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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Albright in Kyiv brandishes carrot and stick

10 March, 1998 - 00:00

US Secretary of State Madeline Albright was an extraordinarily vivid demonstration of the essence of Ukraine's "multidirectional" foreign policy: with whom we meet and what we have access to. Under strong pressure from Washington Ukraine was forced to withdraw from participating in the profitable Russian contract to build a nuclear power station in the Iranian port of Busher.

Perhaps the Turboatom Co. will not lose out completely. In place of the Russian project it was offered the chance to take part in a German contract to rebuild such a power plant in the US. US Administration sources have made it known that the Ukrainian leadership has received a note demanding Ukraine's complete refraining of all cooperation with Iran in the sphere of nuclear energy.

Refusal to work with Iran in this sphere has cost Ukraine $45 million which Foreign Minister Hennady Udovenko calls "great financial losses." President Kuchma disagrees, quickly switching to Russian, he called Udovenko's statement "something of an overstatement. Instead Kyiv has decided to accept Washington's assurances that it will be given access to rocket control technologies. The American demand that Ukraine destroy its operational tactical rockets, the range of which does not remotely threaten the US (500 kilometers) testifies to the degree of faith the US government has in the stability of Ukraine's leadership and political situation.

Photo by Valeriy Miloserdov, The Day:


US Secretary of State Albright at a meeting with leading Ukrainian politicians

 

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