Roundtable focuses on Ukraine's relations with neighbors (06/02/96)

Roundtable focuses on Ukraine's relations with neighbors

by Khristina Lew

WASHINGTON - Ukraine's relationship with neighboring Germany and Poland, and its role in an expanded North Atlantic Treaty Organization were examined by the German, Polish and Ukrainian ambassadors during a roundtable discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here on April 15.

NATO expansion dominated the discourse, and Russia, while not physically represented at the roundtable, was ever-present. German Ambassador Jurgen Chrobog flatly rejected any discussion of NATO enlargement "without taking care of the needs of Russia," but insisted that Russia be denied any veto power within the military alliance.

The roundtable was part of the American-Ukrainian Advisory Committee's ongoing program of meetings and working groups that focus on strengthening the U.S.-Ukrainian relationship. Established by the CSIS in 1993, the committee's nine American members, led by Zbigniew Brzezinski, CSIS counselor and national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter, meet with their 13 Ukrainian counterparts yearly to discuss the state of the American-Ukrainian relationship and to make recommendations, based on the results of the working groups, to both governments.

The April 15 roundtable was organized by the advisory committee at the suggestion of Ukrainian Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak and moderated by Dr. Brzezinski. It was attended by over 50 U.S. policy-makers, scholars and members of the press.

Dr. Brzezinski outlined the role each of the three countries is playing in shaping an expanded Europe and warned that their inter-relationship "will influence the scope, the shape and the regional stability of the new Europe." He described Germany as "the good citizen of Europe," which, together with the United States, has promoted the concept of expanding NATO and the European Union eastward. His native Poland was characterized as the leader of social and economic transformations in Central Europe and a country that "aspires to be a participant in a larger Europe."

He described Ukraine as playing a pivotal role in transforming Europe. "The very fact that Ukraine is an independent state is one of the most important developments on the map of Europe in the last number of decades. It transforms the geopolitical character of Europe - it also transforms Russia. This is something very different for Russia than has been for the past 400 years, so the consolidation and success of Ukraine is also an important facet of shaping the new Europe," he said.

Germany cautious on expansion

Ambassador Chrobog opened the discussion on the new European security architecture by emphasizing that Poland and Ukraine, due to their geographic and historical circumstances, will obviously have different functions within the Western military alliance. The German ambassador reiterated Chancellor Helmut Kohl's belief that Poland should join NATO and the European Union by 2000.

"As you know," he added, "Russia has always shown us issue regarding NATO enlargement. We seek partnership with Russia, but not veto power within NATO. Russia will realize that it stands to benefit, as Poland in NATO can contribute to stability and security."

Of all the EU member-states, the ambassador said, Germany is particularly supportive of Poland's policy objective of integration with European structures, pointing out that "the extension of the EU into the East is in Germany's interest as it brings security and stability to the Central and East European region and economy."

A close advisor to Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel and an expert on European integration, Mr. Chrobog warned, however, that East European countries seeking membership in the EU must have patience. "None of the candidates for accession today could be in a position to join a single European market. Their membership would cause the whole structure to collapse." He advocated the gradual integration of East European countries into the EU.

In turning his attention to Ukraine, the German ambassador spoke more cautiously. "There are four aspects that will decide Ukraine's position in Europe: internal political development, progress in economic reforms, foreign relations and support by the West." He emphasized that while the German government wholeheartedly supports Ukraine's efforts at democratization and economic reform, endorsed President Leonid Kuchma's reform policy of 1994, and leads all donor countries in assistance to Ukraine with $2 billion, "we need to feel that the economic situation is improving. Based on our experience with East Germany, we know that the economy cannot begin to grow until the government has followed through on economic reform."

Mr. Chrobog said Ukraine can demonstrate its readiness to "head toward" the new European security architecture by continuing to participate in NATO's Partnership for Peace program and by maintaining a good relationship with neighboring Russia. "The crucial process of NATO expansion should not exclude Ukraine," he said.

Poland supports inclusion of Ukraine

While Germany is an advocate of an enlarged NATO working with the Russian bear, neighboring Poland is a proponent of the military alliance establishing a separate relationship with Ukraine similar to the 16+1 (i.e. Russia) scenario. "The independence and stability of Ukraine is crucial to European security," emphasized Polish Ambassador Jerzy Kozminski. "Poland is interested most in strengthening Ukraine's international and internal position."

Mr. Kozminski, a former secretary of state at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed out that when Poland triggered the chain reaction that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it had only three neighbors: the USSR, the German Democratic Republic and Czecho-Slovakia. "Seven years later, none of those three states exist, and today we have the emergence of a united Germany and an independent Ukraine, between which is Poland."

The Polish ambassador declared his country's intent to become a full-fledged member of all major Western institutions and advocated the speedy integration of East European states into NATO and the EU as opposed to Germany's more cautious, evolutionary approach.

Poland, said the ambassador, considers NATO enlargement as part of a broader vision of a new European security architecture and advocates the expanded alliance establishing relations with countries outside of its sphere. According to Mr. Kozminski, a special NATO-Ukraine relationship will allow Ukraine to be "better placed geopolitically to implement a better independent security policy."

The Polish ambassador repeatedly emphasized the positive role a stable Ukraine could play in a secure Europe. Because of this belief, he said, Poland supported Ukraine's inclusion in the Council of Europe and the Central European Initiative, and has expanded trade with its neighbor to the volume of $1 billion. Mr. Kozminski proposed that his country could serve as the moderator for Ukraine and Western countries in a trilateral form of technical assistance initiatives, and announced that the United States, Canada and Denmark had expressed interest in a trilateral relationship.

Ukraine seeks best model

A neutral state since liquidating the nuclear arsenal it inherited from the Soviet Union, Ukraine is currently looking for the best model of European security, explained Ambassador Shcherbak. He reiterated the Ukrainian government's main policy objective announced by President Kuchma during his February visit to the United States: to integrate into European economic and political structures. The ambassador also said Ukraine wants to strengthen ties with NATO through the PFP program and to establish a special relationship with the military alliance.

In order to enhance cooperation with European structures, Dr. Shcherbak proposed that Ukraine, Poland and Germany establish a "security corridor," which "in a practical sense can emerge as a political, economic, trade, cultural and societal route on the map of Europe." The security corridor could facilitate cooperation in transportation, communications, and the energy, environmental and banking sectors.

Ukraine already has strong relations with Poland and Germany, he said, and pointed out that Poland has the most joint ventures with Ukraine, with Germany in second place. Militarily, Ukraine and Poland are conducting joint battalion exercises, and Ukraine and Germany held over 20 military working meetings in 1994-1995. In January of last year, Germany helped Ukraine build housing for Ukrainian military personnel.

Germany has assisted Ukraine in its relations with the EU, NATO, the Council of Europe and the international financial community, the ambassador elaborated, and plans for a Berlin-Kyiv highway at a cost of 1.4 billion ecu have been discussed. A similar "transportation corridor" linking Gdansk and Odessa (2.2 billion ecu) has also been proposed.

Dr. Shcherbak said the "security corridor" would serve as a "stability belt of regional cooperation in the larger scheme of continental integration of the 165 million peoples of our countries," and proposed that preliminary talks take place in Kyiv, Warsaw or Bonn.

In summing up the three ambassadors' statements, Dr. Brzezinski noted that for Poland, Germany is the gateway to Europe, while for Ukraine that role is fulfilled by Poland.

Central to the discussion period that followed was Russian participation in the European security architecture. Ambassador Shcherbak insisted that without the participation of Russia, there could be no European security architecture. Ambassador Chrobog maintained that expanding NATO must be done without hurting Russia and that the military alliance must be "transparent" in dealing with Russia. "We can offer Russia a role that secures their right to get involved in the decision-making of the alliance without a veto. We must include Russia," he insisted. "If we offer them participation, it will reach a point that Russia will say 'we tolerate NATO expansion into Central and Eastern Europe.' "

When pressed by Dr. Brzezinski on Ukraine's role in NATO, the German ambassador said, "For us, Russia is more important. Russia is a superpower, a nuclear power, a huge neighbor. When we talk about NATO extension, we neglect Ukraine a little bit. We speak of special links between Russia and NATO, but nobody says anything about NATO and Ukraine." Mr. Chrobog said Ukraine should continue to make use of the PFP program and focus on reforming its economy. "The more Ukraine reforms its economy, it might cooperate one day with NATO."

Ambassador Shcherbak countered the German ambassador's harsh words with the Ukrainian government's official position on NATO expansion: NATO is the most important factor in ensuring the stability of Europe, and the Ukrainian government has no objection to NATO extension. The ambassador noted that Ukraine and NATO have agreed on a joint document on the implementation and expanded, deepening relations between NATO and Ukraine, and explained that the proposed "security corridor is not linked directly with the issue of NATO enlargement."

Ambassador Kozminski insisted that an enlarged NATO and EU would only strengthen Ukraine. Dr. Brzezinski pointed out that "Russians, by and large, are resigned and accept the reality of Polish independence and the probable inevitability of eventual EU and NATO membership. They are much less resigned to the inevitability of Ukraine's independence and, therefore, are bound to resist ties between Ukraine, the EU and NATO."

Dr. Brzezinski warned that more than a generation would pass before Russians would accept the notion of a Russia without Ukraine's "inclusion." In the meantime, he said, Ukraine will have to have closer, operational ties with NATO and Europe, rather than Russia, in order to survive as a European state.

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