US Speaker of the House demands Ambassador Markarova’s dismissal over alleged election meddling
26 September 2024 00:40
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson has issued a statement to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanding the immediate dismissal of Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova for allegedly interfering in the US election. Johnson published the statement on his page on the social network X, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“By organising a party campaign event in a conflict state this week, Ukraine’s Ambassador Oksana Markarova has demonstrated that she cannot be trusted to serve as a diplomat in this country with integrity and effectiveness. President Zelenskyy should remove her from office immediately,” Johnson wrote.
The speaker accused Markarova of having organised Zelenskyy’s visit to a plant in Pennsylvania where weapons are manufactured for Ukraine. Zelensky was accompanied by representatives of the Democratic Party, but no Republicans were invited. Johnson said that Zelensky’s visit was “clearly a campaign event and clearly election interference”.
“This short-sighted and deliberately political move has caused Republicans to lose confidence in Ambassador Markarova’s ability to serve fairly and effectively as a diplomat in this country. She should be removed from her post immediately,” Johnson said in a statement.
In conclusion, the speaker noted that support for ending the war in Ukraine continues to be bipartisan, but this situation may “tarnish” it.
“Support for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to be bipartisan, but our relationship is unnecessarily tested and needlessly tarnished when officials of your government are targeted in the media by the front-running Republican presidential candidate,” Johnson wrote.
“These incidents must not be repeated,” he concluded.
Oksana Markarova has been serving as Ukraine’s Ambassador to Washington since April 2021.
