Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday dismissed his ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, in a move that had been expected following a government reshuffle last month. The sacking, announced by decree, happened however as Kyiv was lobbying Washington hard to obtain more Patriot air defence missiles to block Russian strikes. Stefanishyna, a former deputy prime minister and justice minister, was nominated as ambassador in July last year. Relations between Zelensky and his US counterpart Donald Trump have been strained and, at times, stormy. Zelensky, who made a controversial government reshuffle in July, has not yet announced who will replace Stefanishyna as ambassador in Washington.