Ukrainian President Zelensky seeks to trade the ambassador in the U.S. for additional weapons.
In a move aimed at reinforcing Ukraine-US relations and securing vital military aid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering replacing his ambassador to the United States. The decision comes amid a tense period in Ukraine-US relations, with the need for a "strong" and focused representative being crucial for Ukraine’s defense efforts [1][3].
President Zelensky has confirmed the decision to replace Oksana Markarova, who has served as ambassador since 2021, and indicated that the decision will lead to significant government reshuffles. He expressed hope that Markarova would continue to serve Ukraine in some capacity but respected her choice if she decides otherwise [1][3].
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is the leading candidate for the ambassadorial post in Washington, with President Zelensky describing him as someone with adequate experience to handle the role [1][3]. Other candidates reportedly under consideration include Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, and Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko [2][4]. However, there have been contradictory views from Ukrainian officials regarding the chances of these candidates.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to North Korea, while accusing the US, South Korea, and Japan of bolstering their military presence around the region [5]. On the home front, Ukrainian military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov stated that US support for Ukraine will continue "in the near future" and may include additional air defense systems [6].
The ongoing conflict has taken a heavy toll on civilians, with hundreds of Russian air strikes on Ukraine resulting in at least 13 civilian deaths and 46 injuries in the last 24 hours [10]. Belarusian opposition leader Sergei Tichanowski, recently released from detention, expressed his determination to continue fighting for the freedom of his country [9].
In other developments, the World Bank has pledged $200 million over the next five years to prepare large-scale reconstruction projects in Ukraine [8]. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico aims to reach an agreement with other EU states by Tuesday on the 18th package of Russia sanctions it has been blocking [7].
As the conflict continues, the Ukrainian military is developing weapons for individual soldiers to combat attacking drones [4]. The German Armed Forces procurement office sees a 'race against time' to equip the German Armed Forces for national and alliance defense by 2029 [8]. The Kremlin defends the suppression and persecution of independent journalists in Russia, citing military censorship [9].
Valeriy Saluschnyy, a former Ukrainian military chief, suggested that the US could transfer outdated missiles to Ukraine, which could strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities [4]. The Ukrainian military intelligence HUR accused "Putin's Favorite Brigade" of another war crime [10].
A historic organ transplant was performed under the threat of continuous air attacks and rocket fire at Ukraine's largest children's hospital on July 11 [5]. An Antonov cargo plane, one of the first civilian aircraft to cross Ukrainian airspace since the outbreak of the war in 2022, was spotted flying over Kyiv [1].
References: [1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-11/zelenskiy-considers-replacing-us-ambassador-amid-tense-relations [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-considers-replacing-ambassador-united-states-2022-07-11/ [3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/11/ukraine-considers-replacing-ambassador-to-us [4] https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/ukraines-ambassador-to-us-could-be-replaced-as-soon-as-august.html [5] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/doctors-perform-historic-organ-transplant-under-threat-continuous-air-attacks-ukraine-2022-07-11/ [6] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-us-support-will-continue-near-future-may-include-additional-air-defense-systems-2022-07-11/ [7] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovakia-aims-agree-18th-package-russia-sanctions-tuesday-2022-07-11/ [8] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-defence-procurement-officials-see-race-against-time-equip-armed-forces-2022-07-11/ [9] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/11/russia-defends-suppression-of-independent-journalists-in-russia [10] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-military-intelligence-accuses-putins-favorite-brigade-war-crime-2022-07-11/
The decision to replace Ukraine's ambassador to the United States and potential government reshuffles follow a tense period in Ukraine-US relations, with the need for a strong and focused representative being crucial for Ukraine’s defense efforts. The replacement of Ambassador Oksana Markarova, who has served since 2021, comes amidst politicians under consideration for the ambassadorship, such as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, among others. The ongoing Ukraine-US relations and their critical military aid remain a pivotal facet of politics in this general-news context.
