A group of diplomats and Georgetown University students and faculty honored the outgoing Ukrainian ambassador to the United States at a private Georgetown event Sept. 30.
The event — attendees of which included 16 ambassadors, U.S. Department of State officials, the former first lady of Ukraine and two students from the Georgetown University Ukrainian Society (GUUS) — celebrated Oksana Markarova, who represented Ukraine to the United States from 2021 to August 2025. At the luncheon, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS), which hosted the event, presented Markarova with its 2025 global trailblazer award, which honors individuals who advance women’s role in peacemaking.
Melanne Verveer, former U.S. ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues and GIWPS executive director, said Markarova is an exemplar for women in peacemaking.
“As she modeled Ukrainian women’s leadership in her own right, she underscored Ukrainian women’s leadership in the parliament, in civil society, in the security sector, international law, journalism, humanitarian relief and more,” Verveer said at the event. “When her embassy staff said goodbye, they focused on her attributes. These were along what they mentioned: tenacious, inspiring, goal oriented, intelligent, resilient, dedicated, resolute, sharp minded, hard working and courageous.”
Markarova, who was not told about the award in advance, thanked the many ambassadors in attendance and said Ukraine’s fight against Russia is a defense of democratic values worldwide.
“There is no alternative for any of us because we want to live in the place where we can live in our countries, make our own mistakes, so our borders are not drawn by force,” Markarova said at the event. “We decide who we want to be friends with, and we want to be friends with all the people around this table, and we decide who we don’t want to be friends with.”
Markarova previously served as Ukraine’s minister of finance and worked in the private sector before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed her as ambassador to the United States in February 2021. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Markarova has been the country’s chief negotiator with the United States, a crucial ally throughout the war, amid declining support for Ukraine among U.S. politicians.
At the event, Ukrainian Georgetown students celebrated Markarova as a symbol of hope for Ukraine. The students gave her an emblem with the national Ukrainian symbol and a collage of photos with Markarova and students from GUUS.
Vera Berezhny (CAS ’26), president of GUUS, said Markarova inspired her and other Ukrainian students even in the face of tragedy after Russia’s invasion.
“In my four years here, I’ve seen and felt how much you’ve supported us as students,” Berezhny said to Markarova at the event. “Even when we were just starting off as a society and not really taken seriously yet, you came to our events, you spoke, you gave us panel discussions about your future and you spoke to us personally and directly at the embassy.”
“We really appreciate how you made us feel heard, how you made us feel that our voices matter and will always matter, and that no action for Ukraine is too small,” Berezhny added.
Kristjan Prikk, Estonia’s ambassador to the United States, said Markarova’s dedication and strength reflected that of the Ukrainian people, referring to a ribbon he wears on his lapel as a testament to their strength.
“I have worn this ribbon since the 24th of February, 2022 — that horrible day when the unthinkable happened,” Prikk said to Markarova at the event. “When people ask me, ‘Why wear this? You can see the wear and tear,’ I tell them, ‘If the ribbon on the suit is already showing signs of wear and tear, think of what the Ukrainian people have gone through.’”
“Just as you have never given up, just as the Ukrainians have never given up, I will take this off only once Ukraine has won its war,” Prikk added.
Rebecca Radle, a program coordinator at GIWPS, said the institute chose to honor Markarova in her retirement due to her accomplishments for Ukraine and her ties to Georgetown.
“When we learned that she was going to be departing her role as ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Verveer and all of us really wanted to honor her in some way and pay respects to everything that she’s done for Ukraine and women peace and security, and we wanted to do it on campus considering her connection to the university,” Radle told The Hoya.
Markarova said building relationships with officials from the United States and Europe has been her favorite part of her tenure and she is grateful for the support from Western democracies.
“I know that we all share the same values, I know that we are all on the same page, and I just want to say it was a privilege to work with all of you as people,” Markarova said. “I feel like this is not just a room of ambassadors and government officials, but it’s a room of true friends that will stay friends for life, and I really appreciate that.”
