указывает, что вопрос залога ещё обсуждался (кто внесёт), что противоречит утверждению о внесении 13 августа. - [Ukraine's Former Ambassador Stepanishyna Did Not Post the 6 Million Hryvnia Bail Herself](https://www.rbc.ru/politics/12/08/2026/6a7c6bce9a7947c076cce745) - Датируется 12.08.2026 и утверждает, что залог не внесён, что противоречит версии о внесении залога 13 августа. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who is currently Ukraine's ambassador to the US? **A:** As of 26 August 2026, the post is vacant: Olha Stepanishyna left her position on 3 August, and no new ambassador has been appointed. ### Q: Who is leading the peace negotiations with US involvement? **A:** According to sources, the head of the delegation at the peace negotiations, in which the US acts as a mediator, remains Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President's Office. ### Q: Who is responsible for defense cooperation and the Drone Deal? **A:** These issues have, reportedly, been fully taken on by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. ### Q: What is the ambassador's main task in such a system? **A:** In the words of journalist Ostap Yarish, the ambassador helps with contacts and logistics, serves as a liaison link, supports all formal and informal tracks, and engages people with access to the American leadership. ### Q: Has bail been posted for Stepanishyna? **A:** Accounts contradict each other: the baseline version states that a 6 million hryvnia bail was posted on 13 August, but some sources report that the bail was not posted or was still being discussed. The data require verification.