President Volodymyr Zelensky on 17 July appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna as his Special Representative for the Development of Cooperation with the United States. The designation, made by presidential decree, allows the 39-year-old official to handle high-level contacts in Washington while Kyiv completes the diplomatic procedures required for her accreditation as ambassador. Ukrainian officials said Stefanishyna will transition to the ambassador’s post once the U.S. government issues its formal approval, a process that can take several weeks. She would succeed current envoy Oksana Markarova as part of a broader rotation of Ukrainian ambassadors announced earlier this month. Stefanishyna has served as deputy prime minister since 2020 and is regarded in Kyiv as a driving force behind the country’s EU and NATO integration agenda. Zelensky said the interim envoy role is meant to “maintain momentum” in bilateral ties at a time when Ukraine is seeking sustained U.S. military and economic support.