Only Applicant for Ukraine’s New Negotiator Job Is Russia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A job listing for someone to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as his country’s peace negotiator drew exactly one application in its first 24 hours, and it came from Russia.

Lorna Shortlist, 47, who runs a three-person search firm above a mattress store, said she posted the opening Monday afternoon, about an hour after President Donald Trump told reporters, “Maybe it’s time for Zelenskyy to get somebody else to negotiate.”

“When the president says a country needs a new guy, somebody has to collect the résumés,” Shortlist said. “Then the fax machine started up and didn’t stop for 40 pages. Every page was a map.”

The application, addressed “To Whom It May Concern (Kyiv),” lists the candidate’s strengths as patience, “deep familiarity with Ukrainian territory” and the ability to “start immediately, from either side of the table.” Under salary requirements, the applicant wrote, “Negotiable. Roughly Donetsk.”

It is signed by Gennady Goodfaithov, “Senior Friendship Coordinator,” and lists a single reference: President Trump, whose remarks Monday that Russia has been “fine” on Ukraine and that “they haven’t been doing much” are quoted in full on page 2.

Walt Brinksley, 68, a retired union arbitrator who screens candidates for Shortlist two days a week, called it the strongest file in years. “Perfect attendance. Knows the other side’s position cold,” he said. “The only red flag is he’d be negotiating against himself, and I checked, that’s not technically prohibited.”

Shortlist said the firm has also kept a listing open for a new president of Ukraine since Oct. 10, when Trump first suggested the country replace Zelenskyy. That one has drawn two applications, both from the same fax number.

At last check, Shortlist had scheduled a phone interview for Thursday, and Goodfaithov had already accepted the time on Ukraine’s behalf.