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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

Ukraine Need Not Choose Between NATO and Russia

23 March, 1999 - 00:00

By Oleksa PIDLUTSKY, The Day
The speculations of some Russian politicians that Ukraine plans to join
NATO "tomorrow" are groundless, said Secretary of the National Security
and Defense Council of Ukraine Volodymyr Horbulin at a press conference
held in Kyiv on the eve of the alliance's fiftieth anniversary.

However, in his opinion, one can only arbitrarily speak about Ukraine's
neutral and nonaligned status. For all countries enjoying this status situated
on geopolitical fault lines have managed to maintain it for a very limited
time. Mr. Horbulin is certain the Washington NATO summit must give clear-cut
guarantees that the right to join the alliance should be also extended
to countries which have not yet applied. Mr. Horbulin criticized "some
Russian politicians" who, while developing contacts between Moscow and
NATO, do their best to hinder such contacts between NATO and Ukraine. Special
advisor to the US Secretary of State for the newly independent states Ross
Wilson promised that the alliance's open-door policy would continue, especially
with respect to the states that suffered most from the current split of
the continent. US Ambassador in Ukraine Steven Pifer said: "It is an erroneous
choice for Ukraine to develop good relations either with the West or Russia.
Ukraine need not make such a choice."

 

Thinks US ambassador
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