Ukraine has already been without an official U.S. ambassador since Marie L. Yovanovitch got fired by U. S. President Donald J. Trump and returned home to America in May 2019.
Since then, American interests have been served by two charge d’affaires — William B. Taylor, the ambassador in Ukraine from 2006– 2009, and Kristina Kvien, who took over as head of the mission after Taylor left in January 2020.
Trump announced on May 1, 2020, that he has nominated Keith W. Dayton to replace her.
But there’s been no U. S. Senate confirmation hearing, required under U.S. law, although one may take place yet this summer.
Dayton retired in 2010 from the U. S. Army with the rank of lieutenant general and served as the director of the George C. Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany. The Politico news organization first reported in December the prospect of Dayton’s candidacy.
Trump removed Yovanovitch after a smear campaign against her orchestrated by his personal lawyer, Rudy Guiliani, and his associates, including Lev Parnas. She became a key witness in the U. S. House impeachment of Trump in which she blamed corrupt business interests for trying to get her removed. She retired in January after 35 years in the U. S. Foreign Service.
In 2018, Dayton called Ukraine “a priority country” for the United States and pledged to help with military advice. “We have achieved progress since we started our cooperation. We should find the best understanding between military and civilians, between public society and defenders. You are reforming your ministry during hostilities and our duty is to provide any advisory support, which will be helpful in your reforms,” Dayton was quoted as saying.
Dayton’s candidacy was announced with those of several others by the White House on May 1.
About Keith W. Dayton
Keith W. Dayton became director of the George C. Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany, in 2010. He also serves concurrently as senior U.S. defense adviser to Ukraine.
His current service follows a four-decade career in the U. S. Army, retiring in 2010 with the rank of lieutenant-general.
Among his many assignments, Dayton was the U.S. security coordinator for Israel/ Palestinian Authority; the director of strategy, plans and policy, Army staff, the Pentagon; the director of operations for the Defense Intelligence Agency, and U.S. defense attache to Russia.
Dayton earned a B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, a B.A./M.A. from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, and an M.A. from the University of Southern California in conjunction with the United States Army Russian Institute in Garmish, Germany.
He is the recipient of numerous awards for his military service, including from the State Department and from the Canadian, German and Austrian Governments. He speaks Russian and German.
