Ukraine to seek special partnership with NATO (06/30/96)

Ukraine to seek special partnership with NATO

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Apparently worried about Russia's opposition to the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and keen on becoming an integral part of European structures, Ukraine plans to seek associate membership in this security alliance, a top Ukrainian diplomat told reporters on June 25, during a Foreign Ministry press briefing in Kyiv.

"Ukraine favors a special partnership with NATO and the signing of a relevant agreement. The essence of this partnership may be expressed in Ukraine's 'associate status in NATO,'" said Ihor Kharchenko, the chief of the Foreign Ministry's political analysis department.

His words echoed the actions of President Leonid Kuchma, who on that same day, during an official visit to Poland, signed a joint declaration with President Alexander Kwasniewski on mutual support for joining "as soon as possible" European economic, political and security structures.

Calling Poland Ukraine's "special strategic partner," President Kuchma said that this western neighbor wants to be Ukraine's bridge to European Union structures. He also made it clear that Ukraine would not oppose Poland's full membership in NATO, which it has been seeking since 1989.

"NATO expansion is no menace to Ukraine," said President Kuchma, but he cautioned that the alliance must take Russia into consideration when expanding. "A nation like Russia cannot be left out of processes currently under way," he added.

However, both President Kuchma and Ukrainian Foreign Ministry officials - perhaps in an attempt to allay Russia's concerns - stressed that although Ukraine has a stake in the development of special relations with NATO, it does not raise the question of admission as a full member. But, it has already submitted a proposal to the NATO leadership and to all member-countries of the alliance to grant Ukraine a special associate status. This comes at a time when NATO itself is reviewing its strategy and changing its mechanisms.

Foreign Minister Hennadiy Udovenko presented this idea of a "special partnership," during a NATO workshop on political-military decision making, held in Warsaw on June 21, which would result in an associate membership for Ukraine.

At the Berlin meeting of NATO foreign ministers on June 3-4, said Mr. Udovenko, "NATO once more confirmed its decision to open its membership for Central and Eastern European countries, as well as to "further enhance its strong relationship with Ukraine.'"

The Ukrainian diplomat also said that "Ukraine regards the NATO enlargement as part of a broad and comprehensive process of building up a new European security architecture, which itself represents part of an over-all European integration process, that includes also the EU enlargement, as well as regional European cooperation development."

"Standing firmly against the creation of new dividing lines in Europe, we in Ukraine are convinced that, with enough political will, it would be possible to find appropriate, mutually advantageous modalities of European integration processes, including different level integration of new European democracies into such basic structures as the EU, the WEU and NATO," explained Mr. Udovenko.

And, according to Mr. Kharchenko, the 1949 Washington agreement on NATO, which provides for only full-scale membership in the alliance, was formed in a different era.

"It was signed in an absolutely different historical situation," said Mr. Kharchenko, explaining that it was created during the Cold War as security against an enemy that does not exist today. "The alliance's goals were somewhat different from today's," he noted.

"The strategic aim of Ukraine, as President Leonid Kuchma stated recently in Paris, is a full-fledged integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. And, this is, in President Kuchma's words, not political romanticism, but a very pragmatic decision. On one hand, this vocation is based on our deep feeling of being a natural historical and cultural part of Europe, on a strong desire to restore historical justice - Ukraine's return into Europe, rebirth of its former linkage and unity with the rest of the continent. However, on the other hand, it is caused by very objective reasons, the very urgent needs - our security concerns as well as economic transformation process necessities," Foreign Minister Udovenko said in Warsaw.

Ukraine already is part of the NATO Partnership for Peace program, which has given 27 countries a kind of associate membership. Ukraine, which was the first former Soviet republic to join the PFP (in February 1994), is also active in the Bosnian peace-implementation force (IFOR).

And in September of 1995, Ukraine reached an agreement with NATO, on a 16 + 1 cooperation (16 being the member-states of NATO and 1 being Ukraine). Ukrainian officials would like to see this relationship broadened.

But, Mr. Udovenko frets that this may not be enough for his nation of 52 million. "I would like to emphasize that stability and security, due to our sensitive geopolitical position, have a very special value for Ukraine," he said.

"They are indispensable and basic for radical economic and social transformation processes. With the growing uncertainty in the East, including the further political development of Russia and of the CIS on one hand, and the development of European integration processes in the West on the other hand, Ukraine can ensure its legitimate interests not to become a 'buffer zone' between the two integrating communities only by essential activation of its relationship with European structures, including NATO. And we expect understanding of our position and interests," explained Minister Udovenko.

Although Ukraine does not oppose its western neighbors' accession to NATO, "it does not even accept the theoretical probability of the deployment of nuclear weapons in immediate proximity to Ukrainian borders," cautioned Mr. Kharchenko.

Speaking at a press conference in Warsaw on June 25, Presidents Kuchma and Kwasniewski both said that they did not believe there would be any need to deploy nuclear weapons on the territories of Central and Eastern European countries.

Ukraine, once the third largest nuclear power in the world, voluntarily removed nuclear weapons from its territory after the break-up of the Soviet Union, and it will never consent to the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of NATO's new member-states, stressed Mr. Udovenko during the Warsaw workshop sponsored by the alliance.

"The establishment of a nuclear-free zone in Central and Eastern Europe will definitely enhance confidence and stability in this region, and it would also be in keeping with NATO policy to relieve Europe of nuclear arms," said the foreign minister.

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