Russia treated as equal by NATO. Ukraine invited to Prague

An agreement on establishing a new NATO-Russia cooperation body was signed in Reykjavik in the building that hosted the first meeting of Gorbachev and Reagan in 1986, at which the two leaders made no concrete deals but which signaled the first turning point in the system of international relations. The new Council, or twenty (19 NATO member states plus Russia), is to be inaugurated during the Russia-NATO summit in Rome on May 28.

There was much rhetoric in the comments on the results of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Reykjavik. The decision to set up the Russia-NATO Cooperation Council was called historic, with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw saying that Reykjavik had witnessed the funeral of the Cold War. The new council will function on the basis not of consultations as hitherto but with the participation of Russia as an equal partner in making decisions first of all on such problems as, fighting terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, crisis management (conflict prevention and peacekeeping), maritime security, and natural disaster management. These topics are in no way new: they are the same as in the Fundamental Document on NATO-Russia Relations. The novelty resides in the declared equality of the parties.

In reality, the importance of the Reykjavik meeting lies not so much in the attempt to make Russia a partner without saying anything about the prospects of its NATO membership as in that it signals revision of the existing system of distributing roles in the global security system. It seems that, thanks to President Putin’s great efforts, especially his active policies immediately after the September 11 tragedy, Russia is trying hard and is certain to find its rightful place in the new system of global coordinates.

As for Ukraine, the question appears more difficult. The Reykjavik meeting will affect this country’s future for two reasons: first, because the new distribution of geopolitical roles, begun by the formation of the twenty, can both expand and narrow the space for Kyiv’s policies. As history often shows, the geopolitical advantages of a suitable geographical situation can be brought to naught by uncoordinated actions of the main political players, inconsistent official policy, inadequate domestic development, and social instability, and, second, it becomes clear after the Reykjavik meeting that the NATO Prague summit will invite Slovakia and Rumania, which border directly on Ukraine, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria, an example to follow, to join the alliance.

The Reykjavik meeting’s final communiquО mentions Ukraine several times. First, speaking about the formation of a new security relationship with Russia, the alliance also mentions the development of its relations with Ukraine and other partners. NATO notes Ukraine’s sheer determination to be fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic system, continues to encourage this country to carry out the relevant reforms, and states readiness to offer assistance to this end. But the crucial point is that the alliance emphasizes that the ministers decided to give impetus to a new partnership with Ukraine. The Cooperation Council was instructed to work out new mechanisms and modes based on the Special Partnership Charter and to bring the relations up to a qualitatively new level. The communiquО also says the ministers hope to deepen and expand the relations by, among other things, intensifying consultations and cooperation in the political, economic and defense issues. Consultation seems to be the key word here, for, although NATO speaks about new forms, essence, and even the level, the overall level remains still the same by contrast to a major breakthrough in relations with Russia. And, as the communiquО mentions the hope of discussing these relations at the Prague summit, one can make a reasonable conclusion that this is precisely our long-awaited invitation to that summit. It is clear from this perspective that the Reykjavik meeting yielded positive results for Ukraine because of the alliance states’ readiness for serious changes in relations. Yet, this is no answer to President Kuchma’s call for a direct invitation. On the one hand, nobody officially rejects the possibility of Ukraine entering NATO as an international security system rather than a military alliance. On the other hand, Western experts confirm that NATO, while really trying to bring Ukraine closer to itself, still considers it too early to discuss and membership prospects.

In conclusion, it can be said that the role of Ukraine in the present geopolitical alignment will depend greatly on Ukraine itself, especially on whether it will be prepared to take steps in line with the idea of Euro- Atlantic integration, whether its leadership (including parliamentary) will pursue a consistent policy, and whether this country will force itself to be reckoned with. This is the principal lesson of the Reykjavik meeting.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Is it time that Ukraine and NATO changed their format of cooperation? To what extent are Kyiv and the alliance prepared for this?

Volodymyr KHANDOHIY, chief of the Ukrainian mission to NATO and ambassador:

“Yes, it is. We are actively working on this in both Kyiv and Brussels. It is important that NATO displays the understanding needed to raise its relationship with Ukraine to a qualitatively new level. The format and modes of future cooperation will be worked out through consultations on various levels. In particular, there are important sessions of the Ukraine-NATO Commission ahead in Reykjavik at the foreign minister level and, in June, in Brussels at that of defense ministers. In early July, the Ukraine-NATO Commission is to meet in Kyiv to mark the fifth anniversary of signing the Ukraine-NATO Charter of Special Partnership.

“This work is to culminate in the Ukraine-NATO summit to be held in Prague in November, which I hope will determine the nature and the ways of the further evolution of Ukraine- NATO relations.

“Our joint efforts were sown President Leonid Kuchma’s formula that Ukraine is ready to go as far in its relations with NATO as the alliance is prepared to accept.”

Dietmar STUDEMANN, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine:

“I think what is decisive now is not the format but the content of cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. The alliance is prepared for this, as evidenced by the very intensive contacts in the past few months. The Ukraine-NATO Commission’s session in Reykjavik on May 15 confirmed this. Ukraine is an important partner for achieving stability and security in Europe. It has identified its strategic goal to fully integrate into the European and Euro-Atlantic elements and participate in all the European security systems. Germany will support Ukraine on this path. Nevertheless, it also remains important that cooperation should go hand in hand with successful defense reforms which, again, will have good prospects only if based on economic, political and social stability. Democracy and institutions safeguarding the rule of law lay the groundwork for NATO, which is a community of shared values.”