Ukrainian officials due in Washington on Friday; Russians short of fuel as oil refineries burn. What we know on day 1,282
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Olha Stefanishyna, a former top cabinet minister, as Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, ending months of speculation. She takes over as ambassador from Oksana Markarova, who held the position for six years, including more than three years of full-scale war with Russia, and became a target for partisan criticism from Republicans. It was announced in July that Markarova would be replaced. Stefanishyna served in Zelenskyy’s administration as a deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, playing a major role in the country’s integration into western institutions, and as minister of justice.
Zelenskyy announced his officials will meet US counterparts in New York on Friday as the Ukrainian president continues to push for a one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin despite Kremlin refusals. “Friday, meetings will take place in New York, in the United States, with President Trump’s team” after “meetings in Switzerland” on Thursday, Zelenskyy said. The real estate developer Steve Witkoff, officially an envoy of Donald Trump, earlier told American media about the meeting.
