Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to an arms factory in the US prompted criticism, following which speaker of the US House Mike Johnson demanded Ukraine to fire its ambassador to Washington.
Johnson’s moves come after Zelensky visited a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the hometown of President Joe Biden.
The US House Speaker issued a public letter on Wednesday, demanding that Ukraine fire its ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, after Zelensky’s controversial visit.
He alleged that Markarova organised the visit to the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant as a “partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats.”
“The facility 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,” Johnson wrote in the letter on congressional letterhead.
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“The tour was clearly a partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats and is clearly election interference. This shortsighted and intentional political move has caused Republicans to lose trust in Ambassador Markarova’s ability to fairly and effectively serve as a diplomat in this country. She should be removed from her post immediately,” the letter continued.
Earlier today, President Biden announced that the US will send USD 7.9 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine as aid as his presidency is about to end.
The package will be approved through presidential drawdown authority and will pull from existing Pentagon supplies to deliver the arms more quickly.
(With inputs from agencies)
