“Investing in Ukraine’s Future,” by John E. Herbst, Steven Pifer and William B. Taylor Jr., former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, The New York Times, December 29, 2015 (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/opinion/investing-in-ukraines-future.html?_r=0):
…Appropriately funding efforts to improve Ukraine’s stability is a down payment on Europe’s collective security. Russia’s land grab in Crimea violates the very security architecture – including the Helsinki Final Act responsible for establishing the inviolability of Europe’s national borders – that has kept Europe secure since World War II. But the durability of this system depends on the West’s willingness to defend it. Failing to do so signals to both adversaries and allies that agreements among nations simply do not matter.
Support for Ukraine’s democratic aspirations in the face of Russian aggression is one of the few areas where both Democrats and Republicans agree. But the gap between rhetoric and resources pledged is shockingly wide. Next year, Ukraine can expect approximately $3 billion to $4 billion in conditional support from the United States and the European Union combined. This sum is insufficient. Lawrence Summers, the former United States treasury secretary, called on Europeans to deliver on promises to support Ukraine’s reform efforts with increased funding of $5 billion to $10 billion, calling it an important “security investment.” He’s right.
Congress and the Obama administration should work together to provide an additional $2 billion to $5 billion in economic support. At the same time, Washington should seek to persuade the European Union to make a similar commitment for a total of $10 billion, the optimal amount of support to allow Ukraine’s government room to maneuver. …
A new Ukraine was born on the Maidan, but the United States and Europe have thus far failed to make an adequate commitment to its success. …