Turning the pages back... February 20, 1994 (02/15/04)

Turning the pages back...

February 20, 1994

What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago we reported that President Bill Clinton had met with leaders of the Ukrainian American community on February 10, 1994, to discuss U.S.-Ukrainian relations. Also at the White House meeting with the Ukrainian community delegation of 20 or so leaders were Vice-President Al Gore, National Security Advisor Anthony Lake and Ambassador Strobe Talbott, whose nomination for deputy secretary of state was then pending in the Senate.

Stating that "the relationships between the United States and Ukraine are at their strongest point since 1991," the president outlined the progress in economic, political and military relations between the two nations. He also mentioned that he had a "very good meeting" with President Leonid Kravchuk and is "looking forward to President Kravchuk's trip" to Washington on March 4. He also announced that "we had decided to double our bilateral economic assistance to Ukraine this year to more than $300 million."

Julian Kulas, chairman of Ukrainian Americans for Clinton/Gore in 1992, pointed out that the Ukrainian American community can be a bridge to Ukraine. He stressed the community's great concern for the security of Ukraine and presented the president and other administration officials with a position paper drafted by the community leadership.

The president stated that "the fate of Ukraine is pivotal to any hopes of having a unified Europe" and that "all of Europe is very sensitive to the long-term security of Ukraine." Vice-President Gore stated that the community has been "extremely effective in getting the administration to focus on Ukraine." Ambassador Talbott noted that it is "important for the Russian Federation to accept unconditionally that borders are inviolable."

In commenting on the meeting, Ulana Diachuk, president of both the Ukrainian National Association and the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, stated: "The meeting was a positive first step in the development of working relations between the Clinton administration and our community."

Source: "Ukrainian Americans meet with Clinton; discuss United States-Ukraine relations," The Ukrainian Weekly, February 20, 1994, Vol. LXII, No. 8.

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