“Olga has to deal with the anti-corruption watchdogs’ allegations, even though they are not totally fair against her, and the case overall is stupid,” added the official, who has direct knowledge of the moves.
Stefanishyna has yet to be officially charged.
The ambassador featured in several corruption probes instigated in 2019 and 2025 by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. The investigations concern a decade-old 2.5 million hryvnia (€49,000) embezzlement case at the justice ministry, the illegal acquisition of Ukrainian state property by Stefanishyna’s ex-husband, and a lavish apartment in central Kyiv registered to her parents that Stefanishyna did not declare until journalists discovered it. The ambassador has denied any wrongdoing.
Stefanishyna, who started her term at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington last September, hasn’t officially submitted her resignation, and said her upcoming exit has nothing to do with the bureau’s investigation.
“I am contributing to the establishment of the truth as much as possible, and I have no reservations about the activities of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau in investigating any information that has come to their disposal,” Stefanishyna told POLITICO on Monday, adding she will provide more details in the coming days.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation.
