Obama’s trustees and security

US President Barack Obama has shuffled the team responsible for national security. In particular, he announced that the US permanent representative to the UN Susan Rice would become presidential advisor on national security. Thus, she will replace Tom Donilon, who is resigning in July due to the fact that his wife will often have to go on foreign missions.

Obama has nominated 42-year-old Samantha Power as Rice’s successor. Power has served as the White House advisor before. But she is better known as a journalist and researcher on human rights issues. Power wrote A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

While presenting the candidate in the Rose Garden, Obama said: “This team is extremely dedicated to America. They have made America safer. They have made it possible for American values to exist in those corners of the world which seek our support and our leadership.”

The Day asked Oleh SHAMSHUR, former ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, to comment on the recent changes at the White House and the way they will affect the US foreign policy, especially the part that relates to Ukraine.

“First of all, I would view these two appointments from the perspective that both Rice and Power are very close to Obama, they have stood by him since the start of his latest political rise. And Power was suspended during the 2008 campaign, when she made rather unpleasant remarks about Hillary Clinton.”

She called her a monster…

“And now she is coming back. Both Rice and Power are Obama’s trustees. This perspective makes the whole situation particularly interesting, in the first place. Moreover, I think that Rice’s new appointment is a kind of sign to the Republicans: whatever you say, I am going to do what I think is the most appropriate. Of course, such relations are not too critical in a position like that, but they are undoubtedly important. And one can only imagine the Republicans’ reaction to Rice’s appointment after she was practically blocked from becoming Secretary of State.”

Some US media have already commented on these new appointments, noting that Secretary of State John Kerry might find it hard to work with two strong-willed women.

“Yes, there might be tension between Rice and Kerry. I have already pointed out before that the Secretary of State enjoys the president’s trust but is not his close friend. And now a person who Obama trusts and is close to him becomes the national security advisor. And here, it is important where the key foreign policy decisions will be made. If it has been done at the White House before, now this tendency will only intensify.”

What can you say about Rice’s management qualities? Former ambassador of the United States to Ukraine Steven Pifer told me that in this respect, she is way ahead of her namesake Condoleezza.

“From what I have heard, this is a person [Susan Rice. – Author] who is not that easy to work with.”

How will Obama cooperate with journalist Power, who used to criticize president Clinton for allowing the genocide in Rwanda and for whom human rights advocacy is a priority?

“She is close to Obama, so there will be no problems with this. Another thing is how she will represent the United States without having any diplomatic experience. One more matter is how she will work on this post, which requires a fairly good knowledge of diplomatic technology. Perhaps, Obama had something in mind when he appointed her.”

But she is still to be approved by the Senate. Can any problem emerge here, as it happened with Rice when she was proposed for the post of Secretary of State?

“Obviously, Obama does not want this situation to happen again. Perhaps, there were some preliminary consultations concerning this appointment.”

Will Power influence the US position on Syria, including a more active intervention in this conflict, where government forces have already killed thousands of civilians?

“In the US, any ambassador first of all is a transfer mechanism of decisions that have already been made. Ambassadors have very few opportunities for creativity. Perhaps, she will remember her previous experience and try to influence the opponents in the discussion. Since the US position on Syria is very careful even after chemical weapons were used, I do not think that Power will be able to change it drastically.”

Soon the new candidate for the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, is to be considered. Can you tell us something about this ambassador, who is known as a rising star in the US diplomacy?

“It is clear that Pyatt has support. He has not served as an ambassador, he was deputy representative at the OSCE and IAEA. He was promoted not to just a deputy assistant, but principal deputy assistant to the secretary of state. He has serious connections and support at the Department of State, and obviously beyond it in the high political echelons. Undoubtedly, Pyatt has the experience and required skills, but he has no knowledge of the region. Let us see whether this becomes an obstacle for him. But I think he will be able to assimilate pretty fast, like all the US ambassadors do.”

Considering that we are going to have a new ambassador and new presidential advisor on national security, can we expect any changes in the US foreign policy towards Ukraine?

“It is doubtful that Europe and our region will receive much of Rice’s attention. Since she is an Africanist, she will be motivated to pay attention to this region and hotspots. I think that this appointment only moves Ukraine farther from the attention of the US administration’s foreign policy. I do not see any signs that this policy will change. It will remain what it has been during the past few years. Yes, Ukraine is important for them, but it is definitely not a priority. For the most part, there will be cooperation within the framework of specific projects which would interest the US. And on the other hand, domestic political situation will influence the administration’s attitude in one or another way.

“It would be interesting to watch Obama’s future meeting with the Chinese leadership in the light of the new appointments. And the way it is presented in the US suggests that Obama will pay more attention to Asia and the Pacific. The question is, how much the developments in the Middle East will allow him to do that, since they demand constant attention from the US.”

By the way, how would you comment on the recent visit of the FBI head Robert Muller to Ukraine and his negotiations with the president of Ukraine and head of the interior ministry?

“This absolutely falls in with what I have said before. There are certain areas in which cooperation is important for the US. I do not see any positive political signal in that. It is important, it says that Ukraine still means something for the US, but only in matters that are beneficial for America.”

Peeking into the future, when can a meeting of the US and Ukraine’s presidents take place, or when can Secretary of State Kerry visit Ukraine?

“I do not completely discard the possibility of Kerry’s visit to Ukraine, but the probability is very low. I can say this judging from what I have heard from my American colleagues. And concerning the possibility of a meeting with Obama, this is completely unrealistic.”

Even if Tymoshenko is released, as Washington insists?

“Honestly, even if Tymoshenko is released, I cannot see this visit happening even in the medium term prospects.”