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House Speaker Mike Johnson Demands Zelensky Fire Ambassador Oksana Markarova Over Pennsylvania Visit

Sep 25, 2024, 07:43 PM

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to immediately fire Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova. The demand stems from Markarova's organization of Zelenskyy's recent visit to the Scranton Army Ammunition factory in Pennsylvania, which some Republicans have criticized as politically motivated and an attempt to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Johnson's letter to Zelenskyy highlighted concerns about the visit being funded by U.S. taxpayers and occurring in a politically contested battleground state. Despite Zelenskyy's scheduled meetings with Senate leaders in the Capitol, Johnson has stated he will not meet with the Ukrainian president.