US Congress speaker calls for dismissal of Ukraine's Ambassador Markarova
On September 25, the US House of Representatives Speaker, Mike Johnson, sent a letter to President Volodymyr Zelensky with an ultimatum: remove Ukraine's Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova.
Johnson published a photocopy of the letter on the speaker's official website and on his own Twitter.
The document, dated September 25, is written in a categorical ultimatum tone, which is atypical for interstate correspondence.
"Dear President Zelensky, I demand that you immediately fire the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova," this document reads.
Johnson cited a specific event during the Ukrainian President's visit to the USA as the reason for his ultimatum—the visit to a projectile manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania.
"The facility [artillery shell factory in Scranton, PA] was in a politically contested battleground state, was led by a top political surrogate for Kamala Harris, and failed to include a single Republican because — on purpose – no Republicans were invited. This trip was clearly a partisan measure designed to help the Democrats, and definitely became an interference (of the Ukrainian side) in the election process," Mike Johnson's letter reads.
After organizing a partisan campaign event in a battleground state this week, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova demonstrated she cannot be trusted to fairly and effectively serve as a diplomat in this country.
President Zelenskyy must immediately remove her. pic.twitter.com/7GmN1NECBs
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 25, 2024
The speaker emphasized:
"From now on, Republicans have lost confidence in Ambassador Markarova's ability to honestly and effectively perform diplomatic functions in the United States."
Johnson repeated his demand to Zelensky that the Ukrainian ambassador "must be immediately dismissed from her post."
He also noted that this is not his only complaint against Ukraine and was outraged by the fact that "candidates at the head of the presidential list of the Republican Party are being targeted for attacks in the media by officials of your (Ukrainian) government."
He did not specify what it was about. Still, it can be assumed that this episode refers to one of the many unacceptable statements made by J.D. Vance, the candidate for the vice presidency of the United States.
At the end of the letter, Johnson emphasized that he counted on President Zelensky's immediate actions.
It should be noted that soon after Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the USA began, relations with the leadership of the Republican Party significantly deteriorated. Trump declined to meet with Zelensky, and Speaker Johnson hinted at the possibility of interrupting congressional meetings.
Oksana Markarova has not publicly commented on this letter so far.
For reference:
It should be noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting the States officially this week.
Volodymyr Zelensky started his trip to the United States by stopping at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant. The facility produces metal casings for 155 mm shells, which are crucial for the Ukrainian army.
The BBC reports that Scranton is the hometown of President Joe Biden, and Pennsylvania is almost the main state that will decide the outcome of the November presidential election. In Scranton, Zelensky was met by state governor Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey, and Congressman Matt Cartwright. They are all Democrats.
All this caused noticeable dissatisfaction among some Republicans, who perceived the Ukrainian president's trip to a critical state as a form of campaigning for their opponents.
On Thursday, Zelensky is expected to visit the Capitol and meet with lawmakers from both parties, but Johnson will not be among them.
Johnson played a significant part in the adoption of a bill, which had been delayed for several months, in April. The bill allocated $61 billion to aid Ukraine and other related purposes. Some Republicans strongly opposed this measure and even threatened to remove the speaker from his position if he brought it to a vote. However, the attempt to remove the speaker ultimately failed.
