Search for Ukraine's new ambassador to the US: from Palysa to Kuleba — who is vying for the post in Washington

The post of Ukraine's ambassador to the United States has remained vacant for almost a month since Olga Stefanishyna's dismissal, and, according to Ukrainian and foreign media, Kyiv has still failed to settle on a successor. As RBC-Ukraine reports, citing its own sources in the government's inner circle, the pool of potential candidates includes serving military officers as well as diplomats and politicians. In parallel, the outlet Politico notes that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has faced serious difficulties in finding a new ambassador, as a number of the persons under consideration are turning down the appointment. Thus, as of August 26, 2026, the post of Ukraine's ambassador in Washington remains unfilled, and the candidate-selection process is dragging on.

Context: how the post became vacant

On August 3, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree dismissing Olga Stefanishyna from the post of Ukraine's ambassador to the US. After that, reports emerged in the public domain that the post had been offered to former Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who, according to sources, declined it. The candidacy of Rustam Umerov was also discussed, however on August 3 the president signed a decree appointing Umerov head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, which effectively removed him from the race for the ambassadorial post. As a result, by the end of August the vacancy remained unfilled, and the circle of names under consideration narrowed to several figures from the president's military, diplomatic and political entourage.

Pavlo Palysa: a military figure with a special status with Trump

Among the most discussed candidates, RBC-Ukraine names Pavlo Palysa, Deputy Head of the President's Office, who oversees the defense sector in the OP. The key argument in his favor, according to the outlet's sources, is that Donald Trump previously publicly called Palysa his "favorite soldier" in Ukraine, which could simplify communication with the American side. At the same time, sources say that against his transfer to Washington is the fact that Palysa remains close to Zelenskyy in Kyiv and plays an important role in the functioning structure of the President's Office. Notably, information about a possible appointment of Palysa had been circulating behind the scenes for several weeks already, i.e. before the public summary in the media.

Other names: from Kuleba to restructuring the diplomatic track

In addition to Palysa, various sources within the government have named other surnames. In particular, a well-informed source to RBC-Ukraine mentioned former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as one of the potential candidates. According to the outlet, several options are currently being worked out — among military officers, diplomats and even politicians. At the same time, an informed source warned: if a serving official, for example from the Presidential Office on Bankova, is ultimately sent to Washington, this would require restructuring the entire structure of the diplomatic track, and this factor is being taken into account by the authorities when making the decision.

Contradictory data

Here it is important to note the difference in how the same situation is presented by different outlets. RBC-Ukraine emphasizes that candidates already exist and there are several of them — from military officers to politicians — meaning the selection process is underway actively and in a working mode. At the same time, Politico, citing its own sources, frames the situation differently: Zelenskyy "cannot find" an ambassador, and candidates are "turning down" the post, which points to a systemic problem rather than simply a stage of negotiations. The two versions do not contradict each other on the facts (the vacancy is indeed open, names are indeed being discussed), but they diverge in their assessment of the dynamics: for RBC it is "vetting" among several persons, for Politico — a deadlock with refusals. As of August 26, 2026, there is no official confirmation of any specific candidacy from either the President's Office or the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

What this means for the diplomatic track

A prolonged vacancy of the ambassador in Washington is not just a staffing issue, but a factor affecting the entire architecture of Ukrainian-American relations in a period when the diplomatic track is operating at high intensity. If the choice falls on a military figure with a special status with the American president, as in the case of Palysa, this could signal a priority for the defense and military-political line in the dialogue. If, however, a diplomat or politician like Kuleba is chosen, the emphasis will shift to the institutional and negotiating dimension. In any case, as sources note, appointing a serving official from Bankova would require reshuffles within the President's Office and a redistribution of functions, which makes the selection process more complex and, likely, pushes it back for an indefinite period.