WASHINGTON – Ukraine’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vadym Prystayko expressed his optimism that the military and economic aid Ukraine needs to survive its current military and economic crises will soon be forthcoming from the United States, Europe and major international organizations.
Speaking with journalists at the Embassy of Ukraine on January 30, at the conclusion of his four-day visit here, Mr. Prystayko said he discussed the situation in Ukraine and the assistance it needs with U.S. officials at the White House and State Department, and at the Atlantic Council and other think tanks. As a result, he said, it was his understanding that the Obama administration will soon come to an agreement with Congress.
Military aid is uppermost on Ukraine’s needs list, he said, but an estimated $15 billion financial aid package to help stabilize Ukraine’s currency and balance its budget is also important. He said that the U.S. portion of this sum under discussion now is in the range of $2 billion to $3 billion for the near future. The rest should come from European Union countries, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Mr. Prystayko said Ukraine does not expect to receive the U.S. portion in “one big envelope,” but it does expect the first installment to replace the current “stand-by” program within the next two months. And this could be finalized before Secretary of State John Kerry’s next visit to Ukraine, he added. (That visit was scheduled for February 5.)
Mr. Prystayko said that the military assistance and coordination needed by Ukraine changes, pointing out that while military vehicles used to be on top of Ukraine’s list in the past, now anti-missile radars are considered very important for the safety of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians – along with continued diplomatic pressure and sanctions on Russia.
Asked what Ukrainians living abroad can do to help Ukraine in this hour of need, Mr. Prystayko said he was proud of what they are doing in assisting various aid programs, which provide medical equipment, medications and doctors, as well as translations of instruction materials into Ukrainian.
Before his Embassy press conference, Vice-Minister Prystayko presented Ukraine’s position during a daylong conference at the Atlantic Council on developing a trans-Atlantic strategy for the Europe’s East.
Two days later, that think tank joined with The Brookings Institution and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs in presenting a report on “Preserving Ukraine’s Independence, Resisting Russian Aggression: What the United States and NATO Must Do,” authored by eight foreign policy experts, including two former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine – Steven Pifer and John Herbst – who underscored the following three recommendations:
• The White House and Congress should commit serious funds to upgrade Ukraine’s defense capabilities, specifically providing $1 billion in military assistance this year, followed by an additional $1 billion each in the next two fiscal years.
• The U.S. government should alter its policy and begin providing lethal assistance to Ukraine’s military.
• The U.S. government should approach other NATO countries about also providing military assistance to Ukraine.
(The full report may be read at http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/ 2015/02/ukraine-independence-russian-aggression.)