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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

TRAINING GROUNDS AND WIVES ARE NOT FOR RENT What about using them?

13 November, 2012 - 00:00
Photo by Leonid BAKKA,The Day: Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk (center) is no sell-out

Last week multinational computer staff training was conducted for Peace Shield 1998 with the military from 16 countries participating finished in the Yavoriv training ground near Lviv.

It is this training ground that Ukraine has offered for NATO and its member states for training their troops on long-term basis. However, while Kostiantyn Hryshchenko, Ukrainian Ambassador to NATO, keeps stating that the Alliance is about to determine which training area – Macedonian, Turkish, or the Ukrainian one – to use, Oleksandr Kuzmuk, Defense Minister, at a press-conference in Yavoriv made a categorical statement that the rent is not the point: “The state, the Army, and my own wife are not for rent!” This shows a rather special kind of military humor.

Meanwhile, the amount of money allocated by the Americans for reconstruction the training area comes to millions of dollars. And the USA once again financed our military participation in Peace Shield by purchasing the computers for conducting the maneuvers. However, it is clear why the Minister made such a statement: it pains him that his country and Army are in such poor condition. Thus, pathos remains the only thing to defend with. All right, let it be called use instead of rent. Let it be called improving staff structure instead of reducing military forces or complex training instead of reducing the amount of military training. The point is still the same.

 

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