"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary
"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"
"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 2004, Number 69
Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC), Washington, D.C.
morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net
Washington, D.C.; Kyiv, Ukraine, THURSDAY, April 29, 2004
INDEX OF ARTICLES
"Major International News Headlines and Articles"
1. DESOVIETISING POST-CHORNOBYL UKRAINE
COMMENTARY By Ihor Gawdiak, President,
Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UCCA)
Washington, D.C., New York, NY, Monday, April 26, 2004
2. KUCHMA: "EU IS TOREADOR, UKRAINE IS BULL"
Ukrainian President Highly Critical of European Union Officials
AP Online, Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 28, 2004
3. UKRAINE PRESIDENT CRITICIZES THE GOVERNMENT FOR
TURNING DOWN RUSSIA'S PROPOSAL FOR ALTERNATIVE
USE OF THE ODESSA-BRODY PIPELINE
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, Russia, in Russian, 27 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004
4. UKRAINE WILL LOSE FROM ODESSA-BRODY REVERSAL
SAYS TOP US STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL STEVEN PIFER
Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 28, 2004
5. TOP US STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL STEVEN PIFER CASTS
DOUBT ON VALIDITY OF UKRAINIAN MAYOR ELECTION
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 26 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, April 26, 2004
6. CANADA RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT MAYORAL
ELECTION IN MUKACHEVE, UKRAINE
Statement by Evelyn Puxley, Canadian Ambassador to the OSCE
Canadian Delegation, OSCE Permanent Council
Vienna, Austria, Thursday, April 22, 2004
7. OSCE TOP OFFICIAL CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF
DISPUTED UKRAINIAN MAYOR ELECTION
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 26 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, Apr 26, 2004
8. UKRAINIAN MEDIA REGULATOR DELAYS RUSSIAN
LANGUAGE BAN ON STATE TV AND RADIO
One Plus One TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 28 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004
9. GEORGIAN PRESIDENT MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI MEETS
"OUR UKRAINE" LEADER VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Russian, 28 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004
10. NEWSPAPER SAYS UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES SNUBBED
VISITING GEORGIAN PRESIDENT
Ukrayina Moloda, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian 28 Apr 04; page 1,2
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004
11. POLAND CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ROW BETWEEN
UKRAINE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Does Ukraine have a free market economy or not
Polish News Bulletin, Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004
12. "UKRAINE FATIGUE: UKRAINIAN AND AMERICAN MYTHS"
By Luba Shara, Washington Correspondent
Ukrayinska Pravda, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 26, 2004
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 69 ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
Politics and Governance, Building a Strong, Democratic Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/buildukraine/index.htm
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1. DESOVIETISING POST-CHORNOBYL UKRAINE
COMMENTARY By Ihor Gawdiak, President,
Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UCCA)
Washington, D.C., New York, NY, Monday, April 26, 2004
Every year at this time, Ukrainians the world over recall and mourn the epic
tragedy of the Chornobyl disaster. For those in Ukraine who were directly
affected, Chornobyl is not just a sad anniversary, but an ever-present
shadow that continues to loom over their lives because of its devastating,
long-lasting effects.
The world has basically forgiven or forgotten about Mykhail Gorbachev,
who chose not to inform the public about the meltdown until it was detected
by sources outside the Soviet Union. The West seems content to gloss over
Gorbachev's culpability and to allow the much-vaunted mantle of his glasnost
legacy to settle comfortably about the man's well tailored shoulders.
Instead of a wakeup call concerning the tremendous dangers of nuclear power
stations, Chornobyl has become for the West an afterthought. Instead of
thoroughly investigating and reporting on accurate health, social,
ecological, and financial effects of the Chornobyl disaster and its
aftermath, the Soviet authorities covered up the subject and farmed out the
investigation to the International Atomic Energy Agency which produced
shamelessly shallow, incomplete, and dismissive findings in its report.
We in the diaspora can hold memorial services, erect monuments, and give
speeches about Chornobyl, but to truly honor and memorialize the victims of
Chornobyl and those who continue to suffer, we need to continue helping not
only with material resources, but we should strive to see to it that:
---the history of what happened at Chornobyl is not only dealt with but
accurately described in school and university textbooks around the world,
---humankind learns the lesson of Chornobyl, i.e. that nuclear power
plants--no matter how "clean" the energy they provide in the
meantime--present colossal dangers which we are unable to completely
and forever prevent, and
---Ukraine becomes a truly free, open, and democratic society where
accidents and disasters are not covered up, where people can vote freely,
where diversity of opinion is not punished and freedom of expression is a
right everyone shares.
The horrific explosion at Chornobyl spelled the beginning of the end of the
Soviet Union. There is no better way for the leaders of the Ukrainian
people to commemorate the many victims of that disaster than to truly commit
themselves to complete the process of desovietization and to help Ukraine
reach its democratic potential so that 2004 will go down in history as the
beginning of a new era in the life of Ukraine, a turning point to be
celebrated and not mourned in the future. (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 69: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
Politics and Governance, Building a Strong, Democratic Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/buildukraine/index.htm
Become a financial sponsor of The Action Ukraine Program Fund
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2. KUCHMA: "EU IS TOREADOR, UKRAINE IS BULL"
Ukrainian President Criticizes European Union Officials
AP Online, Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 28, 2004
KIEV - President Leonid Kuchma on Wednesday criticized European Union
officials as frustrating Ukraine's desire to join the bloc, likening the
situation to a bullfight.
"Relations between the European Union and Ukraine resemble a corrida, where
the EU is a toreador and Ukraine is a bull," Kuchma said. "The toreador is
standing still, while we're running after a red cloth."
At his monthly news conference, Kuchma criticized the EU for refusing to
grant Ukraine long-awaited market economy status, but acknowledged that
Ukraine is not ready to join the bloc, stressing the need to first improve
the country's economic competitiveness and democratic rule.
Last year, Kuchma received a clear sign from top EU leaders that Ukraine
would eventually be offered membership in the bloc, but wasn't given any
timetable for its accession.
Kuchma's comments came amid growing international concerns over last week's
fraud-marred mayoral election that many fear sets a disturbing precedent for
the Oct. 31 presidential vote.
He acknowledged that the vote in the city of Mukachevo "significantly
damaged the state's image", saying that "the struggle for power has clouded
politicians' minds."
Exit polls and vote records indicated an opposition candidate won the
election, in which the candidate from a party headed by Kuchma's chief of
staff was declared the victor.
Kuchma's critics say democracy has suffered during his 10 years in office,
accusing his administration of using its levers of influence to slant
elections.
Kuchma is not running in the fall election, but his allies have announced
that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych will run with his backing. Yanukovych
could face a strong challenge from key opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko,
who is expected to run. (am/jh) (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 69: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
Check Out the News Media for the Latest News >From and About Ukraine
Daily News Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/newsgallery.htm
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3. UKRAINE PRESIDENT CRITICIZES THE GOVERNMENT FOR
TURNING DOWN RUSSIA'S PROPOSAL FOR ALTERNATIVE
USE OF THE ODESSA-BRODY PIPELINE
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, Russia, in Russian, 27 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004
Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma has criticized the government for turning
down Russia's proposal on alternative use of the Odessa-Brody pipeline. The
pipeline was built for Caspian oil transit, but Russia wanted to use it to
pump Russian oil to Odessa and further through the Bosporus.
The government said in February that it would stick to the original plan,
despite heavy Russian lobbying. The project to carry Caspian oil via Ukraine
was backed by the US and the EU, but Kuchma said the oil had so far failed
to materialize, and the pipeline was not making any money.
The following is the text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS:
Kiev, 27 April: Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has sharply criticized the
government for its refusal to authorize the reverse flow of Russian oil
along the Odessa-Brody pipeline.
"They have buried 500m dollars and are now sitting by, watching the grass
grow," Kuchma said today at the joint press conference held in Kiev with
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. "No sensible person would do such
thing," he added.
The president is convinced that "Ukraine's interests must come first" here.
"We are trying to please (Europe) at our own cost," he stressed. According
to Kuchma, "neither Poland, nor the European Union are giving us any money
for the pipeline extension to Plock [in Poland]". "We have no offers as yet
either from oil sellers, or from buyers," the president admitted.
Kuchma could not say what would happen to the pipeline. In February, the
government of Ukraine made the decision that the pipeline should be used for
the original purpose [to carry Caspian oil to Europe].
The Ministry of Fuel and Energy had earlier said that deliveries of oil to
Poland would begin in April-May 2004, after the Odessa-Brody pipeline is
filled with Caspian oil. The government intends to pump 4-5m tonnes of oil
from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan along the pipeline before the end of the
year. But so far, this oil has failed to arrive.
The first stage of the pipeline was commissioned in May 2002. However, it is
still not operational. It is capable of transporting 9-14m tonnes of oil a
year, with reservoir storage capacity of 200,000 cubic metres. [Please send
queries to kiev.bbcm@mon.bbc.co.uk] (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 69: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
Major Articles About What is Going on in Ukraine
Current Events Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/events/index.htm
You can become a financial sponsor of The Action Ukraine Program Fund
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4. UKRAINE WILL LOSE FROM ODESSA-BRODY REVERSAL
SAYS TOP US STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL STEVEN PIFER
Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 28, 2004
KYIV - The Odessa-Brody pipeline will allow Ukraine become a transit country
for Caspian oil, which will bring it closer to the European energy system,
U.S. Deputy Assistant State Secretary for European Affairs Steven Pifer told
journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Speaking about the possibility of reversing the Odessa-Brody pipeline, Pifer
said that at the moment the Bosporus problem means that tankers are waiting
for 30 days to pass through the straits. Therefore, even in the short-term,
the reversal of the pipeline will lead to other countries building
alternative pipelines and taking this business from Ukraine, he said.
He said that currently the negotiation process between Ukraine and
international oil companies is not progressing as quickly as desired. He
said that the Ukrainian government should speed up this process.
Ukraine plans to pump 4 million - 5 million tonnes of Caspian oil to Europe
this year. The oil will be shipped from the Yuzhny terminal on the Black Sea
thorough the Odessa-Brody pipeline and onwards through the Druzhba pipe to
the Czech Republic and, in the future, to Germany. Some of the oil will be
transported by rail to refineries in Poland.
The Ukrainian government hopes to earn up to $80 million this year from
these supplies.
The first phase of the 674-km Odessa-Brody was launched in May 2002. The
pipeline has a capacity of 9 million - 14.5 million tonnes of oil per year,
which will be increased to 40 million - 45 million tonnes of oil per annum,
to supply Caspian oil to Europe.
Ukraine has agreed with Poland to extend the Odessa-Brody pipeline to the
Polish city of Plock, which is connected by pipeline with the port of
Gdansk. This would make it possible to supply oil to other countries in
Eastern Europe and to Scandinavia. (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
Exciting Opportunities in Ukraine: Travel and Tourism Gallery
http://www.ArtUkraine.com/tourgallery.htm
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5. TOP US STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL STEVEN PIFER CASTS
DOUBT ON VALIDITY OF UKRAINIAN MAYOR ELECTION
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 26 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, April 26, 2004
KIEV - US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Steven Pifer told Ukrainian
parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn during a meeting in Kiev that he doubted
the validity of the result of the mayoral election in [the Transcarpathian
Region city of] Mukacheve.
He said: "We think that it is more than doubtful that the results that were
announced matched the way people voted." He said that the United States
welcomes the fact that President Leonid Kuchma has ordered a detailed
investigation of the Mukacheve situation to be conducted. Pifer expressed
the hope that "this investigation will produce a just and objective picture
of what happened" and that the appropriate conclusions would be drawn.
Lytvyn said that "it is a matter of fundamental importance [for the Supreme
Council] to give an objective assessment" of the Mukacheve events so as to
prevent anything like it recurring. He expressed the hope that the Mukacheve
situation would "provide a lesson".
Lytvyn said that this lesson "will not be complete without measures being
taken over the violations that are revealed". He did not rule out that after
10 May parliament would again hear reports from the heads of law enforcement
agencies about the measures taken over the violations.
[A candidate from the propresidential United Social Democratic Party of
Ukraine was declared the winner of the 18 April election, but the opposition
claimed that massive vote rigging had occurred to deprive its candidate of a
landslide victory. During a parliamentary hearing on 21 April, Interior
Minister Mykola Bilokon and Prosecutor-General Henadiy Vasylyev pledged to
investigate all violations registered during the election.] (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
The Story of Ukraine's Long and Rich Culture
Ukrainian Culture Gallery: http://www.ArtUkraine.com/cultgallery.htm
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6. CANADA RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT MAYORAL
ELECTION IN MUKACHEVE, UKRAINE
Statement by Evelyn Puxley, Canadian Ambassador to the OSCE
Canadian Delegation, OSCE Permanent Council
Vienna, Austria, Thursday, April 22, 2004
Mr. Chairman,
My Delegation shares the serious concern raised at Council this morning with
regard to the mayoral election in Mukacheve on April 18. Canada and
representatives of some other OSCE participating States were present as
observers at this election.
The manner in which this election was held - marked as it was by
intimidation and violence - and the process which led to the determination
of the supposed victor of the mayoral contest by the Municipal Election
Commission are very distant from OSCE obligations that Ukraine has
undertaken concerning free and fair elections.
The various irregularities in the electoral process - also noted by ODIHR
observers and extending to obstruction of the efforts of domestic and
international observers to confirm the fairness of the vote - these
irregularities have, in our view, an importance beyond the local nature of a
municipal election; they suggest strongly a pattern of irregularities, also
notable at the parliamentary by-election in Donetsk on March 1.
While we welcome President Kuchma's instruction that an investigation will
be made of the events in Mukacheve, we would stress that taken together,
the deficiencies in several recent discrete elections raise serious
questions with regard to Ukraine's capacity to deliver free and fair
elections at all levels.
This is an especial concern for my Delegation in the run-up to the national
polls in Ukraine later this year. [OSCE: Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe] (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
The Genocidal Famine in Ukraine 1932-1933, HOLODOMOR
Genocide Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/famineart/index.htm
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7. OSCE TOP OFFICIAL CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF
DISPUTED UKRAINIAN MAYOR ELECTION
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 26 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, Apr 26, 2004
KIEV - The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, Bruce George, has called on the
Ukrainian authorities to ensure that the violations that occurred during the
Mukacheve mayor election are investigated in the appropriate manner and to
correct the situation in such a way that "the true will of voters is
implemented".
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly vice president and Ukrainian MP Ihor Ostash
told UNIAN that George says this in a letter addressed to President Leonid
Kuchma, parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, Central Electoral Commission
head Serhiy Kivalov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly Yuliy Yoffe and Ostash himself.
The letter also expresses concern over the violations that occurred during
the Mukacheve mayor elections on 18 April, including violent incidents at
polling stations. George says that he has been informed about "cases of
intimidation including violence against Ukrainian observers" on polling day.
He also says that he has information about interference in the election
process by unauthorized individuals, and also about "threats and pressure
against participants in the process and also against MPs, observers and
journalists".
The letter also says there have been allegations of numerous cases of "fraud
and manipulation during the vote count which could have led to discrepancies
between the official results and the real will of the electorate".
George says that he was informed of the abduction of several Ukrainian MPs
from the Mukacheve city council building by unknown individuals. "Though
they were later released after the intervention of local police, there is no
place in the electoral process for such examples of violence and
intimidation," he says in the letter.
The letter also says that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is particularly
concerned at these incidents in the light of the presidential elections
scheduled for 31 October. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly plans to monitor
the situation in the run-up to the elections closely. In the letter, George
says that as the head of the observer mission at the 2002 parliamentary
elections, he was satisfied to report progress in relation to the previous
elections. "I hope that OSCE observers will be able to draw similar
conclusions over the very important presidential elections this year," the
letter says.
[A candidate from the propresidential United Social Democratic Party of
Ukraine was declared the winner of the 18 April election, but the opposition
claimed that massive vote rigging had occurred to deprive its candidate of a
landslide victory. During a parliamentary hearing on 21 April, Interior
Minister Mykola Bilokon and Prosecutor-General Henadiy Vasylyev pledged to
investigate all violations registered during the election.] (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
Ukraine's History and the Long Struggle for Independence
Historical Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/histgallery.htm
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8. UKRAINIAN MEDIA REGULATOR DELAYS RUSSIAN
LANGUAGE BAN ON STATE TV AND RADIO
One Plus One TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 28 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004
KIEV - The Ukrainian media regulator has postponed the introduction of its
requirement for national TV and radio companies to broadcast in Ukrainian
language only. The decision came after severe criticism from
Russian-language media and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, who told a
news conference today that the council's decision contradicted the Ukrainian
constitution.
The following is the text of a report by Ukrainian One Plus One TV on 28
April:
The majority of members of the Ukrainian National Council for TV and Radio
Broadcasting have supported postponing for the beginning of 2005 the
introduction of its recommendation on increasing the share of the Ukrainian
language on the air. The council explains the delay in the implementation of
its recommendation by an intention to prevent political struggle around the
decision. [Ukraine is to hold presidential election on 31 October this
year.] [Please send queries to kiev.bbcm@mon.bbc.co.uk] (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
The Rich History of Ukrainian Art, Music, Pysanka, Folk-Art
Arts Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/artgallery.htm
Support "The Action Ukraine Report"...Send A Check Today
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9. GEORGIAN PRESIDENT MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI MEETS
"OUR UKRAINE" LEADER VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Russian, 28 Apr 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004
KIEV - The leader of the Our Ukraine opposition bloc, Viktor Yushchenko,
and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili discussed cooperation between
political parties and the political situation in the two states at their
meeting in Kiev today. The meeting lasted about 40 minutes, the Our Ukraine
press secretary, Iryna Herashchenko, told Interfax-Ukraine.
As was reported earlier, Saakashvili completed his two-day visit to Ukraine
today morning and left for Warsaw to take part in an international
conference.
Our Ukraine MPs Mykola Martynenko, Petro Poroshenko, Davyd Zhvaniya
and Oleh Rybachuk took part in the meeting.
Herashchenko said that "first of all, Saakashvili and Yushchenko discussed
political cooperation between Our Ukraine and Saakashvili's United National
Movement". In the context of the situation in Ukraine, Yushchenko
familiarized Saakashvili with Our Ukraine's stand on the mayoral election in
Mukacheve and the developments which followed.
The Our Ukraine MPs stressed that they support boosting economic ties,
removing barriers in bilateral trade and pledged to block the initiatives
that could result in limiting or abolishing a free trade regime [between
Ukraine and Georgia], Herashchenko said.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Yushchenko said that he
congratulated Saakashvili on his first achievements as president. Yushchenko
said that despite an unfavourable forecast the new Georgian authorities had
managed to "meet brilliantly" the challenges facing the nation.
Asked whether or not the coming presidential election in Ukraine was
discussed, Yushchenko said that the whole world including Georgia wants a
democratic election dominated by the supremacy of law and media freedom.
It was reported earlier, that it was not clear if Saakashvili would be able
to meet the opposition during his visit to Kiev, although Saakashvili made
it clear to journalists right away that he would follow the European
practice and meet the opposition. (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
Politics and Governance, Building a Strong, Democratic Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/buildukraine/index.htm
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10. NEWSPAPER SAYS UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES SNUBBED
VISITING GEORGIAN PRESIDENT
Ukrayina Moloda, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian 28 Apr 04; page 1,2
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004
KIEV - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was not received by a suitably
high-level government official when he arrived in Kiev on a two-day official
visit this week, an opposition-leaning Ukrainian newspaper has said.
The article in Ukraina Moloda suggested that this was a deliberate snub by
President Leonid Kuchma, who sought to indicate his disapproval of the way
Saakashvili came to power after forcing the resignation of President Eduard
Shevardnadze last autumn, thereby setting an example the Ukrainian
opposition might seek to emulate.
The following is an excerpt from the unattributed report titled "Genatsvale
[Georgian friendly form of address], comrade and brother", published on 28
April:
Mikheil Saakashvili is probably the only president of a friendly country not
to have been met at the airport according to protocol. All interested
parties noted that it was neither the first nor the second figure in the
state who received Batono [Georgian polite form of address] Mikheil on the
red carpet laid at the steps of his plane on the evening of Monday [26
April]. (The Georgian president had warned ahead of time that to save money
from the already depleted state budget he would be flying not on his
personal aircraft, but on a regular flight like an ordinary citizen.)
President Saakashvili was not met personally by President Leonid Kuchma as
sometimes occurs when a very important guest - like Russia's President
[Vladimir] Putin - visits, nor by the prime minister, nor his deputy, nor
the foreign minister, but only by the deputy foreign minister. [First Deputy
Foreign Minister Volodmyr] Yelchenko and Georgian Ambassador Grigol
Katamadze looked rather lonely at the ceremonial meeting with Saakashvili.
In this way, Kuchma wanted to show his Georgian counterpart that revolutions
are "a bad thing", since they set a bad example for the opposition in other
countries, and this is how Kiev welcomes hot-headed young upstarts in power.
At the Mariyinskyy Palace, however, Saakashvili was received properly with
all due honours. When the two presidents spoke briefly to the press after
their face-to-face meeting, Leonid Danylovych [Kuchma] did not pass up the
opportunity to snipe at Saakashvili, speaking of the importance of
continuity in state policy for the next generation of leaders, and saying
that there is no alternative to continuity for Ukraine.
Saakashvili spoke more about the European vector that Ukraine and Georgia
need to follow and the need for closer political and economic cooperation,
and he said that GUAM [a regional union of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and
Moldova, and sometimes Uzbekistan] is a suitable venue for this. Saakashvili
said that this union may be resurrected and developed if it is given a clear
European direction. And in the role of intensive-care doctor, he proposed to
hold a GUAM summit in Tbilisi in May.
In general, throughout his visit, Saakashvili went out of his way to
emphasize his esteem for Leonid Kuchma's status and Georgia's loyalty to the
legitimate government in Kiev, whatever form it might take. Speaking shortly
afterwards at the Institute for International Relations, Saakashvili said
that whoever is the president of Ukraine, he would be "the most important
partner in international negotiations".
After meeting Kuchma, Saakashvili headed straight to his alma mater, the
Institute for International Relations, from which he graduated in
international law 13 years ago. [Passage omitted: Saakashvili speaks to
students in Ukrainian.] (END)
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THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
The Story of Ukraine's Long and Rich Culture
Ukrainian Culture Gallery: http://www.ArtUkraine.com/cultgallery.htm
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11. POLAND CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ROW BETWEEN
UKRAINE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Does Ukraine have a free market economy or not
Polish News Bulletin, Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004
WARSAW - Kiev and Brussels are disputing whether Ukraine has a free market
economy, which heralds trouble for Poland. Why? Because Ukraine and the EU
have until May 1 to strike a deal on the trade in steel products.
However, meeting this deadline seems highly improbable. Consequently,
Ukraine could stop exporting steel to Poland and other EU countries.
"Kiev has set out new conditions, now it wants Brussels to acknowledge that
Ukraine has a free market economy, a status granted to Russia some time
ago," explains Mieczyslaw Nogaj, director of the trade policy department at
the Ministry of Economy.
Ukrainian authorities are threatening to suspend deliveries to Poland if
their conditions are not met. Under this year's agreement, EU countries may
import 185,000 tones of steel from Ukraine, while Poland alone has been
buying about 400,000 tones every year. If the EU and Ukraine fail to reach
an agreement, Poland may be forced to buy a more expensive steel from
Russia. (END)
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 68: ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE
Ukraine's History and the Long Struggle for Independence
Historical Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/histgallery.htm
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12. "UKRAINE FATIGUE: UKRAINIAN AND AMERICAN MYTHS"
By Luba Shara, Washington Correspondent
Ukrayinska Pravda, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 26, 2004
If the war in Iraq did not break out, Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma
should have invented it. Undoubtedly, participating in a war on American
side was one of the best ways to improve the bilateral US-Ukrainian
relations after they had been damaged by the Gongadze murder and the
Kolchuga scandal.
Only a year ago Ukraine was on the brink of political isolation. Today this
country is a full-blown member of the antiterrorist coalition and Leonid
Kuchma regularly receives thank-you letters from George W. Bush, in which
the US President praises the unfaltering Ukrainian people for its dedicated
commitment to fighting the global terrorism.
Reality ends here and myths begin. The myths created by each side distorting
its perceptions of the other side, the textbook case of "mirror imaging" -
projecting of one's own way of thinking onto others.
Myth one is widely spread in Kiev and deals with Ukraine's imagined
advantages derived from its participation in the peacekeeping mission in
Iraq. Last year, when a decision whether to send the military contingent to
Iraq was debated at the Parliament of Ukraine, arguments were made that this
would give economic advantages to Ukraine's economy, particularly would
help Ukrainian businesses in securing any potential contracts for rebuilding
a post-war Iraq.
As a result, Ukraine has the fourth-largest military contingent among the
multinational coalition forces in Iraq, four casualties of war and not a
single contract, whereas Russia, which contributed no troops and was
opposing the war all along, has managed to secure a billion-dollar contract
with the Iraqi energy ministry for a Russian company, Interenergoservis.
During the recent Washington visit of Ukraine's delegation headed by
economics minister Derkach, the Ukrainians wanted to know what became
of the contracts. Americans went on preaching about procedural workings,
open-bidding particulars and other bureaucratic ins and outs, which all
appear to have hardly anything to do with the foreign policy.
"A contract that comes from Ukraine is compared to a contract that comes
from, say Australia, and a contract that comes from some country like Brazil
that doesn't have any military contribution there. If the Brazilian tender
is the cheapest, best meets the terms of that tender there is no way to say
'Wait a minute Ukraine is making important contribution. We are
direct-contracting Ukrainian.' We asked that question, raised that question.
We were told it is just not legal in the US system," Stephen Pifer, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State said on April 15, 2004.
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage believes that the Ukrainian
government's motivation to sent troops to Iraq was its stated commitment to
combat the global terrorism. Responding to an "Ukrayinska Pravda" question
regarding the potential contract for Ukrainian businesses to rebuild Iraq,
he said: "I don't think that the people of Ukraine, the government of
Ukraine made a decision to join the coalition and to put their young men and
women in the harm's way in order to win contracts. I don't think that's
appropriate and I don't think that was what motivated the government."
In other words, it is a classic and Oscar-winning circumstance of being lost
in translation. And also the second time Ukraine makes the same mistake
after it has given up the Busher contract once in the past. Then the
Ukrainian public was brainwashed into believing that the lucrative American
investments would fall from the sky. Kuchma abandoned the Busher contract
after Ms. Allbright visited Kiev.
However, they overlooked to mention the fact, that Ms. Allbright, being a US
Secretary of State at the time, represented no US businesses. Unlike the
Ukrainian president, she neither had nor could ever exercised the so-called
"administrative resource" against any US companies.
It is curious, what myths drove Yevhen Marchuk, then the head of the
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, when on June 5, 2003 he
spoke at the Parliament presenting a presidential bill, "On approval of the
Ukrainian President's decision to send a peacekeeping contingent as
Ukraine's participation in the international peacekeeping operation in the
Republic of Iraq". He claimed that "the intention to participate in
rebuilding Iraq was expressed by over 80 Ukrainian companies."
"Understandably, not all of them will be able to overcome the competition,"
said Marchuk. "Yet $5.2 bln, which has already been set aside to finance the
first phase of rebuilding Iraq, is a convincing argument for the effective
application of efforts".
And further he went on, "Considering the fact, that solving economic
problems in Iraq is significantly conditioned by the ongoing process of
military-political developments and even a temporary presence of Ukrainian
peacekeeping military units in Iraq will allow us to eradicate the existing
obstacles on the way of engaging Ukrainian enterprises in rebuilding Iraq,
and renew the former level of Ukraine's economic cooperation with the new
government.."
(http://www.rada.gov.ua/zakon/skl4/3session/STENOGR/DOC/55.DOC)
Myth two, widely popularized throughout Ukraine by both Communists and
President Kuchma's Administration is about "Yuschenko as an American
puppet."
Yuschenko does enjoy the personal empathy among a number of Washington
officials, who deal with Ukraine, but the policy is based not only on
personal empathies.
In Washington Yuschenko and Ukraine mean so little today, that it would have
been unimaginable during the Clinton Administration. There are two reasons
for this. Firstly, 2004 is the election year not only in Ukraine, but in the
United States as well. Secondly, the war in Iraq pulls a huge share of
government attention, financial and human resources.
Concurrence in time of Ukrainian and American presidential elections works
to the benefit of a candidate who would represent the incumbent authorities,
since the Bush Administration will have scarcely any time this fall to focus
on Ukraine. The main priority will be to get re-elected.
In addition, the United States is at war and the psychology of a wartime
footing makes the US pay little if any attention to the peacetime diplomatic
intricacies. All who support America are put down to the friendlies list,
including even such odious regimes as the one in Uzbekistan. And anyone who
is against is assigned to the opposite camp.
The multinational antiterrorist coalition is extremely important to the Bush
Administration, at least for its propaganda value, since its presence in
Iraq, the US and UK troops aside, can be seen more like a "Potemkin village"
than a genuine war effort.
Leonid Kuchma, by sending troops to Iraq, just got qualified for the
America's friends category, albeit temporary, and therefore in the nearest
future one can expect more letters from Bush to Kuchma, in which the
US President will be thanking for the presence Ukrainian troops in Iraq.
The more the political opposition in Ukraine will be insisting on a troops
withdrawal, the more grateful letters will be coming and the stronger
Kuchma's position will be in the eyes of the incumbent US Administration.
Bush does not write letters to Yuschenko. On June 5, 2003 only 39 members
of the Yuschenko's "Our Ukraine" parliamentary faction voted for sending
Ukrainian peacekeepers to Iraq. So let us not jump to conclusion who is
truly a US puppet in Ukraine.
Myth tree is about an America which interferes with the electoral process in
Ukraine in an attempt to get its "puppet" (i.e. Yuschenko) elected as the
president. This horror story is spread by a wide circle of political
actors, ranging from the Communists to Chernomyrdin, a Russian Ambassador
in Ukraine.
In reality the whole scheme does not look as sound as the above figures
allege. The United States will not be giving any money to the opposition
campaign in Ukraine (neither through the USAID nor any other funds), since
it is illegal, and anybody who is a bit familiar with the system of awarding
US foreign assistance and bidding for American grants should know about
this.
If the question of bidding were to be resolved in an easy way as it is
imagined by many in Ukraine, perhaps, those 80 Ukrainian businesses which
Yevhen Marchuk mentioned in his speech at the Ukrainian Parliament, would
have been long since awarded the billion-dollar contracts in Iraq.
During the elections campaign in Ukraine, the US government funds will
support the third sector, i.e. it will be spent on the training of political
parties and observers, parallel counting of votes etc. - all those
procedures to which the current Ukrainian leadership has become strongly
immune and which can be entirely neutralized by applying a good measure
of the administrative resource, preventive beatings of activists, not
letting observers to polling stations and removing opposition candidates by
court decision of the subservient judiciary.
Americans can, of course, take more aggressive steps. For example, assets
some of Kuchma's lieutenants could be arrested as they are being made public
at the Lazorenko hearing, or the elections results may not be recognized due
to massive violations of the electoral law. Will such steps be taken? Most
probably, not. Considering the significance of Ukraine for the US-led
antiterrorist coalition, this seems to be a safe bet.
Finally, myth four, brewing among American government officials who deal
with Ukraine, is about the effectiveness of US measures to secure the free
and fair elections in Ukraine. This myth is a textbook case of mirror
imaging.
Americans truly believe that if you keep on repeating something to a
reasonable and certifiably sane person, then such person will be compelled
to comprehend the message. In other words, if one repeatedly emphasizes
the importance of free and fair elections to the Ukrainian authorities, then
both President Kuchma and Medvedchuk will finally comprehend the
importance of this issue and will do everything by the book.
In March of this year Richard Armitage, US Deputy Secretary of State,
visited Ukraine. Soon Stephen Pifer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State,
will visit Ukraine, too. A whole series of other American delegations is
expected to come to Kiev. They all attempt to drive a clear message to the
Ukrainian leadership on the significance of the free and fair elections
within the framework of bilateral relations.
Do all these message delivered by US officials make any impact on the
Ukrainian leadership? Do Americans have any more compelling measures,
than the friendly diplomatic suggestions?
Mr. Armitage's visit to Kiev last March helps to understand the influence
of words. He brought two messages to the Ukrainian leadership: 1) no, no,
no to any violations during the elections; 2) yes, yes, yes to Ukrainian
troops in Iraq.
Even though Ambassador Pifer claims, that the main point of the Mr.
Armitage's visit to Kiev were the issues of democracy, this is absolutely
not evident while reviewing the official Ukrainian media, which had
completely ignored the issues of democracy, leaving only the gratitude for
Iraq.
Two message-approach absolutely does not work in the case of Ukraine, as
well as those private conversations one-on-one with Kuchma about democracy.
Well, he is definitely not an American in his mindset nor he can be possibly
instilled, all of a sudden and given his lifelong experience, any affection
for free and fair elections. It is safe to assume, that during his meetings
with American officials he only keeps up appearances by agreeing and
consenting, yet in reality he cannot care less.
Private conversation is exactly the style of communications to which the
Ukrainian authorities got accustomed: it is both pleasant and safe for them.
They got praised for Iraq on one hand, and the public knows nothing about
the democracy issues raised on the other hand. Pro-government media always
interpret the contents of private meetings and messages by highlighting only
what is best to the Ukrainian leadership.
As far as any more meaningful ways of influence are concerned, Ambassador
Pifer stressed the importance for Ukraine of the NATO summit in Istanbul in
June, where the Kiev's progress in conducting the free and fair elections
will be supposedly discussed.
Firstly, due to the smart maneuvering of President Kuchma, the beginning of
elections campaign has been postponed until the early July, therefore it is
a mystery what progress the NATO countries are going to evaluate in June.
Secondly, the main focus of the summit will be the NATO official
participation in peacekeeping operations in Iraq. More than just a lively
discussion is expected there, so hardly any spot in the agenda will be left
for any momentous discussions about Ukraine.
Undoubtedly, the United States will recognize any new president of Ukraine,
no matter be it Yuschenko or Yanukovych. No penalty actions will follow,
unlike some hot heads in Kiev want to imagine. However, if the massive
violations do take place, as it happened in Donetsk last year, the so-called
"Ukraine fatigue" phenomenon can be expected to swell in Washington.
The essence of this phenomenon lies in being disappointed by Ukraine and its
lack of democratization progress and movement towards Europe. The "Ukraine
fatigue" will directly effect the suspension of some economic issues, which
are of particular interest for Kiev, namely the removal of Jackson-Vanick,
recognition of the market-economy status for Ukraine, WTO accesion,
allocating additional funds for the nuclear safety programs at the Rivne and
Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants, securing contracts to rebuild Iraq. All
these matters will be put down into the same long "box", where the Kolchuga
affair has been collecting dust so far.
In 2004 the opposition in Ukraine faces the administrative resource alone.
No matter what myths about America are created by the official
pro-government media in Ukraine and, paraphrasing the popular saying, the
West will not help this time. The West focuses on its own problems, and the
Ukrainian opposition needs to rely only on its own strength to overcome the
administrative resource. (END)
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