U.S. defense secretary underlines Ukraine's role in NATO (07/20/97)

U.S. defense secretary underlines Ukraine's role in NATO

by Marta Kolomayets
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

YAVORIV, Ukraine - Just two days after the ceremonial signing of the NATO-Ukraine Charter in Madrid, U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen traveled to this Transcarpathian military district training ground near Lviv to take part in the closing ceremonies of joint military exercises held within the framework of the NATO Partnership for Peace and to reaffirm the strong relationship between the United States and Ukraine.

"Today is a historic day in a historic week," Mr. Cohen said on July 11, addressing more than 1,200 troops, representing eight countries at the conclusion of the 11-day international Cooperative Neighbor 97 peacekeeping exercises.

"Today you are concluding the first full-fledged Partnership for Peace exercise on the soil of Ukraine. And you are doing so on the heels of NATO's historic summit in Madrid, where NATO reached out to invite three new democracies to join the alliance, where NATO reaffirmed its determination to seek a cooperative relationship with Russia, and, equally important, where a historic charter was signed establishing a new relationship between Ukraine and NATO," said the defense secretary.

Military exercises held in 1995 and 1996 at the Yavoriv testing grounds were "in the spirit of" the PFP, and not official exercises. The Cooperative Neighbor '97 exercises were hosted by NATO-member Greece and are considered a broader, more cooperative effort.

After reviewing the troops from the U.S., Ukraine, Greece, Moldova, Georgia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Macedonia on a picture perfect summer day, Secretary Cohen noted: "I am impressed with what I have seen here today. Cooperative Neighbor is the military embodiment of Europe's new security architecture, and of Ukraine's newfound self-confidence as an independent actor in European security. It symbolizes Ukraine's evolving role as a unifying element across the continent's old dividing lines."

The U.S. official stood alongside Gen. Oleksander Kuzmuk, Ukraine's minister of defense, on the reviewing stand and witnessed the lowering of the flags of all eight countries participating in the exercises while the anthems of these countries were played by a military band.

During the ceremonies, Gen. Kuzmuk presented a medal to Gen. Nicholas Krawciw (U.S. Army-ret.), a Ukrainian American, for his leading role in working with the Ukraine's Ministry of Defense and making Partnership for Peace exercises a reality.

After meeting with American troops in the field, Secretary Cohen held private meetings with Gen. Kuzmuk in Yavoriv, attended a luncheon in his honor and toured the 181st Tank Regiment. The wives in the traveling delegation were taken on a tour of Lviv during the morning; they rejoined their husbands at the luncheon. The entourage then flew to Kyiv.

Air of camaraderie

Landing at Lviv's military airport early on Friday morning, July 11, on an Air Force jet, Mr. Cohen, his wife and their delegation were met by Minister Kuzmuk and his wife, U.S. Ambassador William Green Miller and his wife, Suzanne, as well as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. Yuri Shcherbak.

There was an air of genuine friendship and camaraderie as Gen. Kuzmuk escorted the U.S. official and his large entourage during their two days in Ukraine. Only two months earlier, Secretary Cohen and his wife, Janet, had hosted the Ukrainian defense minister and his wife, Liuda, during their visit to the United States.

The U.S. delegation, which included Mr. Cohen's assistant secretaries of defense and special assistants, as well as wives and journalists, had traveled to Madrid from the United States, then on to Budapest, where Secretary Cohen met with senior Hungarian officials and reviewing troops.

During his visit to Ukraine, Mr. Cohen made it clear that although NATO had accepted three new democracies to the alliance - Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic - these first new members will not be the last.

"The door to NATO membership will remain open to others. And the key to that door is the Partnership for Peace," he said.

Ukraine's future and NATO

Ukraine's role in Europe was closely examined during Secretary Cohen's various meetings on Saturday morning, July 12, with Ukrainian officials, including President Leonid Kuchma, National Defense and Security Council Secretary Volodymyr Horbulin and Gen. Kuzmuk.

Meeting with President Kuchma, who had just returned from the NATO summit in Madrid, Secretary Cohen praised Ukraine's efforts in settling disputes with its neighbors, i.e. signing friendship and cooperation treaties with Russia and Romania.

"We appreciate the courageous stands that President Kuchma has taken in trying to develop a free market and a prosperous economy, the courageous steps that he has taken to get rid of nuclear weapons on Ukraine's soil, and that he intends to lead Ukraine into a very stable, democratic and prosperous 21st century," Mr. Cohen emphasized.

In an exclusive interview with journalist Vadym Dolhanov of the "Aspekty" weekly TV program on the Interchannel, the U.S. defense secretary said the relationship between NATO and Ukraine had never been stronger.

He stated: "In Madrid, you had every leader of the Western world take time out to pay tribute to a single country, to Ukraine, and they each rose and spoke in very eloquent and passionate language about the leadership Ukraine has shown in setting forth on an independent course of action, as an independent country, autonomous, very proud of its history and moving forward into the 21st century, looking forward to more stability and building more prosperity. So, it's a great moment for Ukraine. It's a wonderful relationship that's been established between the NATO countries in Ukraine."

Asked by Mr. Dolhanov whether Ukraine could join NATO, Mr. Cohen replied that this is a real possiblity but that it would depend on the people of Ukraine.

"That would depend upon your leadership in terms of whether they would desire to take the country into such a relationship. It would very much depend upon the people of Ukraine - if they would desire to do so. And, if they should, then, of course, they would have to measure up to the criteria that are specified in the NATO charter and get the approval and recommendation of all the other NATO countries," he explained.

Secretary Cohen talked also about the differences in how Russia and Ukraine have responded to NATO enlargement. "Ukraine has said NATO enlargement is not a threat. Some of the Russian leaders believe that while NATO is no longer a threat to the Russian people, NATO enlargement is a mistake from their point of view. So, I think the Ukrainian people have embraced NATO enlargment or at least have indicated that they do not consider it to be a threat, whereas some of the Russian leadership at this point have indicated that they believe it is a mistake to enlarge."

Joint press conference

Later, at a joint press conference with Gen. Kuzmuk, the American official talked about the importance of the NATO-Ukraine Charter, what it means for the future of Ukraine and how that agreement is going to play a leading role in helping to promote democracy, stability and prosperity in Europe.

While Secretary Cohen talked about how the Partnership for Peace program can be enhanced in the future, and how the U.S. can cooperate in sharing information and technology, helping to developed non-commissioned officer corps and sharing in military mapping techniques, military medicine and other forms of cooperation, Gen. Kuzmuk talked about Ukraine's priorities for the military.

Ukraine's defense minister said one of the main problems in Ukraine today is the fact that the government does not have enough money to provide the Ukrainian armed forces with necessary equipment and material. He went on to say that other priorities include the improvement of the social protection of the military; the second priority is the maintenance of combat vehicles and equipment at the appropriate level of combat readiness; and the improvement of air defense systems, information data processing, electronic equipment, electronic warfare and aviation.

"Our next priority is the Ukrainian navy," he said. "And that is quite understandable from a political point of view. Now we are practically implementing the agreement concerning the division of the Black Sea Fleet. We have already taken our 15 vessels from the Russian fleet, and we need to make some appropriate preparations," said Gen. Kuzmuk.

Secretary Cohen and his delegation also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and attended a luncheon hosted by Ambassador Miller at his residence, while the women were treated to a tour of the capital city.

The delegation regrouped at the Armed Forces Academy, where Mr. Cohen delivered a speech to more than 500 officers, students, diplomats and government officials, saluting Ukraine's independence, its role as a "cornerstone in the new architecture of security developing in Europe" and its position as a strategic partner for the U.S. Through his interpreter, Marta Zielyk, he quoted Taras Shevchenko, Mykhailo Hrushetsky and Lesia Ukrainka.

The secretary of defense underlined: "The United States is committed to helping Ukraine meet its challenges. This commitment stems not just from friendship, but from strategic self-interest. As President Bill Clinton said two years ago in Kyiv, Ukraine 'provides an essential anchor of stability and freedom in a part of the world still reeling from rapid change.' "

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