Multivectoral Factor at Play
A Ukrainian delegation led by the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament has flown to Washnigton. Among the US officials to receive it is Senator Richard Lugar, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee who is well known in Ukraine after President Bush made him his representative to the Ukrainian presidential elections. The topic of the US-Ukrainian talks is easy to guess. Especially in view of the fact that Senator Lugar is expected in Ukraine several days from now — and especially in the context of what US officials have had to say on and off the record, echoing the Council of Europe, OESC, and EU, to the effect that the Ukrainian elections do not meet basic democratic standards, that there are numerous transgressions, that the candidates are denied equal access to the media, and that the whole campaign is unfair. Official Kyiv’s diplomatic activities toward the end of last week proved especially interesting in precisely this context. During the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Crimea, met by President Leonid Kuchma and Premier and presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych, and Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz visited Kyiv. Cimoszewicz’s visit was on behalf of the Council of Europe now under Polish chairmanship.
Meetings with President Kuchma and Premier Yanukovych were part of Mr. Cimoszewicz’s original program. He admitted, however, that he was not surprised to learn he could not meet with Leonid Kuchma. The Polish foreign minister regarded the meeting between Putin and Kuchma with understanding. But he said he was sorry Premier Yanukovych was absent because he wanted to meet with both presidential candidates. As it was, he met with Viktor Yushchenko and with Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and CEC Chairman Serhiy Kivalov. Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko was in Cairo, attending the funeral of Yasir Arafar, so his absence was perfectly understandable.
At the end of his visit, the Polish foreign minister referred to the international response to the first round of the election campaign, saying that the campign would have an impact on Ukraine’s relations with Washington and the European partners, that its outcome was important not only for Ukraine, but also for its partners, and hinted that the 25 EU countries were not the whole of Europe, meaning perhaps that, if the elections turned out normal in Ukraine, Poland could resume its role as a Ukrainian “spokesman.” Mr. Cimoszewicz also said that he and his German counterpart Yoschka Fischer had presented a concept pf EU-Ukrainian cooperation a month ago.
Lytvyn and Kyvalov seemed to have produced a favorable impression on the Polish foreign minister who said that he refused even to consider the possibility of the Ukrainian elections being proclaimed unfair and undemocratic. Actually, that was all he deemed to make public, except that on several occasions he said he was sorry he couldn’t meet with the second presidential candidate, adding, however, that the fact spoke for itself.
But of course, events in Krasnodarski Krai and in the Crimea demanded the Ukrainian premier’s presence. And of course, discussing them at the highest level was mandatory precisely on the eve of the second round of the presidential campaign, because it was impossible to appoint any other date. What events? Why, signing an agreement resuming the Crimea-Caucasus ferry line and opening the Kyiv-Moscow express railroad next year.
US media have carried reports to the effect that the newly re- elected President Bush called Vladimir Putin and demanded that Russia stop interfering in Ukraine’s affairs. Whether he did and said this remains to be seen. However, the appointment of Senator Lugar and the visit of Polish Foreign Minister Cimoszewicz are proof that the West, the United States, and the European community are only starting to really play the game. An ill- informed observer may assume that Russia and the West are struggling for influence over Ukraine.
