If Deploy ed, Ukrainian Battalion to Assist Ci vilians Only

The decision to deploy a Ukrainian nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare defense battalion in the Persian Gulf region to eliminate the consequences of a possible war against Iraq is “evidence of Ukraine’s readiness to actively contribute to the solution of problems of international security,” Yevhen Marchuk, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, told the February 27 conference on the Implementation of State Decisions on Issues of Ukraine’s Euro- Atlantic Integration. He referred to the above decision as “right and justified.”

He admitted, however, that the possible deployment of the battalion entails a number of problems that need to be solved. One of them is a misinterpretation of the NSDC decision. He criticized politicians and journalists who jumped to the conclusion that the Ukrainian battalion will be deployed to Iraq without actually looking into the matter. As a result, according to Mr. Marchuk, “this has given rise to much speculation.” He stressed that Ukrainian troops will be deployed in the region of possible contamination only to assist civilians and not to engage in combat operations. What is more, the battalion will not be stationed on Iraqi territory. The NSDC secretary reminded that before the battalion can be deployed, we need to obtain an official invitation from the country where the troops will be stationed. A corresponding agreement must be signed with the country in question, after which the Verkhovna Rada must ratify this document. Thus far, Ukraine has not received any invitations. Moreover, there are may unresolved issues connected with the funding and legal status of the battalion. To quote Mr. Marchuk, there are also some problems with the vaccination of Ukrainian troops. First, some vaccines are very costly. Second, servicemen cannot be inoculated with all vaccines at one time.

Heorhy Kriuchkov, chairman of the VR Committee on National Security and Defense, supports Mr. Marchuk’s stand. According to him, the mass media created an uproar around the battalion without any valid reasons, since Ukraine has not made a final decision on this issue. “So far, such a proposal would not even be considered in parliament. We do not know where, for what purpose, and for how long our troops will be deployed,” he stressed. “Ukrainians have always been humanitarians. We always come to the rescue when somebody else is in trouble.” When asked by The Day whether Kyiv expects to receive funding for the deployment of the battalion, Mr. Kriuchkov answered in the affirmative. In all probability, funding will come from the country that will invite Ukrainian troops. He also said that for the time being Turkey is seen as a possible country for the stationing of the battalion. He also stressed that representatives of the US are in talks about the possible invitation of Ukrainian troops. In the meantime, Ihor Kharchenko, deputy state secretary of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, declined to comment on the possibility of deployment of Ukrainian troops in Turkey. He also refused to say who is negotiating the deployment, Ukraine or the US.

The decision to deploy the Ukrainian battalion has received a positive response from NATO. “The NSDC decision to send the battalion will benefit Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration, since it reflects Kyiv’s understanding of security. This does not mean that Ukraine will be directly involved in the armed conflict. Your country has recognized the need for an international solution to the problem and expressed readiness to assist the civilians, if need be,” Chris Donnely, Special NATO Secretary General’s Aide for Central and Eastern Europe Affairs, told The Day . He underscored that the alliance’s understanding of the notion of security differs substantially from the one it had in the Cold War era. In part, this notion now covers the issues of protection of borders, fighting corruption and trafficking of people, drug trafficking and terrorism. Meanwhile, NSDC secretary Yevhen Marchuk stressed during the February 27 conference that “Ukraine has always been supporting peaceful solutions to any disputes, and the decision to send the battalion in no way contradicts Kyiv’s stand on the peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis.”

INCIDENTALLY

“The US is open for a closer cooperation with Ukraine,” said US Ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual, stressing that the decision to deploy the Ukrainian battalion in the Persian Gulf region is not the sole example of constructive cooperation between the two countries. In a live interview with Public Radio, Mr. Pascual stressed that “the possible contribution of this battalion could play a very positive role in the improvement of relations between our countries. But this is not the reason why this issue has been raised. The US will continue pursuing such a policy even if there is no need for the battalion in the Persian Gulf.”

At the moment, the 19th Detached CBR Battalion, which is part of the Joint Rapid Deployment Force and may be sent to one of the Persian Gulf countries, is stationed in Sambor, Lviv Oblast, in anticipation of accomplishing the assigned mission. The battalion is fully manned with commissioned and non-commissioned officers, as well as volunteer soldiers (there is not a single conscript in this 531-strong unit), and supplied with 165 pieces of modernized Soviet-made special purpose equipment.