McConnell meets community leaders (02/20/94)

McConnell meets community leaders

WASHINGTON (UNAW) - Following their meeting at the White House, a delegation of leaders of the Ukrainian American community met with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to discuss U.S.-Ukrainian relations.

Sen. McConnell, ranking minority member of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was responsible for the legislation mandating "not less than $300 million (of U.S. economic assistance) shall be made available for Ukraine."

Ukrainian National Association Washington Office Director Eugene Iwanciw thanked the senator for his initiative in providing aid to Ukraine and for his work in support of Ukraine. The delegation outlined recent positive developments in U.S.-Ukrainian relations and stated that the support of the senator and his colleagues no doubt had contributed to the change in United States policy toward Ukraine.

Sen. McConnell said he was pleased to hear that "after a year of neglect" President Bill Clinton has pledged to provide Ukraine with at least $300 million of assistance as stipulated in the law that he authored. He was generally gratified that U.S. policy toward Ukraine has taken a more positive tone. The senator recalled the opposition of the Clinton administration to both his amendment for aid to Ukraine and his amendment that prohibited aid to any nation of the former Soviet Union which violated the territorial integrity of its neighbors. (The amendment was aimed primarily at Russia and its actions last fall against Georgia.)

While pledging his support for the president's current positive position toward Ukraine, the Kentucky senator expressed concern that in his recent confirmation hearings, Ambassador Talbott continued to endorse a "Russia first" policy. He also stated that the president will have an opportunity to demonstrate his support for Ukraine by endorsing the senator's amendment for assistance to Ukraine in the foreign assistance appropriations act later this year. The senator stressed the need to continue holding the administration's "feet to the fire" on its commitments to Ukraine and commended the community for its work in this regard.

The delegation's concern about Russian policy toward its neighbors was shared by the senator, who expressed apprehension about developments in the Crimea and Russia's role in fomenting unrest in that part of Ukraine.

In addition to Mr. Iwanciw, the delegation included Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC) and UNA President Ulana Diachuk, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) President Askold Lozynsky, UACC Vice-President and Ukrainian Fraternal Association (UFA) President Ivan Oleksyn, Bishop Basil Losten of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Archbishop Constantine of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Ukrainian National Women's League of America President Anna Kravchuk, Ukrainian American Bar Association President Walter Lupan, and UCCA Washington Office Acting Director Yuriy Holowinsky and his assistant Myron Jarosewych. Also participating in the meeting was Robin Cleveland, the senator's national security advisor.

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