Policy

Not Kuleba: who could become Ukraine’s new ambassador to the US?

The Washington Post recently reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to appoint a new Ukrainian ambassador to the United States in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race. The chairman of the board of the Institute of World Policy, Viktor Shlinchak, announced on his Facebook page who might take this position in the near future, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.

“You’re wondering what candidates for the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States are being discussed. (We have) as many as three names that are currently being considered as potential envoys for Kyiv. And this list definitely does not include Dmytro Kuleba,” Shlinchak wrote.

Among the candidates for this diplomatic post, the Chairman of the Board of the Institute of World Policy named:

• Tymofiy Mylovanov;
• Ihor Zhovkva;
• Andriy Melnyk.

“In general, there is a belief that a new ambassador should be appointed before Donald Trump’s inauguration,” Shlinchak added.

The Chairman of the Board of the IWP also named the names of specialists who, in his opinion, could represent Ukraine in the United States on the diplomatic field. These are:

• Pavlo Klimkin – the 12th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
• Oleh Shamshur – Ukrainian diplomat. Former Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States. Former Ambassador of Ukraine to France. Representative of Ukraine to UNESCO (2014-2020);
• Valeriy Chaly – former Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Chairman of the Board at Ukraine Crisis Media Center;
• Oleksandr Shcherba – Ukrainian diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the First Class, Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria (2014-2021);
• Lana Zerkal – former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Integration, currently an advisor to the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko.

“These are exactly the people who could definitely get to work from the plane because they know the American (Republican) context,” Shlinchak summarized.

By the way, Tymofiy Mylovanov has already responded to the information that he is being considered as a candidate for the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, as he wrote on his social media page.

“This is not true. I will not be Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, no one has talked to me, and I am not on any list. To know what I will be doing now and in the future, it is enough to look at my actions and steps, at my brand,” Milovanov wrote.

According to the KSE President Emeritus, his long-term goals are to rebuild and transform the Ukrainian economy and increase the global recognition and influence of Ukrainian institutions. Milovanov does not see himself as a diplomat.

What is known about possible candidates for the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States

Tymofiy Mylovanov

Former Minister for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture (2019-2020), freelance advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office (since 2020), Honorary President of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).

He was born on March 18, 1975 in Kyiv. In 1997, he graduated from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute with a degree in management, and in 1999 from the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (EERC-Ukraine) with a degree in economic theory. In 2001, he received a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA), and in 2004 he received a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics from the same university.

Since 2004, he has taught at European and American universities, including the Friedrich Wilhelm University of the Rhine in Bonn (Germany), the University of Pennsylvania (USA), and the University of Pittsburgh (USA). He is an associate professor of economics at the University of Pittsburgh.

In 2014, he became a co-founder and editor of the analytical platform VoxUkraine, and since 2015 he has been a deputy editor of the academic journal Review of Economic Design. Co-founder of Gradus Research LLC.

In 2014 and 2015, Forbes Ukraine included Milovanov in the ranking of the best Ukrainian economists (the ranking was not published in subsequent years).

In 2016-2019, he was Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Ukraine. Before that, in July-October 2016, he was a member of the Council.

In the summer of 2019, together with the Kyiv School of Economics, he organized a training in Truskavets for newly elected MPs from the Servant of the People party. Milovanov himself admitted that he voted for Petro Poroshenko in the presidential election.

In August 2019 – March 2020, he was the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture in the government of Oleksiy Honcharuk. He left the Ministry of Economy after Honcharuk’s resignation.

In December 2019, he joined the National Investment Council.

In November 2020, Milovanov became a freelance adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.

In the same year, he was elected chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ukroboronprom. Prior to that, he was appointed a member of the Supervisory Board by presidential decree. Prior to that, he was appointed acting director general of the National Investment Fund of Ukraine.

Ihor Zhovkva

Ukrainian diplomat. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Candidate of Political Science (2005). Associate Professor (2014). Head of the Main Department for Foreign Policy and European Integration of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine (since 2014). Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine since September 10, 2019.

Born on October 22, 1979 in Kyiv. In 2001, he graduated from the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, “International Relations”, Master of International Relations, translator from English. From 10.2001 to 03.2005 he was a postgraduate student at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv.

In 2002, he began his career as an assistant consultant to a member of the Ukrainian Parliament at the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Since December 2002, he has worked as a Chief Consultant at the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, and later at the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine.

Since March 2006, he has held senior positions in the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine.

In January 2008, he was appointed Head of the Service of the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European Integration.

In September 2010, he was appointed Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Investment Marketing of the State Agency for Investment and National Projects.

In March 2014, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Service of the Vice Prime Minister of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

In September 2014, he was appointed Head of the Main Department for Foreign Policy and European Integration of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine.

In August 2019, he was appointed Head of the Main Department for Foreign Policy of the Directorate for Foreign Policy of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

By the Decree of the President of Ukraine on September 13, 2019, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Andrii Melnyk

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Andrii Melnyk was born on September 7, 1975 in Lviv. In June 1997 he graduated from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Faculty of International Relations. He received a degree in International Relations and German Translation (with honors). In 1998, he graduated from Lund University (Sweden), Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the Faculty of Law (Master’s program). He received a Master of Laws degree in International Law and Human Rights (LL.M.) from Harvard University, JFK School of Government (National Security of Ukraine program).

August 1997 – August 1999 – entry into the diplomatic service. Consultant, Senior Consultant, Chief Consultant of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Kyiv.

August 1999 – December 2003 – Second Secretary, First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Austria, Vienna (political affairs, assistant to the Ambassador).

January 2004 – March 2005 – Chief Consultant of the Main Department of Foreign Policy of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Kyiv (international legal issues).

April 2005 – March 2007 – Deputy Director of the Department – Head of the Division of the Main Directorate for Foreign Policy of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Kyiv.

April 2007 – July 2010 – Consul General of Ukraine in Hamburg.

August 2010 – March 2014 – Director of the Third Territorial Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (relations with European countries).

March 2014 – January 2015 – Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (responsible for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and international relations of the Government).

March 2014 – January 2015 – Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (responsible for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and international relations of the Government).

December 2014 – October 2022 – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Germany.

November 2022 – June 2023 – Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Since June 20, 2023 – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Federative Republic of Brazil.