U.S. national security adviser John Bolton (L) and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor prepare to lay flowers commemorating Ukrainian soldiers who died in eastern Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv on Aug. 27, 2019. Bolton is hoping to woo Kyiv, Minsk and Chisinau during a trip to Eastern Europe.
In its great power battle with Russia, the United States is continuing to poke around the Eurasian giant's periphery. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton is visiting Ukraine on Aug. 27 as part of an effort to "underscore U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic path," according to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. But that's not the only place Bolton — a key member of the U.S. security establishment and the presidential administration in challenging Russia — will head in an effort to increase American influence, with stops scheduled in Belarus and Moldova later in the week. Why It Matters Much lies beneath the timing of Bolton's visit to Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.
