Johnson demands Zelensky fire Ukraine’s ambassador to US after Pennsylvania trip

EXCLUSIVE:House Speaker Mike Johnson has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to fire Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States after she allegedly orchestrated a U.S. taxpayer-funded visit to a battleground state ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Fox News Digital has learned.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, organized a trip for Zelensky to a U.S. manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state in the November election.

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Johnson, R-La., said the tour was led by Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris’ “top political surrogate” and “intentionally excluded” Republicans. Johnson called it clear “election interference.”

“I demand that you immediately release Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova,” Johnson wrote in a letter to Zelensky, which Fox News Digital Wednesday obtained exclusively as part of its exclusive resource.

“As you said, the Ukrainians were trying to avoid ‘being captured by American domestic politics’ and ‘influencing the American people’s choices’ ahead of the November election,” Johnson wrote. “It is clear that goal was abandoned this week when Ambassador Markarova hosted an event where you toured a U.S. manufacturing facility.

“The facility was in a politically contested state, it was run by Kamala Harris’ top political surrogate, and it did not include a single Republican because — intentionally — no Republicans were invited,” Johnson continued, adding that the tour was “clearly a partisan campaign event intended to help Democrats and is clearly election interference.”

Johnson said the “shortsighted and deliberately political move has caused Republicans to lose confidence in Ambassador Markarova’s ability to serve this country with integrity and effectiveness in diplomacy.”

“She should be removed from her position immediately,” he wrote.

Johnson stressed that “all foreign nations should avoid expressing opinions on or interfering in American domestic policy.”

“Support for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine remains bipartisan, but our relationship is needlessly tested and damaged when candidates at the top of the Republican presidential ticket are attacked in the media by officials in your government,” Johnson wrote.

“Incidents like this cannot happen again.”

Johnson thanked Zelensky for “handling this matter quickly.”

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“I trust you will take immediate action,” Johnson said.

Zelensky visited a Pennsylvania ammunition plant over the weekend along with two Pentagon leaders – the deputy secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and the Pentagon’s top arms buyer.

Zelensky also met with Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was expected to be on Harris’ shortlist for vice president before she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Zelensky recently gave interviews and was critical of former President Trump and his vice presidential candidate JD Vance, calling the Ohio senator “too radical.”

The House Oversight Committee is currently investigating the Biden-Harris administration’s alleged use of taxpayer funds to fly Zelensky to Pennsylvania ahead of the November presidential election.

Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced the investigation Wednesday and is seeking documents related to the administration’s alleged “abuse of government resources” to enable Zelensky to “interfere in the 2024 presidential election.”

“The committee seeks to determine whether the Biden-Harris Administration attempted to use a foreign leader to benefit Vice President Harris’ presidential campaign and whether, if so, it necessarily engaged in an abuse of power,” Comer wrote Wednesday in a letter to the White House, Justice Department and Pentagon.

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Comer said his committee was investigating the circumstances that led to the administration’s “justification” for transporting Zelensky on an Air Force Department plane to Pennsylvania.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the Harris campaign for comment.