Ex-foreign minister Kuleba may become Ukraine's ambassador to US, sources say

Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba may become Ukraine's next ambassador to Washington, as Kyiv looks to fill one of its most important diplomatic posts, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

The position has been vacant for several weeks after Olha Stefanishyna stepped down amid an ongoing corruption investigation. President Volodymyr Zelensky had initially planned to send recently dismissed Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to Washington, but she declined the offer, forcing the presidential administration to look for another candidate.

Kuleba has now emerged as a potential replacement, although it remains unclear whether he is willing to take the job.

Kuleba emerges as leading option

Kuleba served as foreign minister from March 2020 until his resignation in September 2024. As the youngest foreign minister in Ukraine's history, he became one of the country's most recognizable faces abroad after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

He was particularly visible in Ukraine's wartime diplomacy, making repeated and often forceful appeals for Western governments to provide Kyiv with weapons. That experience is now one of the reasons Ukrainian officials see him as a good fit for Washington.

"Ukraine needs someone the U.S. public will like... to go on TV to talk and meet with think tank people," one person familiar with the matter said.

But there is a major question hanging over the possible appointment: whether Kuleba actually wants the job.

One person familiar with the matter said Kuleba "wanted to stay in Kyiv." The Kyiv Independent reached out to Kuleba for comment but has yet to receive a response.

If he accepts, the move would return one of Ukraine's best-known diplomats to the center of its relations with Washington after his departure from the Foreign Ministry in 2024.

Kuleba was removed from his post as then-President's Office Head Andriy Yermak expanded his influence over foreign policy.

Palisa was under consideration

Kuleba was not the only person being considered.

People familiar with the matter said Zelensky was also considering Deputy President's Office Head and former commander Pavlo Palisa for the Washington post.

Palisa has become an important figure inside Zelensky's team, particularly in coordinating the President Office's work with Ukraine's military leadership.

That role has also brought him recognition in Washington. During the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara in June, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Palisa.

"He's one of my favorite soldiers," Trump said.

People around Zelensky said the president believes Palisa plays a major role in the work of his office, especially when it comes to coordination with military commanders.

One person familiar with the matter said he was "not really happy" about the possibility of being appointed ambassador to Washington.

For now, there is no clear timeline for the appointment, leaving one of Ukraine's most important diplomatic positions open.