Turning the pages back... February 10, 1994 (02/06/00)

Turning the pages back...

February 10, 1994

Six years ago on February 10, President Bill Clinton met with leaders of the Ukrainian American community to discuss U.S.-Ukraine relations. Also at the White House meeting were Vice-President Al Gore, National Security Advisor Anthony Lake and Ambassador Strobe Talbott.

Stating that "the relationships between the United States and Ukraine are at their strongest point since 1991," the president outlined the progress in economic, political and military relations between the two nations. He also noted that the United States has "already approved and provided $175 million in assistance to facilitate the dismantling of the nuclear weapons" and said he expects "to almost double that amount when President [Leonid] Kravchuk is here" (on March 4). He also announced that "we had decided to double our bilateral economic assistance to Ukraine this year to more than $300 million."

Julian Kulas, chairman of the Ukrainian Americans for Clinton/Gore Committee in 1992, pointed out that the Ukrainian American community can be a bridge to Ukraine. He stressed the community's great concern for the security of Ukraine, pointing out that "nations in Eastern Europe look to Ukraine as a stabilizing influence." Mr. Kulas presented the administration with a four-page position paper drafted by the community leadership.

Vice-President Gore stated that the community had been "extremely effective in getting the administration to focus on Ukraine," and said he hopes it will be as effective in trying "to get Ukraine to change its macro-economics."

Commenting on the meeting, Ulana Diachuk, president of both the Ukrainian National Association (UNA) and the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC), stated: "The meeting was a positive first step in the development of working relations between the Clinton administration and our community. We are looking forward to continuing this dialogue. Obviously, the positive steps that the administration has taken toward Ukraine are welcome, especially in light of the administration's focus on Russia only for the past year. We stressed and will continue to stress the need for the immediate release of the promised assistance for Ukraine."

Source: "Ukrainian Americans meet with Clinton; discuss United States-Ukraine relations," The Ukrainian Weekly, February 20, 1994, Vol. LXII, No. 8.

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