Recent reports of worsening political tensions between Kiev and Washington, chalked up to disagreements over the likelihood of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, have been exaggerated by the media, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US has claimed.
In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Oksana Markarova acknowledged that the two sides have not seen eye to eye on everything in recent days, but insisted that this had not had a serious effect on their relations.
“There are no tensions,” she said. “Listen, there might be some discussions, there might be a difference in our viewpoints, but the United States is our strategic partner, and I would even say our number one strategic friend.”
“Our relations, particularly in the last year, have been on the highest level in the past 30 years, I’d say,” she added.
CNN previously reported that sources inside US President Joe Biden’s administration had told the network that Biden was frustrated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for purportedly playing down the threat of a Russian invasion, and not being grateful enough for American support and arms shipments.