1. This meeting is unlikely to bring major breakthroughs. It will mainly cover two core issues: expanding sanctions (unlikely to yield results) and continuing arms sales (which should proceed smoothly).2. On sanctions, the U.S. seems ready for symbolic gestures, while more radical steps will be postponed. Maintaining existing sanctions is already a positive. For now, America’s main efforts are focused on China and possibly Venezuela.3. In the early days of the new ambassador, it’s more important for us to make our U.S. policy more structured. Olha Stefanishyna’s initial meetings were generally well received by the American political establishment. The key now is turning these first impressions into a positive trend - especially after the artificial “blockade” of our embassy was lifted.4. I’ve often written that our main problem is that we operate in cavalry-style raids: a problem arises, a team is sent in; once it’s solved, we relax.A classic example is yesterday’s funeral for Kirk, which turned into a major political event, where Trump, in a decidedly Old Testament style, promised to retaliate against everyone he sees as an enemy. Notably, Russia has assigned a specific person (Dmitriev) to oversee, among other things, the far-right Christian circles. We have better starting positions for dialogue with these groups, but our main problem remains a lack of systematic approach.5. Logically, we should establish a coordination center to build a broad ecosystem of contacts with the U.S., with the ambassador serving as the coordinator. Otherwise, we’ll remain in a constant firefighting mode.SourceAbout the author: Vadym Denysenko, political scientist.The editorial board does not always share the opinions expressed by blog authors.