A NEW THREAD: POLITICS TOWARDS UKRAINE

[NORRYM]

Upon surveying the current threads involving UKRAINE and POLITICS as a main theme ingredients, it occured to me that there is a lack of distinct forum addressing POLITICS TOWARDS UKRAINE. With this post, I am inaugurating just such a thread. Without further ado, I will launch into a discussion befitting this topic. Combing through today's Ukraine press, I came across an article in today's PRAVDA dealing with the projected USA politics towards Ukraine. The article itself is dated December 29, 2000, but it is far from being outdated, for it deals with the direction the USA foreign policy should take under the newly elected President George W. Bush. The article quotes Washington Times, where an independent Center for Political Security advocates certain measures towards Ukraine, as a centerpiece of East European Theater. To be continued in my next post.
emkay/01/04/01

[Edited by NORRYM on 5th January 2001 at 03:51]

[NORRYM]

Per the article, the key areas of concern facing US Foreign Policy are Mideast and China, after which follows Eurasia. The latter area encompasses Ukraine as a checkpoint against the feared Russian Revanchism. Putin is regarded as keen on weighing his options, in that respect, by measuring the West's interests in preserving Ukraine as an independent state. The advisory tone of the expert from the Center for Political Security, is reinforced by reminding of the past faulty moves. In particular, the expert recalls the famed 'Chicken Kiev' speech of August 01, 1991, by Bush Senior. It would be a historical irony, if Bush Junior were to ignore the lesson on the tenth anniversary. The expert recommends maintaining Ukraine as a strategic partner, but with Ukraine's ability to democratize and to purge its institutions of corruption as a strong attention getter. Ukraine's inability to demonstrate concrete progress in cleansing her institutions, plus failure to truly transition into market aconomy, should put her status as a worthy strategic partner into question.
emkay/01/05/01

[NORRYM]

The foregoing posts, highlighting an expert's recommendation for Politics Towards Ukraine by the new US Administration, attest to the particular acceptance of Clinton's legacy in the USA-UKRAINE relations. It [the recommendation] is a warning shot over the bow of G.W.Bush's ship - the New Administration - signaling a strong apprehension against retreading the G. Bush senior's failed policy. It was Clinton, who raised the USA-UKRAINE relations to the level of PARTNERSHIP. What better way than that, to signal to the Russian Rulers to keep hands off Ukraine. Should Ukraine loose this priviledged status, her [Ukraine's] survival would be seriously undermined. Thus, it is in Ukraine's vital interests to meet the expectations of Washington. The expectations are not those of an imperialistic bully, but of a government which genuinely desires Ukraine to rise at all levels in becoming a worthy partner. More on that in my next post.
emkay/01/05/01

[NORRYM]

Clinton's early grasp, of Ukraine's important role in East-European affairs, reversed the dangerous path of appeasing Russians by Bush Senior. This reversal did not occur in a vacuum. Noted policy advisors, of Zbigniew Brzezinski's stature, advocated vocally for the recognition of Ukraine as a centerpiece of the Grand Chessboard, alluding ,thusly, to Eurasia. The strategy, promoting such policy, was subsequently captured in a comprehensive book by that title, i.e. THE GRAND CHESSBOARD, authored by Zbigniew Brzezinski, and published by Basic Books in 1997.
Turning back to Clinton, it will be recalled how by the time his second term in office had begun, the USA-UKRAINE strategic partnership was reaching its peak. Ultimately, the relationship was being put to test during the NATO intervention in Yugoslavia regarding Kosovo. It was then, that Kutchma's vicissitude had surfaced. More on that in my next post.
emkay/01/06/01

[StasUA]

Very interesting, continue on that.

Waiting for your next post,
Stas

[NORRYM]

First, allow me to express my gratitude for the words of encouragement. As much as one enjoys the laudatory or consenting voices, the dissenting or critical voices are wellcome too - provided they [these voices] are supported by some rationale or argumentation. In actuality, such invitation is superfluous - after all, this is an OPEN FORUM. It is this open forum which provides such an accommodating tribune for me to present my views - for this I shall forever remain greatful to the BOARDS OF UKRAINE.

As an introduction to my next post, dealing with KUTCHMA'S SNUB OF CLINTON, I want to underscore that the revelation is solely based on my own observations and analysis of the surrounding events. That snub, which went unnoticed by the media pundits as well as by the political gurus, was an awakening signal to Clinton. That signal reverberated negatively on subsequent course of USA-UKRAINE relations.
emkay/01/07/01

[Edited by NORRYM on 7th January 2001 at 15:34]

[NORRYM]

The year was 1999. The month was late August. NATO was getting jittery, because its months long air campaign was yet to put Milosevic to his knees. Hundreds of sorties a day were making shambles of Yugoslav infrastructure and economy, as a whole. Thousands upon thousands of displaced Kosovars were pouring daily out of their cities, villages and surrounding hills, under the persistent intimidation and onslaught of Yugoslav Para-military and Regulars. As refugees, outside their land, the Kosovars were facing a bleak winter, in hastily constructed tent cities, unless the air war by NATO would end soon victoriously.

Under such uncertain times ahead, the Official Washington was hosting a week-long affair celebrating the 50th Anniversary of NATO's existence. The celebration brought to town all the NATO dignitaries from Brussels plus the heads of governments, and their top echelon, representing all the member-states. In addition, the invited guests included government heads of all the Partner for Peace States, and among them of Ukraine. The whole week of celebrations was dotted by special events, highlighting the vigor and all-inclusivenes of NATO as a successful and growing defense organization.
To be continued in succeeding post.
emkay/01/09/01