Does Ukrainian foreign policy cost less?
From next year on Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs could see its funding reduced, some anonymous but quite knowledgeable sources told The Day. Although the size of the financial circumcision is not known, the tendency of previous years shows that the ministry might be denied a handsome slice of the budgetary pie. While it was entitled to UAH 707 million last year, it could only get UAH 650 million this year.
Shortage of budgetary funds is a perennial problem and not only in Ukraine, for that matter. Still, foreign policy, the intelligence service, and the army have always been fields that require special financial attention. The country’s national security directly depends on how well they do their job. In all probability, Ukraine is not pursuing a showcase foreign policy. Yet, this assessment will be all the more impossible after the financial cutbacks. The budget money earmarked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is utilized not only for paying salary to diplomats. Incidentally, this salary is in no way high even today: the fixed rate of a ministry attachО and a department chair is 150 and 250 hryvnias respectively. While it is possible to economize on diplomats’ salaries, it is not so easy to do so on the organization of forums and the visits of foreign guests. In addition, a sizable portion of funds is being eaten by membership fees to international organizations. Ukraine’s UN arrears almost deprived this country of the right to vote three years ago. Moreover, our state has remained indebted to the UN since Soviet times. Although a deal was made to write off a part of this debt and to reduce Ukraine’s dues, Kyiv will never be fully exempt from paying it.
Clearly, Ukraine is unable to compete with the developed countries in foreign policy expenditures. Still, while Sweden allocates $1.1 billion for its foreign policy activities, Finland $714 million, Turkey $292 million, Hungary $172 million and the Czech Republic $150 million, Ukraine spends only $117 million. Moreover, the states mentioned are increasing expenses for their foreign political agencies, which in some cases is very easy to explain. NATO members Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are also striving to join the European Union. As to Kyiv, membership in the two organizations is still a foreign policy dream. It is difficult to believe that a diplomat will enthusiastically think about foreign policy priorities without an appropriate incentive. And it is easy to guess where Ukraine will go if the means, not only the ends, are not clearly stated.
PS. The Day asked Foreign Ministry spokesman Serhiy Borodenkov to comment on the possible cut in budgetary funds for his ministry. “I have read such reports in the Ukrainian mass media. Unfortunately, I can neither confirm nor deny them because I am completely unaware of it, the diplomat said.
