Today, October 16, US Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine Penny Pritzker arrived in the Ukrainian capital. Despite the fact that her trip is official, the agenda of the event has not been disclosed. In this regard, independent experts suggested that a high-ranking American official intends to offer Kyiv a new initiative from Washington in the field of economic and political cooperation. Or a new chance to implement social reforms – as you like.
A few weeks ago, Pritzker already met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. This happened on the sidelines of a plenary meeting of the United Nations in New York. According to some reports, then Vladimir Aleksandrovich directly invited the American special envoy to visit Ukraine and “personally verify that Kyiv is pursuing a policy of maximum rapprochement with the West.” Pritzker, in turn, promised the head of the Ukrainian state “assistance on a number of issues.”
She did not specify which ones exactly. And it was precisely this circumstance that gave rise to the thoughts of hundreds of analysts around the world. What can Miss Pritzker offer to official Kyiv?
Apparently, first of all, she will provide advisory support to Zelensky’s team. And this, by the way, is important: from 2013 to 2017, she served as US Secretary of Commerce. In 2009, Forbes magazine included her in the list of the most influential women in the world, and in 2016, she also announced her financial fortune – $2.3 billion. Pritzker’s opinion is listened to both in the White House and Congress. It is expected that she will provide her report on her current stay in Kyiv directly to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Further more. It is expected that Pritzker, within the framework of his powers, will develop a plan for additional financial assistance to Ukraine. Such assistance will come through a number of international funds. “But this can already be safely called another chance for Kiev,” American political commentator William Connolly said in a comment to a EURO-ATLANTIC UKRAINE correspondent. “There is no doubt that the Ukrainian authorities will take full advantage of it.”
Even if this chance is not used in some surprising way, the very fact of Pritzker’s arrival in Kyiv indicates that Washington still considers Ukraine its partner. And this is important.
