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US media analysis: Yuri Kim, a mistake Trump should avoid

Politiko 2025-01-22 21:43:07

US media analysis: Yuri Kim, a mistake Trump should avoid

By  Michael Rubin

Yuri Kim became infamous when, on September 14, 2023, she faced harsh questions about the State Department’s policy toward Nagorno-Karabakh, after remaining passive during Azerbaijan’s illegal ten-month blockade of the Armenian-populated region. “We will not tolerate any military action. We will not tolerate any attack on the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. That is very clear,” she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Five days later, Azerbaijani forces invaded Nagorno-Karabakh and ethnically cleansed its 1,700-year-old Christian Armenian population. Far from “intolerance,” Kim and colleagues did nothing, failing even in its aftermath to label what happened “ethnic cleansing,” preferring instead to speak of “depopulation” in the passive voice.

If ever there was an ambassador who personified a paper tiger, it's Kim. After her failure in the Senate, if she were to issue a statement threatening dire consequences for Chinese actions, no one in Beijing would believe her. That could be extremely dangerous, as Kim's perceived weakness could embolden Beijing to take military action.

More Problems 

The problem, however, was not just her tenure as acting assistant secretary. Kim also failed in her experience as ambassador to Albania. Normally, a diplomatic assignment in Tirana should go smoothly. Albanians are pro-American and consider the guidance of the American ambassador more than many other European countries. However, not all is well in Albanian democracy. Prime Minister Edi Rama is following the populist path carved out by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey to hollow out Albanian democracy.

Like Erdogan, Rama targets ethnic minorities and seeks to use political power for personal gain. It was in this context and because of his desire to develop the Albanian Riviera – a region where Albania’s ethnic Greek minority lives – that he imprisoned Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of one of the Riviera’s most picturesque towns. Kim played down the incident; she did not want to damage her personal relationship with Rama.

However, Kim’s decision to ignore and allow Rama’s corruption scheme to fester turned into a diplomatic crisis between Albania and Greece that disrupted Balkan integration and cooperation as the Ukraine crisis erupted. The fact that Kim was openly lobbying the State Department for the ambassadorship to Turkey, at the same time as he was siding against Greece in a dispute, was unseemly at best.

There is also a security component to Kim’s potential nomination. South Korean sources told me in 2023 that they recorded wiretaps during the time Kim was an aide to Assistant Secretary Chris Hill and a member of the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks focused on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. If Korean security officials were willing to speculate about such things at a time when Kim was in Albania and not scheduled for another position in Asia, it is unlikely that they would have simply filed charges. Vulnerability to blackmail should be a major concern for anyone on the front lines with China.

Trump has made it clear that his second term should not be about business as usual. He also wants a dream team dedicated to checking and reversing China’s rise after Beijing has long lied, deceived and manipulated American officials from across the political spectrum to its own ends. While Rubio has yet to take over as secretary, the State Department is showing signs of autocratic behavior in a way that could undermine U.S. success. 

The United States does not need another Glaspie, nor should diplomats who fail twice get a third chance at the forefront of American politics. If tenure is a concern, consulates in Canada provide an answer; Manila does not.

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