Turning the pages back... October 2, 1994 (10/02/05)

Turning the pages back...

October 2, 1994

Back on October 2, 1994, The Ukrainian Weekly reported that members of the American-Ukrainian Advisory Committee had held their second plenary meeting in Kyiv, reaffirming America's commitment to Ukraine's independence.

Leaders such as Zbigniew Brzezinski (U.S. national security advisor under President Jimmy Carter), Henry Kissinger (U.S. secretary of state under President Richard Nixon) and international businessman/philanthropist George Soros conveyed the message that a strong, stable and secure Ukraine serves the interests of peace and stability in Europe and is a critical factor in the post-Communist transition.

The committee issued a 10-point communiqué. The committee praised President Leonid Kuchma's "courageous decision to take charge of economic policy." Mr. Soros explained: "President [Leonid] Kravchuk always avoided taking personal responsibility for economic policy and so did President [Boris] Yeltsin. President Kuchma is taking a step forward, which we applaud."

The discussions focused on the need to strengthen U.S.-Ukraine relations and the importance of Ukraine's role in aiding the peaceful and democratic redefinition of Russia. The committee commended recent improvements in Ukrainian-Russian relations.

"Members of this committee support a strong, independent Ukraine, which redefines the very nature of Russia. It changes Russia into a normal, national state from a traditionally imperial state," said Dr. Brzezinski, adding that the pursuit of an imperial objective would be a historical disaster for Russia. Dr. Brzezinski underscored that "The independence and sovereignty of Ukraine is clearly the policy of the U.S. government and clearly one which enjoys bipartisan political support."

The leaders quelled fears that the republics of the former Soviet Union will fall under "the Russian sphere of influence," as had been reported by the news media in the West and Russia. Russia needs excellent relations with the United States, explained Dr. Kissinger. "Certainly one aspect of Russian strategy is to make independence painful for at least some of the former members of the Soviet Union, so they rejoin some sort of new system. This cannot be in U.S. interests, and I believe that Russia wants a good relationship with the U.S. That means that Russia must stay within its borders."

Source: "American-Ukrainian Advisory Committee visits Kyiv, convenes meeting, issues communiqué," by Marta Kolomayets, Kyiv Press Bureau, The Ukrainian Weekly, October 2, 1994, Vol. LXII, No. 40.

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