House Speaker Mike Johnson has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to fire Ukraine's ambassador to the United States after she allegedly organized a U.S. taxpayer-funded visit to a battleground state ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has demanded the immediate dismissal of Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, accusing her of election interference.
According to Johnson, Markarova organized a tour of an American manufacturing site for Zelenskyy in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, over the weekend. The tour was allegedly led by a "top political surrogate" for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and "purposely excluded" Republicans, prompting Johnson to label it "clear election interference."
Johnson Calls for Removal of Ukrainian Ambassador Over Alleged Election Interference
In a letter to Zelenskyy, Johnson expressed concern that the visit undermined Ukraine's stated goal of avoiding involvement in American domestic politics and influencing the choices of the American people.
"This objective was abandoned this week when Ambassador Markarova organized an event in which you toured an American manufacturing site," Johnson wrote.
Johnson Calls for Removal of Ukrainian Ambassador Over Alleged Election Interference
He emphasized that the facility was located in a politically contested battleground state, with the tour being led by a prominent supporter of Harris and excluding Republican participation.
Johnson maintained that the tour was "clearly a partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats" and constituted interference in the upcoming election.
Johnson Calls for Removal of Ukrainian Ambassador Over Alleged Election Interference
He stressed that foreign nations should refrain from interfering in American domestic politics and warned that such incidents could damage the bipartisan support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
"These incidents cannot be repeated," Johnson wrote, urging Zelenskyy to take immediate action and remove Markarova.
Johnson Calls for Removal of Ukrainian Ambassador Over Alleged Election Interference
Zelenskyy recently participated in interviews where he criticized former President Trump and his running mate, JD Vance.
The House Oversight Committee is separately investigating the Biden-Harris administration's alleged misuse of taxpayer-funded resources to transport Zelenskyy to Pennsylvania ahead of the election.
Johnson Calls for Removal of Ukrainian Ambassador Over Alleged Election Interference
Committee Chairman James Comer has requested records regarding the justification for the use of a Department of the Air Force aircraft to transport Zelenskyy.
The White House, Pentagon, Justice Department, and Harris campaign have been contacted by Fox News Digital for comment.
