Russian PM leaves Kyiv empty-handed; status of bilateral relations is questioned (05/26/96)

Russian PM leaves Kyiv empty-handed; status of bilateral relations is questioned

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Despite announcing that he was "highly satisfied" with the outcome of meetings with President Leonid Kuchma and Prime Minister Yevhen Marchuk, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin departed empty-handed from Kyiv on Thursday evening, May 23, leaving many questioning the status of Ukrainian-Russian relations.

Mr. Chernomyrdin's hasty one-day visit to Ukraine - announced on May 22 was described by government officials here as one designed to further discuss details pertaining to the on-again-off-again state visit of Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin to Ukraine, as well as to iron out various details regarding the bilateral treaty of friendship and cooperation and a trade-economic agreement.

Interfax-Ukraine reported that among the top issues that had been scheduled to be discussed was the division of the Black Sea Fleet, the main obstacle blocking Mr. Yeltsin's visit to Ukraine. Other issues were touched upon during meetings of the two prime ministers and their delegations, including the issue of compensation for the tactical nuclear weapons withdrawn from Ukraine to Russia in 1992 and restructuring Ukraine's gas debt to its northern neighbor.

The third issue examined by a group of experts pertained to trade and economic cooperation between Ukraine and Russia; and the fourth issue was one regarding ownership of Soviet property in foreign countries, i.e. foreign missions and embassies.

Ukrainian officials expected the Chernomyrdin visit to be groundbreaking. Both President Kuchma and Prime Minister Marchuk cut short their trips around the country, rushing back to Kyiv to meet with the Russian prime minister. [Foreign Minister Hennadiy Udovenko told reports that Mr. Chernomyrdin's visit to Kyiv was proposed during the CIS summit in Moscow on May 17.]

Although Mr. Chernomyrdin mentioned in early afternoon meetings that perhaps President Yeltsin would come to Kyiv on June 2, by the end of the day he told reporters the visit would depend on the president's schedule.

"I believe that the presidents will settle that issue," he said without commenting on whether this visit would take place before or after the Russian elections on June 16.

During a CIS summit in Moscow on May 17, President Yeltsin said he would go to Kyiv only if disputed issues between the two countries are resolved.

"I will not go on a sightseeing trip to Kyiv. I have repeatedly visited Ukraine. I am not interested in sightseeing, but in a political, full-scale visit with the signing of a full-scale treaty between Russia and Ukraine, which does not exist so far," said Mr. Yeltsin in Moscow last week.

It was also in Moscow that Prime Minister Chernomyrdin and President Kuchma reached agreement on compensation for tactical nuclear weapons withdrawn from Ukraine in 1992.

Russia had agreed, in principle, to pay $450 million (U.S.) for the tactical weapons, and Ukraine's debt to Russia was to be cut by that sum.

It was expected that Mr. Chernomyrdin had come to Kyiv to sign this agreement on compensation. Although he told reporters on May 23 that it was "99.9 percent ready to be signed," he left Ukraine only with promises that the agreement will be signed "as soon as the opportunity presents itself."

There was hope that some headway could have been made in the settling of the Black Sea Fleet issue, but one Ukrainian government source told The Weekly that matters have remained the same, with Ukraine sticking to its position, which includes the leasing of bases to the Russian fleet in Sevastopil for no more than three to five years.

The Russian side has agreed to leasing, but for 10 to 25 years; and it has not specified how much it is willing to pay for the rental of the bases. The Russians also have a problem with the Ukrainian Navy basin in two bays in Sevastopil (Striletska and Karantinna). The Russians regard Sevastopil as the home port of the Black Sea Fleet, while the Ukrainians are willing only to let the Russians lease a base in the Ukrainian city of Sevastopil.

Among those leading BSF negotiations for the Russians was Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Dubinin, who was recently named ambassador to Ukraine.

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