Washington is ready to help our country
Will Ukraine manage to come out of the current no-win economic and political situation in the near future? What can Ukraine do for it itself and how can the world help it? These issues were discussed during the hearing dedicated to Ukraine in the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission), at which officials of the US Department of State and experts who closely watch the development of political and economic processes in Ukraine were also present. Senator Benjamin Cardin explained at the beginning that such a serious interest in Ukraine is not accidental. “Independent, democratic, and stable Ukraine is an important partner for the US and one of the biggest countries in Europe, both in terms of territory and population.”
The main idea of the hearing was “Ukraine: the Way out of a No-win Situation?” and stemmed from Washington’s readiness to help Ukraine. The members of the Helsinki Commission restated their dedication to their cause: in 2010 the US Congress allotted $123 million to Ukraine. The assistance to Ukraine in reaching a new agreement with the IMF is also one of the priorities of US policy, as pointed out by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Daniel Russell: “The United States are ready to help Ukraine reach agreement with the IMF as soon as possible. This should also help Ukraine come out of the recession and open doors for getting loans from other international institutions and the European Union.” “It requires making difficult decisions about implementing critical reforms, budget reduction, banking sector renewal and canceling energy subsidies,” he added.
The American diplomat mentioned that Ukraine possessed powerful economic potential and necessary resources for a “considerable contribution” in ensuring global provisions security. At this Russell pointed out that for the revival of the Ukrainian economy it was essential to reform the tax system, which attract foreign investors to Ukrainian industry. He also highlighted that a quarter of all gas imported by Europe transits through Ukraine. “Ukraine can be an example for the entire region. It repeatedly demonstrated leadership on international arena, as when it refused to keep nuclear weapons and participated in operations on peace-keeping and security from the Balkans to Iraq,” pointed out the representative of American foreign office.
A positive evaluation of the recent presidential elections in Ukraine by international organizations demonstrates its leadership in the sphere of democracy development. “Ukraine has achieved swift and, in my opinion, irreversible democratic changes, which Ukrainians can be proud of,” singled out the American diplomat. He also attracted the audience’s attention to the fact that the newly-elected Ukrainian leader would have to rule the country under “difficult conditions and in very hard times.” Russell emphasized that Ukraine’s government faced unusual challenges. Nevertheless, he called stabilization of the economic situation in the country the top priority. All congressmen present at the hearing pointed out that the main threat to economic stability in Ukraine was the problem of corruption. In particular, Senator Cardin said that business and investments depended on the level of comfort for investors in Ukraine. Thus corruption often becomes the main obstacle for foreign businessmen who want to work in Ukraine.
At the same time Daniel Russell pointed out that Viktor Yanukovych set his foreign policy priorities very clearly. “He said that he planned to continue strategic partnership with the United States of America, improve relations with Russia, and make efforts to integrate with the European Union. The head of the state made his first visit to Brussels, the second to Moscow, and received an invitation to visit Washington during an energy summit planned for April,” the representative of the Department of State said. According to him, the idea of balancing between the three key players – the EU, Russia, and the USA is rather promising. “Ukraine’s neighbors didn’t change after the election. Russia still is the second most important trade partner of Ukraine after the EU.”
Daniel Russell drew the audience’s attention to the fact that the USA and Ukraine fruitfully developed bilateral relations during Viktor Yanukovych’s two terms as prime minister, and expressed hope to deepen them in the future.
The American official called the energy reform the second priority in relations between the two states. The senior expert of the Peterson Institute for International Economics Anders Aslund also stated during the hearing that the energy reform should become a priority for the new Ukrainian government: “One thing, absolutely important, is reforming the gas sector. Today Ukraine subsidizes the import of Russian gas spending under three percent of its gross domestic product, which doesn’t make any sense and should be changed. And, as Daniel Russell said, the IMF will play a key role in this.”
Vice-president of the Atlantic Council of the United States Damon Wilson also stressed in his speech that reducing Ukraine’s energy dependence would improve its situation in the world and relations with neighbors. According to him, Ukraine’s future success is not only important for improving the life of Ukrainians, it’s also important Europe’s development: “The future of Ukraine remains indefinite. Despite the fact that it’s an ancient nation, it’s also a young state. Ukraine’s statehood remains fragile. If democracy in Ukraine continues to progress, resulting in efficient management and economic growth, it will become a powerful example for the region which is in great need of positive examples.” According to Wilson, the West should have its distinct strategy for relations with Ukraine, one that is opposed to the Russian strategy, which wants to make Ukraine dependent. A clear and distinct strategy of the international community will also help Ukraine strengthen its statehood.
During the hearing the participants also tried to see into Ukraine’s near future, namely the prospects for 2017, when the Black Sea Fleet is supposed to leave Ukraine. Congressmen pointed out: every day the issue becomes more urgent, but Daniel Russell stated that the USA should support the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as its choice in foreign policy. According to him, Ukraine repeatedly and significantly helped the United States and NATO during peacemaking operations. At the end of his speech Russell stressed that he remained an optimist despite the difficulty of the challenges. “For both nations it’s important that our relations should be good. We have a chance to double the efforts with the advent of the new president. Let’s persuade Ukrainians and Americans, both in the government and outside it, to do everything possible to make use of this chance.”
The Day’s NOTE
President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych plans to go to the US soon with a “serious” visit. As the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostiantyn Hryshchenko said, the visit is planned for April 2010. He mentioned this on the Ukrainian television channel Inter in the show Velyka Polityka, answering the question of journalists about when the head of the state is to visit America and how long will the trip last. “At the earliest, a visit is planned for the middle or beginning of April. Obviously it won’t be the last visit. And the point is not in the visit or its duration, but its content,” – said the head of Ukraine’s foreign office. “We’ve been working on making the visit productive, serious, and to be part of a long-term plan,” – Interfax-Ukraine quotes the words of Kostiantyn Hryshchenko. Let’s remind that Yanukovych stated he wanted to meet the US president Barack Obama. The US expects that Ukraine’s officials will participate in the summit on the issues of global nuclear security which will take place in Wa-shington (US) on April 12-13.
