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Focus on Ukraine, August 18-24, 2008

August 26, 2008
Ukraine in Focus

The Democratic Initiatives Foundation follows political events in Ukraine with the aim of monitoring the pre-election promises of the country’s leading political forces that won seats in the parliament as a result of the early elections to the Verkhovna Rada on September 30, 2007. The monitoring is conducted within the framework of the project “Where are our political leaders taking us?”

August 18

Deputy Head of the Presidential Secretariat Andriy Kyslynskiy stated there are signs of state treason and political corruption in the actions of the current Premier Yulia Tymoshenko.According to information Kyslynskiy has at his disposal, “the political government of Russia is paying particular attention in its decision to support Tymoshenko in the next presidential elections in Ukraine after conditions were met as to the passive stance of the premier and her political forces in the conflict in Georgia.”

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is warning Ukraine about unqualified intervention in the situation with Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.Medvedev firmly stated, “Ukraine should not tell us how to carry ourselves. We will act according to the directives that I will approve as the commander-in-chief.”

Russia’s Vice Premier and Minister of Finance Aleksei Kuprin stated that Russia injected US $7 bn into the military conflict in Georgia.

August 19

Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine Merab Antadze informed that Georgia sent a diplomatic communiqué to the CIS Executive Committee on the country’s withdrawal from the commonwealth.The ambassador said, “The parliament unanimously approved such a decision and yesterday the corresponding communiqué was forwarded to the CIS Executive Committee and all CIS member states.”

Lasha Zhvaniya, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Georgian Parliament, stated that Georgia will insist on immediate accession to NATO. He is convinced that NATO had played its role by voting in favor of the Membership Action Plan for Georgia and Ukraine at the summit held this April in Bucharest, what is happening today on the territory of Georgia would never have happened. Zhvaniya stressed, “At this moment in time, NATO can rectify the situation by approving the MAP for Ukraine and Georgia and further decide on the issue of granting our countries membership in the Alliance as soon as possible.”   

August 20

Chair of the VR Committee of Ukraine on Issues of European Integration Borys Tarasyuk said at a round table “Conflict in the Caucuses: does Ukraine need a new strategy of defense?” compared the Russian-Georgian conflict to the consequences of the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001 in the U.S.

During a meeting with U.S. senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, President Viktor Yushchenko stressed the need for Ukraine to be given international guarantees of the country’s integrity and independence, which is only possible within the framework of collective security.

President Viktor Yushchenko stated that Ukraine will fulfill the agreement stipulating the stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on its territory until 2017.The president stressed that he will not support any speculative games as to the terms and conditions of stationing of the Russian naval fleet on the territory of Ukraine. 

August 21

The Security of Services of Ukraine received documents from the Presidential Secretariat containing information on activity of the Cabinet of Ministers to the detriment of national interests of Ukraine.The Presidential Secretary has accused the country’s premier of cooperating with Russia with the aim of garnering support during the next presidential elections.

The Ministry of Defense of Estonia received a communiqué from the Embassy of Russia in Tallinn that Russia is suspending any kind of military cooperation with Estonia as a member country of NATO. The same communiqué was sent out to all member countries of the North Atlantic alliance.

Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet informed that in the document it is stated that Russia is suspending military cooperation with NATO member countries in connection with the current global geopolitical situation.At the same time, Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov stated that Russia is not about to start ‘slamming doors’ in relations with NATO.

August 22

Scientific Director of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation Iryna Bekeshkina publicized information that early elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will be held and that Premier Yulia Tymoshenko will resign from her post, according to the responses of 30 political experts surveyed. The respondents believe that early elections to Ukraine’s parliament will be held in the first half of 2009. 22 of the experts polled expressed confidence that Tymoshenko will resign. Meanwhile, the experts named Tymoshenko, Viktor Baloha, Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Leonid Chernovetskiy the most successful politicians in 2008. President Viktor Yushchenko was named the least successful politician.

 

 

 



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