Zelensky asks for more U.S. involvement in resolving Donbas conflict

Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed his hope the
U.S. will be more actively involved in resolving the armed conflict in Donbas and
deoccupation of Crimea in his Jan. 31 meeting in Kyiv with U.S. Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo. Recall, Zelensky had proposed several times that the U.S. be
involved in the Normandy Format talks. Zelensky also asked Pompeo to appoint an
official exclusively responsible for Ukraine, the eurointegration.com.ua news
site said. Recall, former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker resigned
from his post in September, following the election defeat of former President
Poroshenko.

During his Jan. 31 visit, Pompeo assured the Ukraine
the U.S. will offer its full support if Russia were to expand its aggression,
reported the Reuters news agency, citing a statement from the Ukrainian Foreign
Ministry. At the same time, Pompeo said in Minsk the next day that it’s
ultimately up to Ukraine and Russia themselves should reach an agreement. “This
is very question that all of Europe, and the world, needs to participate in
resolving,” Pompeo said, as reported by the belta.by news site. “But in the
end, Russia and Ukraine should resolve it themselves. Everything that we in the
U.S. can do, we will do.” In response, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir
Makei said his country remains ready to provide a place for any meetings and
negotiations. His government supports any format to resolve the armed conflict,
including involving the U.S. government.

Pompeo offered to sell oil at market prices to Belarus
during his Feb. 1 meetings with top officials in Minsk after President
Aleksandr Lukashenko failed in recent weeks to agree on an oil supply contract
for 2020 with Russian President Putin. “We’re the biggest energy producer in
the world and all you have to do is call us. Your nation should not be forced
to be dependent on any one partner for your prosperity or for your security,”
Pompeo said, as reported by the belta.by news site.

Zenon Zawada: Besides
reaffirming U.S. support for Ukraine amid a crisis for the Trump administration
(in which Ukraine played a central role), Pompeo’s international trip was also
aimed at reassuring U.S. support for numerous post-Soviet republics to resist
Russian pressure, especially Belarus. The U.S. government seems to be acutely
aware that Putin will be attempting a renewal of the Soviet Union in the two
years – with a new supranational pact – and has already begin to aid the
resistance with tangible efforts, like U.S. energy supplies. This speaks to a
strong U.S. foreign policy in counteracting Putin, despite widespread
accusations to the contrary against the Trump administration. This U.S. support
is already giving Zelensky and Lukashenko the confidence to resist Putin’s
pressure to capitulate. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that if Putin
achieves his Soviet Union 2.0 project, it will only be with military
aggression.

As for Zelensky’s two key requests of Pompeo, we view
them as unrealistic. We believe U.S. officials are well aware that even if they
are included in the Normandy Format (which the Russians oppose), they won’t be
able to pressure Putin to fulfill the Minsk Accords in accordance with
Ukrainian demands. The Russians have little trust in the Americans as it is,
and they certainly won’t surrender control of the border in Donbas. Nor is the
appointment of another special envoy realistic. But other forms of support will
be steadfast, as Pompeo stressed, with the U.S. Congress in full support of
Ukraine.