Signal for Action

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Yevhen Marchuk believes that in order to enter NATO Ukraine must traverse a “quite complicated path of internal consolidation,” he stated on ICTV television the Monday before last. Speaking about the high-level consultations held in Washington on May 4-6, Mr. Marchuk noted that NATO Secretary General George Robertson had acknowledged that there had been an “unprecedented level of [NATO] representation.”

“In principle, our work was estimated positively with the accent on the great deal of work our country still must do on the issues of defense reform and pluralism.” Asked if the Washington visit had any influence on improving [the US-Ukrainian] relations, Mr. Marchuk said, “We hope it did... We believe that the US gave us a strong signal regarding the possibility of a fundamental improvement in US-Ukrainian relations, and we must implement this signal.”. Mr. Marchuk is also convinced that Ukraine has an opportunity and should take part in the stabilizing forces in Iraq. “Though this will be a joint decision of the President, NSDC, and parliament, I believe that Ukraine should take part in the stabilizing forces in Iraq,” he said. Simultaneously, Mr. Marchuk noted that this decision is “complicated both politically and procedurally.”