Ukraine Gives Macedonia Friendship And NATO — Peacekeeping
Truce was declared after long talks to determine NATO’s intermediary role in Macedonia. It took effect on Friday night, and NATO Secretary General George Robertson was among the first to greet the accomplishment while visiting Kyiv. Meanwhile, reports say the truce was violated almost as soon as announced, as clashes broke out near the city of Tetovo. The Macedonian government declared that it reserves the right to respond appropriately to extremist attacks. By and large, however, the situation remains relatively calm.
The truce, if and when it proves real and lasting, will be one of the principal prerequisites of deploying a NATO peacekeeping force in Macedonia. German Defense minister Rudolf Scharping was quoted by the BBC as saying that the peacekeeping force could be deployed after July 15 and is expected to number 3,000 officers and men, all from NATO member countries. Ukrainian participation is not anticipated, The Day was told by NATO officials, because the peacekeeping mission will have a limited scope, so the Alliance will manage just fine. One of the peacekeepers’ tasks will be disarming Albanian groups.
As for Ukraine’s involvement, Skopje says that time will tell. At the moment, according to Jordan Boskov, Ukraine has met his country halfway, proving to be a real friend, lending a hand at a time of ordeal — e.g., MI-8 and MI-24 helicopters, Su-25 warplanes, and some munitions sold by Kyiv, along with promises of further help in setting up an air force training center. Some sources point to the arrangement causing Brussels’ displeasure, mildly speaking, although nothing reached the public ear during Robertson’s visit. Besides, the UN passed no resolution placing embargo on military supplies to Macedonia, meaning that the deal with Ukraine is quite legitimate.
Among the reasons for the Macedonian situation aggravating the Balkan crisis, Mr. Boskov mentions “criminal acts and by no means a struggle for anyone’s rights.” He regards the operations of Albanian armed groups as kindling the fire of hatred for everything non-Albanian, particularly Slavic. He also stresses that the state cannot tolerate attempts aimed at destroying it and that Macedonia has enough resources to overcome terrorism. Albania, incidentally, has not made any official statements on what is happening in Macedonia.
As it is, the first commentaries on the Macedonian situation are anything but optimistic. Western diplomats believe the truce is just the first step toward building confidence between the two ethnic communities. The fact remains that the Macedonians were not the first to take up arms, although this is scarcely mentioned in the West. Lord Robertson considers that the situation in Macedonia should not be compared to that in Bosnia nine years ago when the most devastating Balkan war broke out. Under the circumstances, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has determined that it is necessary to dispatch a special diplomatic envoy to the Balkans.
