The situation with the appointment of a new US ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Ukraine seems to be starting to clear up. According to press reports, the choice will be made between two candidates – US ambassadors to Serbia Anthony Godfrey and to Uzbekistan Daniel Rosenblum. It is most likely that the latter will be confirmed
Whoever becomes the ambassador, this person will show in practice what the new Ukrainian policy of Washington is.
Staking on caste
The Dzerkalo Tyzhnya weekly quoted its sources as saying that two experienced diplomats, Anthony Godfrey, head of the embassies in Serbia and Daniel Rosenblum in Uzbekistan, were considered for the post of the US ambassador.
At the same time, according to the weekly’s sources, the latter has a higher chance of receiving a secondment to Kiev.
At the same time, former US ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor said that the candidate has already been selected and even started the appointment procedure, which will be finalized by the US Senate with its approval of his candidacy.
This may happen in October-November this year.
Both ambassadors were appointed to their current positions in 2019, which means it is time for them to rotate. In US diplomacy, a tour of duty lasts for three years, and unlike Ukrainian diplomatic practice, ambassadors leave immediately at the end of their term plus or minus a few months.
Plus Godfrey and Rosenblum fall under at least one criterion for a new ambassador, according to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent.
In an interview with Suspicious, Kent, who led the US mission to Ukraine in the absence of interim chargé d’affaires Christine Queen, said that ambassadors with foreign policy experience, i.e. career diplomats, had traditionally worked in Kiev. And now the State Department is in the process of selecting an ambassador to Ukraine, who will be in the first wave of appointments to various countries.
“I am confident that in the coming weeks the White House will announce [the name of] a qualified candidate for Ukraine”, – Kent predicted.
And Ambassadors Godfrey and Rosenblum have a long and remarkable record.
About the former, the State Department website says he has become an expert on central and southern Europe during his nearly 40 years of service in the US Navy and Foreign Service. However, he also worked in Moscow, reaching the position of deputy ambassador, as well as Baghdad, Ankara, Yerevan, etc.
In Belgrade, however, Godfrey “directs the American government’s efforts to develop partnerships with Serbia, increase prosperity and support the country’s course towards European integration.”
“It is in the strategic interest of the United States for Serbia to develop as a modern, democratic and prosperous European country that lives peacefully with its neighbours and demonstrates full respect for the letter of the law and the rights of its citizens. Helping our Serbian partners strengthen their democratic institutions, protect minority rights, fight corruption and strengthen freedom of expression are key areas for Ambassador Godfrey and his team. Supporting Serbia’s EU-membership drive and the regional stability that will be achieved by normalizing relations between Pristina and Belgrade are top priorities for Ambassador Godfrey”, – reads the State Department website.
By “normalisation”, the Americans mean the recognition by Serbia of the independence of its former pr
ovince of Kosovo, which Belgrade does not want to do. But, as Godfrey said at a public event, without this Serbia will find it difficult to join the EU. Nevertheless, he urges Belgrade to try to get closer to the EU and distance itself from Russia and China anyway.
Daniel Rosenblum served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs before traveling to Uzbekistan. According to the State Department website, he oversaw the work of six diplomatic missions in his region, helped set embassy policy and programme priorities and often acted as a speaker on issues related to his work.
In his final year in this post, in addition to the number of diplomatic issues, he has also worked on security and economic restructuring, cultural and educational exchanges, and media development in his area of responsibility.
His diplomatic career has also included experience in economic assistance to Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.
Judging by the embassy’s Twitter feed in Uzbekistan, the head of mission often travels around the country and meets a lot.
“Probably my favourite thing about being an ambassador is interacting with students. At the University of Termez, I chatted with the English Club, set up by our specialist Chris Cowan, who came as an exchange student, thanks to the Fulbright Foundation. Great questions. [It is] encouraging for the future of Uzbekistan to meet such young people”, – the ambassador described one of his meetings.
If he does get assigned to Ukraine, the focus will be very different.
Ambassador to explain to Biden
As Strana wrote, in May 2019, US President Donald Trump recalled Ambassador Marie Jovanovic from Ukraine. And since then, the embassy has been run by interim attorneys.
That said, last year, back under Trump, a new ambassador, Keith Dayton, had already been sort of confirmed.
But after Biden won the election, they changed their minds about sending him to Kiev.
According to political analyst Anatoliy Oktysyuk, the absence of a full-fledged head of the diplomatic mission, among other things, affected the communication between the Americans and the Ukrainian authorities.
“And now the US is making it clear by ‘leaking’ about the upcoming appointment that everything will soon come back to normal, and the Office of the President needs to prepare for this”, – the expert explains to Strana.
A certain idea of what the Ukrainian policy of the White House will be at a new stage will be given by President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to the US on 30 August.
“The final clarity in the relations between Washington and Kiev will be given by the ambassador. It is important that both candidates for the post – whoever is sent – will bring with them experience of work in the country with a special geopolitical positioning. Uzbekistan is in Russia’s zone of interest but unlike many of its neighbours, it is not currently a member of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation) where Moscow is playing the first fiddle. Tashkent is trying to keep its distance from Russia by balancing it with other major players. Serbia is almost surrounded by NATO and partly by the European Union. It, too, is pursuing a multi-vector policy, although it wants to join the EU. Ukraine does not want to be within Moscow’s sphere of influence, but it is not yet accepted into NATO and the EU. So both candidates have a rough idea of the state of things in our country. After that we will look at Biden’s course and the ambassador’s activity”, – says political scientist Vadym Karasev to Strana.
Denis Rafalskyy, “Strana”, Ukraine