Ukraine looks westward

[Nurse_Betty]

Thuggery and corruption crimp prospects

KIEV Like many former Soviet cities, Kiev retains unmistakable signs of the past in the form of towering Stalinist buildings in the heart of downtown. These days, though, the aging behemoths bristle with dozens of satellite dishes. And they are all pointed west.

After a decade of independence and straddling the line between two worlds, Ukraine has decided that it wants more from the West than television signals. As Russia draws closer to the West after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Ukraine fears being left behind and has set its sights on finally integrating with the rest of Europe.

President Leonid Kuchma announced recently that, after years of flirting, Ukraine plans to seek NATO membership. The two sides are considering how to proceed and, according to a senior diplomat here, may announce this fall that Kiev will begin the application process, which is likely to be an uphill struggle. Kuchma has also put together a task force to work on joining the European Union, setting a goal of becoming an associate member by 2007 and a full member by 2011.

http://www.iht.com/articles/66764.htm

[Andrej]

A realistic accession date for the EU would be 2015 or so, as for NATO, I think Ukraine has a long road before it can bring its standards in line. Nations like Bulgaria and Romania that have per capita incomes in US$ and in PPP 1.5 to 2x that of Ukraine and are struggling right now in accession talks witht he EU/NATO should be an indicator.