Quotable notes (11/26/06)

Quotable notes

"... Ukraine belongs in NATO; there's never been any doubt about that, from a strategic point of view. It's the big player, the most significant part of the former Soviet Union that should be a part of Europe.

"It is also very clear, particularly since the Orange Revolution, that Ukraine is a democracy, in fact, a vibrant democracy. As we have seen recently, the process of building democratic institutions can be turbulent, full of unexpected reversals and twists and turns. Nonetheless, the people of Ukraine on the maidan [Independence Square] have emphatically embraced democracy as their system of governance.

"Over the past two years, the people have been struggling with their leaders, with the choice of leaders, and how those leaders should respond to their wishes. Their wishes, of course, were made very clear on the maidan and the program that Ukraine's leaders ought to follow was made very clear on the maidan.

"The problem has been for the institutions of governance, particularly the newly forming political parties, to translate the will of the people into meaningful political action. ..."

- William Miller, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, in his opening remarks at Ukraine's Quest for Mature Nation Statehood Roundtable VII: Ukraine and NATO Membership, October 17.

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