“Information famine” about NATO continues. Why?
What should the local authorities do to move toward NATO?
Ihor FISUN, head of the raion youth organization DIM, member of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine (Kharkiv oblast):
“First of all, the local authorities could conduct a public outreach campaign. But this is a very delicate matter that requires a cautious approach: otherwise, it may do a lot of harm. Government leaders have now made a lot of noise and caused damage, but this issue requires serious and judicious handling. Yes, Ukraine should first be built at the local, not higher, level, but I think it’s too early to entrust the NATO question to local authorities. Before planting a seed, you have to prepare the soil. Actually, people should be informed about NATO not so much by the military or political scientists as by highly-intellectual ideologists. You have to have a good understanding of all the inherent problems and subtleties in order to put this subject across to the general public. The mass media are very important to this issue.”
Olena STIAZHKINA, Ph.D. (History), professor at the Department of Slavic History, Donetsk National University:
“I wish NATO membership were not a final and irreversible question. I have always preferred the non-aligned movement. I don’t think the local authorities should do anything about joining NATO. Everybody should do what he can do best, or at least try to. Otherwise, we may end up in NATO with all the same problems that we have with housing and public utilities, roads and garbage removal!”
Valeriy DANYLEVSKY, member of the Donetsk regional political council of the National Union of Our Ukraine party:
“In Donetsk oblast, like in other regions, there is still a lot of explaining about NATO left to do: what NATO really is and what benefits Ukraine will derive from membership. I often come across prejudiced views on this question: people still stick to Soviet-era stereotypes of NATO, believing it to be an exclusively aggressive bloc. I think local authorities should explain to people that it is a military and political alliance of powerful states rather than an instrument of aggression, and that Ukraine will benefit very much from being a member: we will gain collective security and support to combat the worldwide evil of terrorism. There is nothing bad about this. All you have to do is look at the old problem in a new way. The local authorities must play a pivotal role here.”
Oleh DANNYKOV, head of the Donetsk regional branch of SDPU(O):
“Like most Ukrainian citizens, I oppose Ukraine’s accession to NATO. Our constitution states that Ukraine has non-aligned status, and this is what we must proceed from. The local Donetsk authorities should express the views of the residents of our region. Today, people are clearly misinformed about the so-called advantages and obvious drawbacks of NATO. And people must think about this. Moreover, if it comes to joining or moving toward NATO, there should be a special referendum on this issue.”
Oleksiy LYTVYN, military serviceman, Kharkiv:
“The biggest problem about whether or not to join NATO is the incorrect way the populace is being informed about this alliance or even the lack of information on this issue. Senior citizens in Ukraine comprise the most anti-NATO population group in the country. The local authorities could start by informing the population. For example, recruiting offices are often visited not only by conscripts but also elderly people, who should not only be informed about NATO but also persuaded that it is not such a terrible thing, as it has been described for decades on end. They should display posters that say NATO is good for the country. You have to show with concrete examples the advantages of serving on contract, not through coercion, and what salaries and privileges the military will get. You can give general information about NATO in schools during classes on basic military training. The local mass media can also play an important role by writing critical articles about NATO, so that readers get used to the idea. When people get used to something, they no longer fear it. Here’s another example: at a local marketplace, where customers buy potatoes for 1 hryvnia a kilo from their regular sellers, a stranger appears, selling better potatoes at 90 kopecks a kilo. But nobody buys them because people are used to the regular seller, even though his produce might be worse and more expensive. The same applies to NATO. The average citizen needs time and information, and the local authorities must make an effort to do this as best they can.”
