And applauds Ukraine’s achievements
June 4 marked the closing day of the first meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member states after the Iraq War. However, the transatlantic discord over Iraq still casts a shadow over America’s relations with its European allies. The bottom line of the Madrid meeting agenda was whether the crisis has been overcome and if the allies will be able to avoid transatlantic differences in the future. Meanwhile, the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Committee scrutinized how Kyiv has been honoring its commitments under the Action Plan and Target Plan.
NATO Secretary General George Robertson has pledged support for the multinational peacekeeping forces to be deployed in the Polish sector of Iraq. The alliance approved this decision on the eve of the Madrid meeting. It is not ruled out that this was done especially to silence NATO’s critics. In particular, the alliance promised to provide units in the Polish sector of postwar Iraq with communications equipment, transportation, and intelligence. Formerly, Poland announced its readiness to send between 1,500 and 2,200 troops to Iraq. Since Ukrainian peacekeeping units will be under Polish command, NATO support will not only prove useful for Warsaw but could also make for a more effective dialog between Ukraine and the alliance. After all, Brussels cannot disregard the fact that the strength of the Ukrainian peacekeeping force will be roughly the same as the Polish contingent within the multinational peacekeeping division.
It appears that the war on terrorism will become the unifying factor that will restore unity to NATO. Mr. Robertson pointed to the antiterrorist campaign as the determining factor of the alliance’s future activities: “We must step in wherever there is a threat.” To support his words with deeds he announced the NATO decision to take command of 5,000 troops of international forces in Afghanistan as of August 11. NATO representatives have stressed that this will be the alliance’s first operation outside North America or Europe.
Meanwhile, the foreign press points to the fragility of the alliance’s regained unity. In particular, analysts forecast possible frictions within NATO. EU politicians have recently made scores of critical statements concerning the non- European military presence on the continent.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko has held several bilateral meetings in Madrid, among others, with his Spanish and Turkish counterparts. Last Tuesday he met with George Robertson who, according to the Foreign Ministry press service, “spoke highly of Ukraine’s progress on the implementation of the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan and Target Plan for 2003.” Robertson plans to visit Kyiv this fall. At the NATO-Ukraine Committee meeting, foreign ministers of NATO member states “recognized the considerable progress Ukraine has made on its way to Euro-Atlantic integration over the past six months and stressed, in particular, both its domestic successes and achievements in the international arena.” It will be recalled that only a few months ago NATO expressed its concern over Ukraine’s inaction, and George Robertson even sent a letter of warning to Premier Yanukovych.
Speaking over the phone, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Anatoly ZLENKO shared his impressions of the Madrid meeting:
“What is the main result of the Madrid meetings for Ukraine?”
“The main result is the fact that Ukraine’s efforts on the road to Euro-Atlantic integration found recognition and support. While formerly there were some problems in our dialog with NATO, the Madrid meetings have shown that they are to a large extent behind us. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Ukraine is regaining its standing in European politics. The Madrid meetings addressed a wide range of issues, among them military reform. Ukraine’s progress in this direction has been recognized. Financial issues were also broached, with the emphasis on transparency. We also discussed Ukraine’s involvement in the Iraq crisis and the internal situation in Ukraine in general. I reported substantial economic shifts, higher GDP, and production growth, which also impressed the participants of the NATO-Ukraine Committee meeting. The watchword of the Madrid meetings is support and readiness to provide assistance. We have passed a major test, with Ukraine receiving recognition for honoring its commitments under the Action Plan and Target Plan for 2003. Moreover, I had the possibility to address a meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council devoted to taking appropriate measures to counter new global threats and challenges. During our meeting with George Robertson we had a chance to discuss in more detail some aspects of the Action Plan and Target Plan. We discussed our cooperation in the near future and the upcoming visit by NATO Secretary General George Robertson to Ukraine. The alliance has changed its attitude toward Ukraine, and there are many reasons for that. However, the main thing is that we have supported our words with deeds.”
“What’s in store for Ukraine after it fulfills the Target Plan for 2003? Can we hope for a NATO Membership Action Plan?”
“For now Ukraine has confined its efforts to the Target Plan for 2003. Late this year, foreign ministers will convene for another NATO-Ukraine Committee meeting that will sum up the results. Everything will depend on how far Ukraine will have progressed by then. This could be a new Target Plan or a new upgraded plan that could contain clauses similar to those of the NATO Membership Action Plan. The main thing is not the name of the document but its content. It’s important to draft a document that would most fully reflect our interests and accelerate our progress toward Euro-Atlantic integration.”
