Tarasyuk addresses Chicago Council on Foreign Relations (12/30/01)

Tarasyuk addresses Chicago Council on Foreign Relations

by Matt Walter
Eastern Economist

CHICAGO - September 11 was a moment of truth for the whole civilized world, "raising questions about security systems regionally, nationally and internationally," said former Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk in the opening of his keynote address on November 26 at the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. His topic was "On the U.S.-Ukrainian Strategic Partnership in Light of the September 11 Tragedy."

"Terrorism has no distinctive borders," Ambassador Tarasyuk, a 25-year veteran of Ukraine's Foreign Service, told his audience of 75. "Moreover, terrorists use means beyond normal values, morals and methods, threatening peace and security not just in one particular country, but everywhere."

Commenting that the attack had "manifested a feeling of military impotence among Americans," Mr. Tarasyuk noted, "it highlighted shortcomings in U.S. foreign policy and intelligence gathering, and it brought out disturbing interpretations of religious dogma and history."

However, the fact that the G-8 (the Group of Seven plus Russia) quickly declared that acts of terrorism were not to be associated with ethnic or religious goals and that the United Nations created a broad-based International Anti-Terrorism Coalition sent out a very important message to the world, said Mr. Tarasyuk, founder and director of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation. This "very proper and practical statement" has given the U.N. "great credibility as a leading international institution." Fortunately, Mr. Tarasyuk added, "Prof. Huntington's theory of a clash between civilizations did not become reality. Instead, we have entered a global war on terrorism."

The worldwide focus on the WTC attack has brought to the fore other potential threats from the Cold War era "from which Ukraine cannot be excluded," Mr. Tarasyuk said. "Globalization has provided an avenue for computer terrorism, which makes strategic computer systems and atomic energy stations especially vulnerable." Moreover, U.S. officials have testified on numerous occasions that their Russian sources say a dozen "suitcase bombs" containing nuclear devices capable of producing a 10-kiloton explosion, have gone missing from Russia's arsenal. "Let's hope Russia's inventory accounting is just sloppy," said Mr. Tarasyuk.

What's worse is that among countries like the United States, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, Iraq and China, who have secretly developed and stockpiled chemical and biological weapons, any number of storage sites and laboratories have maintained very lax security, allowing would-be terrorists easy access to these weapons.

Ukraine responded quickly to the September 11 attacks, thus far granting some 300 U.S. military and supply aircraft overflight privileges through Ukrainian airspace, as well as allowing the use of its huge cargo planes. Once again, Mr. Tarasyuk said, Ukraine's readiness to cooperate with U.S. military strategy, coming after its voluntary nuclear disarmament, its economic and political efforts to align with European Union and U.S. guidelines, is proof that "most Ukrainians consider themselves European, not Eurasian or northern Asian, like some maps are trying to depict."

He also described Ukraine's dealings with Russia as "simply in the interest of good neighborly and constructive relations - not concessions reflecting some kind of internal political weakness after Prime Minister Yuschenko's dismissal."

Mr. Tarasyuk said he believes that Ukraine has come a long way in its strategic partnership with the United States. Although the country has had to endure mostly dismissive treatment in the U.S. media, Ukrainian participation in international peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans, its positive economic outlook, favorable treatment by the International Monatery Fund and the World Bank, increasingly pro-Western ambitions, and continuing efforts to join international organizations like the World Trade Organization are beginning to touch the average American.

"When I caught a taxi recently in New York City," Mr. Tarasyuk recounted, "the driver, who was of Pakistani origin, asked me where I was from. 'Ukraine,' I said. 'Oh, Ukraine is a very rich country,' he responded enthusiastically. 'You are making lots of rockets, tanks and food.'" This cabbie may be light years ahead of the mainstream U.S. media, but his response is affirmation and testimony to Ukraine's ceaseless efforts in contributing to a U.S.-Ukrainian strategic partnership, he commented.

With his presentation in Chicago, organized by the Western NIS Enterprise Fund and the Chicago Sister Cities Program, Mr. Tarasyuk wrapped up a three-month U.S. tour as distinguished Petro Jacyk Fellow at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.

On his return to Kyiv, Mr. Tarasyuk is expected to play a significant role during the parliamentary election campaign as chief foreign policy adviser to Nasha Ukraina, a coalition of political parties led by Mr. Yuschenko.

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