By Tetiana KOROBOVA, The Day
Whoever in the Ukrainian delegation first found a pub called Al Capone
on the Warsaw map in Bankowa Square instantly caused others to feel a strong
association with our home towns. And it no longer mattered what the owners
of this Polish fast food facility were guided by, what and who they meant,
and even why they had renamed it (during our visit it was already named
At Fisher's, for the map turned out to bear obsolete data): Capone on Bankowa
sounds very fresh, down to earth, and brings people together.
Otherwise, it is a gap that I find unpleasant. When Americans view us
as a Slavic Uruguay, it is more or less clear, with due account of their
American egocentric stupidity, lack of European-style education, and an
economically-grounded feeling of being the crown of humanity whose reaction
to their own American mistakes can simply be ignored. But here are our
own guys, yesterday's convicts who used to sip the same swill behind barbed
wire - there you are!
I am interested in Poland and its integration as much as it is in me,
i.e., politely but superficially. What interests me much more is its attitude
to Ukraine, to the problems of a state in the center of Europe gravitating
toward Asian values, to the future of a multivectored country which as
a result has ground to a halt, more and more sinking in the mud of its
"brilliant" past. And when a certain Polish politician says, "But Kuchma
is so pro-Western," I see that they know nothing, do not want to know anything
about us, and they are hardly worried over what their neighbors will have
as a result of the President's "pro-Western" course which has in fact led
to a probable victory of pro-Russian and pro-Union forces. And when the
independent and, what is more, elite Polish press treats Ukraine and its
leader with skeptical condescension, but hints at the same time about the
absence of choice, mentioning in a row "diehard Moroz," "General Marchuk"
and Vitrenko, referring to the two latter as the former Ukrainian KGB chief
and Le Pen in drag, respectively, it becomes clear why President Kwasniewski
was run off his feet at the NATO summit in Washington, supporting Kuchma
who extorts financial aid from the West "to preserve democracy and the
path of reform." "The father of Ukrainian democracy" is now being patted
on the back by not only the Russians but also all and sundry, including
"friend Arafat," so one can deport 200 Ukrainians from Poland on the eve
of the Lviv summit, as if they were homeless and nameless tramps, thus
trampling upon the leader's national dignity. Our Polish neighbor is now
a NATO member, while our business is to do or die, murmuring at the last
gasp something like "preservation of democracy" and "European choice."
Of course, Poles at all political levels will tell us about love and
friendship, agreeing both with Jozef Pilsudski and Zbigniew Brzezinski
that there will be no independent Poland without an independent Ukraine.
But if you pressure them into forecasting Ukraine's further destiny which
may only go two ways under the on-going scenario, either Kuchma's totalitarianism
or Red dictatorship, the answer will be interesting: "But we joined the
North Atlantic Alliance March 12, so we are calm." "And what Russian actions
could cause Poland to look for some adequate response?" "But we on March
12..."
"But, not knowing exactly the situation in Ukraine, you run the risk
of..."
"But we..." In other words, "Look, we have NATO!"
Of course, the Poles are worried that if Ukraine does not pull itself
up, Poland will have to sharply tighten border controls after being admitted
to the EU. They would not like to do so for economic, rather than friendly,
considerations, for the cross-border trade turnover is $2 billion. But,
in the final analysis, means are sure be found to justify the ends. And
sincerely hoping that European borders not be redrawn, the neighbors will
wave a hand at us from behind their new wall. And they will do it in a
very Polish way. One lady says to another in a streetcar: "Would madam
move her cat? I can't get by."
The other replies, "Go on, the cat isn't bothering you."
"But madam can see that I can't get by!"
"If madam is a cow, what can I do?"
"No one will help you if you don't help yourself" is the second refrain
sounding at all meetings after the first one: there are no political forces
in Poland that oppose NATO and European membership. One must add to this
what was not discussed: the Polish people trust their leadership, for the
country's economy is on its feet and not lying prostrate. This is why people
do not cast doubts, by and large, on the official course. Gazeta wyborcza
has published the data of a poll asking: who would the Poles prefer if
presidential elections were held right now? President Kwasniewski not only
leads among a dozen of probable candidates but exceeds 70%. Everything
is clear, one does not have to invent creeping excuses of the type: "President
Kuchma made mistakes during his first term, but now he knows what to do.
Moreover in his second term he will not be haunted by reelection fears,
so he will work to benefit the country and not to struggle for power..."
This is rather strange, unintelligible, and painful: wherever you look
in the civilized world, you will not find such a propped-up state leader;
everywhere there are personalities you cannot suspect of having no original
thoughts and being always capable of laying an egg not sanctioned by his
advisors... It is even surprising, having come from Ukraine, to listen
to a 20-minute monologue by Poland's deputy minister of foreign affairs
on the republic's foreign policy and not to hear even once: "on the instruction
of our President," "on the initiative of our President," or "at the request
of our President..." Mr. Andrzej Ananicz turned out not to lack humor and
he replied with understanding: "If madam insists, I can say that the President
shares our actions. But, in general, I am a member of the Cabinet of Ministers
and not the President's staff." Good Lord! All one can say in an aboriginal
delight is that, no, we are not Europe... Even if NATO writes in huge letters
in its new concept that we are an important factor of European security.
Polish Minister of Defense Janusz Onyszkiewicz, unlike many other politicians,
said without any diplomatic subtleties, "No one knows what turn the situation
in Russia might take, for it does not know it itself. We hope it will be
a democratic path, but we are not certain of this. So NATO membership is
important for us as an element of overall defense."
Equally important is "Ukraine's awareness of the motives for our actions."
The motive is, of course, for Ukraine, but since Ukraine is a "strategic
partner," it would be interesting to know what Poland means by this. This
interlocutor not without humor added, "One sometimes abuses the definition
of strategic partner. We might as well say the Fiji Islands are our strategic
partner. But everybody knows: whatever happens to Fiji is of little importance
for us. But what will happen to Ukraine does matter to us. This is not
a compliment to Ukraine but recognition of its real geopolitical place
and importance."
Otherwise, it is explainable for any situation: "Poland wanted to join
NATO for the same reasons that the alliance members do not want to get
out of it."
Of course, the Polish people understand that its admission to NATO is
a political decision by the US. Things are far more complicated with the
European Union, for this requires a different, more advanced, level of
viability from the state in general and its bodies in particular. There
is enough time left until 2003, the planned date of admission, and the
Poles tell us: Ukraine should become an associate member as soon as possible,
we do not want an iron curtain on the Bug River, we do not want Poland
to be a front-line state, nor do we want to fence ourselves off from you...
"Whether or not you want it, you have to."
No one is fully aware of the danger that the outward signs of democracy
are not the content and essence of Ukrainian life. And no one, in all probability,
is interested in it. If the world believes that "Kuchma is a pro-Western
democrat and reformer," then this country is in the last throes of agony.
It is this, plus the complete impoverishment of people who have today a
new problem of lining up for cheap sugar, that enables the current President
and, still more, his entourage to twist the arm of all Ukraine in order
to gain the victory of a "democrat" over the "Red peril." For example,
who could possibly believe over there, in Poland, that Mr. Kuchma's headquarters
has today set a task to ward off the registration of the candidatures of
Moroz and Marchuk as dangerous for the President on his left and right
flanks? To this end, scenario writers even agree to waive the earlier-planned
demonstration of "nationwide support" by collecting 5-7 million signatures
in favor of Kuchma. Now the candidates are strictly allowed to have signature
sheets for 1,200,000 signatures, and both Marchuk and Moroz will have 200,000
odd signatures invalidated.
Can anybody in Poland, the EU, or NATO imagine that elections is business
and not a democratic show of preferences? But particularities and details
apart (such as the rate for the Constitution's guarantor: one hryvnia per
signature, though every army recruit knows that they won't spare the ammunition
in wartime), there are more serious business-projects coming down to this:
the President, "awash in nationwide feelings," may simply not notice that
his favorite saying that "It is the thief who cries out, 'Stop thief!'"
can suddenly serve as a nice epigraph to Oleksandr Volkov's warning to
Speaker Oleksandr Tkachenko about the consequences of the latter running.
After receiving a stern rebuke from the one, the other replied, "Who do
you think you are?" This perhaps only confirms our old saying that it is
sweet to quarrel but even sweeter to make up. And when Mr. Volkov goes
to the board of the Ukrayina Bank, which funds the agrarian lobby, this
does not necessarily mean supervision over Mr. Tkachenko. The same thing
with the alumina plant issue grinding through Verkhovna Rada: it is the
people of Volkov and Tkachenko who turned out to be far from loose cannons
with their coinciding interests crossing each other. Small wonder that
such forceful personalities should gravitate toward each other... It will
be surprising if it seems to somebody that such a skilled plowman as the
"neither the first nor second" Mr. Tkachenko always cooks his dough using
the same recipe. Informed sources claim that the yeast has been laid in
at least two barrels, one of which is red and the other is good to knead
the dough together with Mr. Moroz... However, although Mr. Kuchma's team
(which one?) will try to convince the Speaker, in case of his nomination,
that this is good not only because it contributes to washing out the Left
electorate, it will also be good for other reasons: Mr. Tkachenko's appearance
in the ring means drastically reduced opportunities for fixing, redistribution
of financial flows, and, in general, it will create a situation such that
"fools remain fools, and the bird has flown the coop." Incidentally, on
flights: the destiny of the "progressive" socialist Natalia Vitrenko probably
depends on whether Mr. Kuchma's headquarters manages to deep-six Moroz
and Marchuk at the outset. If so, our witch of Konotop will have to saddle
her broom and go back to where she belongs. If not, then her jet will be
refueled by the Agrarian Party for another sortie: to carpet-bomb all living
things still standing in Mr. Kuchma's way to the throne.
"Tell me please, are the authorities hyping Ms. Vitrenko on purpose?"
questioned not a politician but, let us say, a technical employee. Otherwise,
a pro-Western Kuchma for them, and unscrupulous games on Kyiv's Bankova
Street for us. But each will get his both here and there...
Professor Jerzy Osiatynski, member of the Sejm, economist, and a regular
visitor to Kyiv since 1995, speaks entirely frankly on the topic of how
Poland can help Ukraine: "You've got very rampant corruption... How can
one manage a country under a system where there is the government, Parliament
and the President's administration?.. Your shadow economy is over 50%.
Mr. Pustovoitenko took offense at me, but this is so!.. The Ministry of
Finance is very weak... Ukraine is somewhat schizophrenic: the law and
real life are poles apart... You want to be picked up and carried by somebody
else, you want the West to buy you or else you'll go to Russia. Please
go if you want to! We need a free and independent Ukraine, but we will
do nothing in place of it... I often say so, but it is like banging your
head against a brick wall: they all agree but say they have a different
mentality..."
Everybody laughed, but I felt like crying.
Kyiv - Warsaw - Kyiv
The Day thanks Ukraine's Democratic Initiatives Foundation and
Poland's Stefan Batory Foundation for their brilliant organization of the
trip.






