Quotable notes

"Look at the map. Ukraine is in the center of Europe, it borders on many states, it has access to the sea. It is natural that a 50 million-strong country cannot be a neutral state; it has its own economic, geostrategic and political interests. At the same time, Ukraine belongs not to Western, but Slavic civilization and Orthodox culture. Hundreds of years of common history with Russia make Ukraine Russia's natural partner. The neutral status of such a state as Ukraine may essentially undermine its strategic interests. Ukraine is no Switzerland."

- Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta on July 11, as quoted by RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report.

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"Kuchma is a declared European. He has three and a half years of the presidency remaining. I think that this is the kind of legacy he would like to leave behind, that [Ukraine] will be a democratic country [with] a European orientation, and there will be good relations with Russia. And, of course, he would probably like to behave a little like [former Russian President Boris] Yeltsin, that is, to have an influence upon his successor. Whether he will succeed I do not know, but he doubtless has such dreams."

- Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski in an interview with Polish Radio on June 29, as quoted by RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 22, 2001, No. 29, Vol. LXIX

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