FOR THE RECORD: U.S. policy supports Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity (04/20/97)

FOR THE RECORD: U.S. policy supports Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity

Following is the text of a March 28 letter sent by President Bill Clinton to the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council in the person of Washington Office Director Ihor Gawdiak. The letter was a response to one sent by Mr. Gawdiak to President Clinton on March 14 (also published below) before his summit meeting with President Boris Yeltsin of Russia.

Dear Mr. President:

Ukrainian Americans are looking anxiously to your summit meeting with Russia's President Yeltsin next week in Helsinki. Like all Americans, we hope that the meeting will be successful and will advance the cause of peace and stability. At the same time, we are very concerned that as a consequence of the summit meeting the security and sovereignty of Ukraine be strengthened and not compromised.

While most Ukrainian Americans support the expansion of NATO into Central and Eastern Europe, all Ukrainians Americans want to be certain that Russia's acquiescence to such expansion will not be achieved at Ukraine's expense. We caution against any NATO-Russia agreement that would lead to a new division into spheres of influence in Europe, with Russia being allowed to dominate the new independent states. We also urge you, Mr. President, to support and promote a special NATO-Ukraine agreement which would provide security guarantees to Ukraine. Furthermore, it is of critical importance that this agreement contain a provision allowing Ukraine to join NATO whenever Ukraine wishes to and meets the prerequisites of NATO membership.

In the current phase of Russian-Ukrainian relations, another issue that Ukrainian Americans view with alarm is the systematic and continuing effort by Russia's leading government bodies and officials to undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity. The Russian Duma has laid claims to the city of Sevastopol and the entire Crimea in July 1993 and October 1996 resolutions. A similar resolution, claiming Russian administrative control over Sevastopol, was adopted unanimously by Russia's Council of the Federation in December 1996. Several prominent officials of the Yeltsin government, including Foreign Minister Yevgenii Primakov, have made similar direct or oblique territorial demands. Only last month, Primakov stated that Russia will use "moral and political methods" to obtain not only exclusive basing rights at Sevastopol, but Russian control of the city itself. This is a clear infringement on Ukrainian sovereignty.

On January 14, 1994, Ukraine, the United States and Russia signed the Trilateral Agreement under which Ukraine surrendered its nuclear weapons arsenal by June 1996. Mr. President, it is the duty of the United States as one of the signatories of this agreement to see to it that Ukraine's national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity are not threatened. We therefore urge you to raise this issue in your summit meeting with President Yeltsin. The issues of Sevastopol and Crimea, as well as many other thorny issues in Russian-Ukrainian relations, could be eliminated by President Yeltsin's agreeing to meet with President Kuchma and to sign the long-awaited Russian-Ukrainian treaty on cooperation and security.

Russia must be persuaded that the existence of Ukraine as a separate, independent and free country is an incontrovertible reality; only then will the security and stability of all nations in that part of the world be attained and the strategic interests of the United States be served.

Sincerely yours,
Ihor Y. Gawdiak
Director
Washington Office

* * *

Dear Mr. Gawdiak:

Thank you for your letter regarding my meeting in Helsinki with President Yeltsin.

I am very pleased with the results of the meeting and its contributions toward a more stable, secure and undivided Europe, which is important not only to Ukraine but to the entire continent. President Yeltsin pledged to work with NATO on a document to establish a cooperative relationship between NATO and Russia - a step that will also create a climate conducive to closer ties between Ukraine and NATO.

On two matters specifically of interest to Ukraine, I first want to assure you that no compromises were made to limit prospects for new members joining NATO. The alliance has clearly stated that the first wave of new NATO members will not be the last and that the door is always open to future admissions. Second, I used the summit as an opportunity to underscore NATO's policy of "no intention, no plan and no reason" to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of new member states. This policy is of particular importance to Ukraine's leaders who have overseen the transfer of nuclear weapons from Ukrainian territory.

With regard to the territorial integrity of Ukraine, I want to affirm that our policy has been and remains clear - the United States supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within current borders as defined in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975. We have stated this publicly and have rejected resolutions by the Russian Duma that would suggest otherwise.

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton

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