Ukrainian ambassador to focus on US involvement in Normandy negotiations

Ukraine’s new ambassador to the U.S., Oksana
Markarova, told online media lb.ua that part of her message will be that
Ukraine wants more involvement from the U.S. in Normandy Format negotiations.
In an interview published on March 15, she said that a specific role for the
U.S. is not envisioned as much as its “active work” in a variety of issues in
the Ukrainian-Russian struggle.

The Kremlin has stated repeatedly that it wants to
keep America out of the negotiations regarding Donbas, and leave them to the
current Normandy Four, namely Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia.

James Hydzik: The
Ukrainian government’s position has been stable for some time: it wants
Washington involved in some fashion. Russia’s refusals will only increase,
though, due to the cost of American involvement from the Ukrainian side.
Washington is already pressuring the Zelensky administration to push forward on
the fight against corruption, as a recent Washington Post article points out.

Markarova’s ability as an ambassador has never been
called into question, but her experience in dealing with the IMF and others
from a variety of Finance Ministry positions points to the Bankova’s original
focus for her mission. The new Biden administration rapidly expanded the core
of relations with Ukraine, however. Now, with even the relatively low-hanging
fruit of IMF money hanging on further reform, getting Washington to acquiesce
to an expanded role in the Normandy Four negotiations would be a Herculean
task.

Actually bringing the Americans in is even less
likely, given that the Russian Federation sees no need for it under current
circumstances. A Ukraine with a reformed justice system on its border would be
even less welcome than the American presence that the reform would precede.