Turning the pages back...

May 16, 2004

On May 16, 2004, our editorial argued that "Ukraine's place is in Europe." It came on the heels of celebrations as 10 new countries joined the European Union. However, the EU's eastward expansion had drawn a new dividing line across Europe, as "Europe" stopped at the borders of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Moldova. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen stated flat out that Ukraine, Russia and Moldova had no chance of gaining membership in the EU, whose president, Romano Prodi, said that there were no prospects for Ukraine or Belarus to join.

To be sure, Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma and his administration were much less than clear about Kyiv's intentions, vacillating between the West and the East, pursuing something they dubbed a "multi-vectored" foreign policy. Speaking at Columbia University, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual put it succinctly: "The question for Ukraine is whether its leaders see the country as a part of Europe, and, if so, will they take the necessary steps to make a European Ukraine a reality."

Today, however, Ukraine has a new leader who has spoken clearly and loudly: "Ukraine is the heart of Europe," President Viktor Yushchenko told the European Council on January 25.

Source: "Ukraine's place is in Europe" (editorial), May 16, 2004, Vol. LXXII, No. 20.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 15, 2005, No. 20, Vol. LXXIII

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