Last March, during US State Secretary Madeleine Albright's visit to
Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma said that Ukraine finally renounced participation
in the Russian-Ukrainian contract to build a nuclear power plant in Bushehr,
Iran. The issue concerned possible supply by Kharkiv of turbines to Iran.
Various experts gave different estimates of how much Ukraine would lose:
some emphasized that the injuries are mostly political, for Teheran's confidence
in Kyiv had been undermined, and Russia would now think long and hard before
placing any further orders in Ukraine. Others said the damage is difficult
to assess, but it was not less than $500 million. President Kuchma said
that the losses were not considerable, but the issue primarily concerned
political advantages for Ukraine. In fact, after Ms. Albright's visit,
Ukraine was admitted to the Missiles and Technologies Control Regime (MTCR),
non-participation in which would involve serious limitations regarding
space-related projects. And the Kharkiv turbine maker (Turboatom) was promised
that the US would make up not only for the losses it incurred, but also
those of other firms involved in the so-called Kharkiv Initiative aimed
at investment and technical cooperation of regional major enterprises with
American companies.
Implementation of the Kharkiv Initiative has already begun. In Ukraine
its possibilities are currently being discussed with William Taylor, US
Special Presidential Adviser. Yet, not everything is all that simple. US
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Morningstar has been saying lately that
it would hardly be possible to find the ways to give any compensation for
not taking part in the Bushehr project. During his recent visit to Kharkiv,
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk had nothing intelligible to say
on the matter.
Meanwhile, relations between Washington and Teheran have warmed somewhat,
and Russia not only did not renounce its participation in the Bushehr project,
but also plans to complete its work three months ahead schedule. Thus,
on the one hand, Kyiv was shown another time that the world does not like
the weak. On the other hand, no matter how sincere the desire of the USA
to help Ukraine might be, this desire will never go beyond the rigid limits
of protecting America's own interests. Perhaps this is what we should learn
from both the US and Russia. .Incidentally, it was precisely the US which
did not support the Ukrainian idea to eliminate the SS-24 missiles by launching
them into outer space for commercial purposes and failed to give any frank
explanation why.
The Kharkiv Initiative, as attractive to Ukraine as it might have seemed,
was seen by the US primarily as just a goodwill gesture, which would not
even give Ukraine the carrot, only the chance to get it after feeling the
whip. For some unknown reason there are still no similar ideas of Ukraine's
cooperating with Germany, France, or the UK, and even attempts to draw
Russian capital into the Ukrainian economy remain only at the discussion
stage. And, for some other unknown reason, the An-70 plane project backed
by Germany, has been progressing with great difficulty.
Perhaps, the Kharkiv Initiative, which was supposed to be born at least
five years ago, will become the first sign. Or, perhaps, all this will
result in a statement that we gave you the chance and you blew it.
Obviously, there will now be no partnership without demonstrating (within
reasonable limits) one's national dignity.






