Yushchenko inauguration drives upturn in relations with U.S. (01/30/05)

Yushchenko inauguration drives upturn in relations with U.S.

by Yaro Bihun
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

WASHINGTON - The inauguration of Viktor Yushchenko as president of Ukraine on January 23 gave rise to a noticeable upturn in its bilateral relationship with the United States.

There were two high-level U.S. meetings with the new president, an exchange of invitations for presidential visits to Kyiv and Washington, and statements about supporting Ukraine's new government - albeit without specifics yet - both from the Bush administration and from Congress. As during the Orange Revolution, when Mr. Yushchenko's supporters were demanding free and fair elections on Kyiv's Independence Square, Secretary of State Colin Powell was the administration's point man at the inauguration as well.

He headed the U.S. presidential delegation, which, in addition to U.S. Ambassador John Herbst and Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, included three Ukrainian American representatives: Ukrainian Federation of America President Vera Andryczyk, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation President Nadia Komarnyckyj McConnell and Northern Illinois University Adjunct Professor Myron Kuropas.

On the eve of the inauguration, President Bush telephoned then President-elect Yushchenko to congratulate him on his hard-fought victory, which he termed "democracy's victory" in Ukraine. Later, Secretary Powell told reporters in Kyiv that President Bush had also pledged "continuing support to Ukraine."

During his meeting with the new president on inauguration day, Secretary Powell said, they had a good discussion not only about all of the bilateral issues but also "about broader issues of Euro-Atlantic integration and how Ukraine will be moving to make sure that it becomes a valued member of the Euro-Atlantic communities."

Turning to President Yushchenko, who was standing beside him, he added: "I just want to assure you that you will continue to enjoy the full support of the American government and the American people, as you move forward now to undertake the efforts that the Ukrainian people are expecting."

President Yushchenko noted some of the specifics that were discussed at their meeting, among them prospects for Ukraine acquiring market-based economy status, being accepted into the World Trade Organization, the opening of the U.S. market to more Ukrainian goods and the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. Iraq was also on the agenda, he said.

Secretary Powell said that President Bush expressed his hope that President Yushchenko would be able to visit the United States "in the not-too-distant future," and added that he would pass on to the President Bush President Yushchenko's invitation for him to visit Ukraine.

Three days later, President Yushchenko had his second high-level U.S. meeting - with Vice-President Dick Cheney in Krakow, Poland, where both came to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of nearby Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi extermination camps.

During a news conference following their meeting, the vice-president said that what President Yushchenko had accomplished was "remarkable and inspiring, and there are great tasks ahead."

President Yushchenko is "an ally in freedom's cause, he said, adding that "President Bush and the American people stand with him.''

President Yushchenko also invited Vice-President Cheney to visit Ukraine "at a time convenient to him."

Meanwhile in Washington, the Bush administration was putting the finishing touches on a request to Congress for an additional $80 billion to help fund U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to press reports, administration and congressional officials indicated that the supplemental request would include funds for other needs as well, among them for assistance to Ukraine. While no specific amount for Ukraine was disclosed, sources close to the supplemental aid discussions were estimating the amount would be between $50 million and $80 million.

U.S. economic development assistance levels to Ukraine have been falling dramatically in recent years. In 2004 the total was $80 million. This amount was to be cut by 40 percent in 2005. In the mid-1990s annual totals of U.S. aid to Ukraine were above $200 million.

There are indications in Congress - at least in the form of a congressional resolution and individual statements - that U.S. lawmakers are ready to increase assistance funding for Ukraine and help it in other ways as well.

Two days after President Yushchenko's inauguration, on January 25, the House of Representatives passed a resolution congratulating him on his victory and the Ukrainian people "for conducting a democratic, transparent and fair run-off presidential election."

The resolution, which passed by a vote of 392 to one, also pledged U.S. assistance "to the strengthening of a fully free and open democratic system in Ukraine, the creation of a prosperous free market economy in Ukraine, the reaffirmation of Ukraine's independence and territorial sovereignty, and Ukraine's full integration into the international community of democracies." (The single vote against the resolution was by Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul.)

The only instance of discordant reporting in the U.S. press about recent events in Ukraine came on January 26, when Knight-Ridder Newspapers focused on the presence of Myron Kuropas on the U.S. presidential delegation. In a Knight-Ridder report, which ran in the Washington Post and was picked up by the Associated Press, Dr. Kuropas was characterized as a "Ukrainian-American activist who has accused Jews of manipulating the Holocaust for their gain and blamed them for Soviet-era atrocities in Ukraine."

"His presence in the delegation was greeted with dismay by several U.S. officials and Jewish-American leaders, who learned about it after the fact," the report said.

An un-named White House official told the Knight Ridder reporters that the White House was not aware of Dr. Kuropas's previous statements. "Had we been aware of such comments beforehand, we would not have invited Dr. Kuropas to be a member of the delegation," he said.

The report quoted Dr. Kuropas as saying in a telephone interview that he was "dismayed" at the controversy. He worked for 12 years in a dialogue with Jewish community leaders, he said, and he received an award from the American Jewish Committee. In the mid-1970s, during President Gerald R. Ford's administration, Dr. Kuropas served as a White House special assistant for ethnic affairs.

"I do not criticize Jews, but certain Jewish behavior when I believe it defames the Ukrainian people. I particularly resent reading over and over again in Jewish periodicals and publications articles which present Ukraine, to paraphrase Elie Wiesel, as one big Babyn Yar," Dr. Kuropas told The Weekly.

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