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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

Ukrainians, EU Has Issued Its Order

12 October, 1999 - 00:00

Everything seems to be back in place. After Kyiv accused (not without reason) the European Union of lacking any integrated policy with regard to Ukraine, after practically all Western European leaders' constant reminders to Kyiv about its corruption, bureaucratic arbitrariness, and total absence of an investment climate being factors making any further discussion of Ukraine's integration into Europe impossible, the situation has finally cleared up somewhat.

Yaakko Blomberg, Political Deputy to the Finnish Secretary of State, stated at a conference in Kyiv that everything will depend on Ukraine's ability to live in keeping with European rules — primarily whether this country can hold open, free, fair, and democratic presidential elections. The latter will also determine Ukraine's relationships with international financial institutions, he added. Obviously he meant not only Ukraine's getting loans from the IMF, World Bank, EBRD, et al. , but also a possibility of comfortably discussing the problem of this country's national debt. Quite recently, Leonid Kuchma surprised the West when he mentioned the need to restructure this debt, even partly write it off. The Finnish official spoke not only on his own and his government's behalf, because Finland currently presides over the EU, meaning that Mr. Blomberg actually represented the Union's official stand.

And this stand must be quite rigid, considering that EU does not seem to have made any such statements concerning the elections in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, or Estonia.

On the other hand, this is a very good sign, because the EU has in practice recognized that Ukraine is a European state and that a united Europe can no longer remain passive about Ukraine's problems. Finally, this is evidence of the Union's readiness to admit Ukraine into that united Europe, provided it adheres to certain rules of the game.

Another thing now clear is that Kuchma & Co. are no longer trusted, not by the EU or US, although the latter still considers itself Ukraine's strategic partner. Characteristically, recent quite varied statements about the status of democracy in Ukraine have been made by politicians and representatives of countries that were actually beginning to have sympathy for Ukraine. Unfortunately, just as clear is the manner in which the Ukrainian leadership is abiding by its commitments, thus shaping an international image best described, begging you pardon, as a pig's snout. I have in mind its constant scandals with US businessmen, the Council of Europe, top-level corruption, etc.

Under the circumstances, Russia is hardly likely to come in handy, considering that it is once again engaged in a senseless war in the Caucasus, just as no one will pay any attentions to statements about Ukraine's eight years of independence unmarred by war.

It is either or. Either Ukraine follows in the Belarusian footsteps, meaning years if not decades wasted, or listens to the signals being received, which are, fortunately, still quite friendly, and only then broaches the subject of strategy, concepts, integration, and all such other fine terms.

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