^Ш^ШШ^Шші:ШШШШ. Ukraine in 1994: a Year of Changes

No. 52 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25,1994 з ^Ш^ШШ^ШШі:ШШШШ. world community stops taking us seriously because we dable role in the Conference on Security and Ukraine in 1994: do not know how to keep and execute our obligations," Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations, in the he said. latter part of the year, as Ukraine began taking serious The security issue was finally resolved late in the steps toward reform, it gained the attention of the a year of changes year when President Kuchma traveled to Budapest for a international Monetary Fund and the World Bank, two CSCE summit on December 5. "it's hard to overesti– institutions that will play a crucial role in Ukraine in or Ukraine, 1994 was a year of changes, as this mate the importance of the event that has just taken 1995, if indeed reforms do take off. vast, potentially rich and prosperous country of place," said President Kuchma in Budapest after signing The European Union expressed a desire for closer Fnearly 53 million located in the heart of Europe the NPT and receiving security assurances from the ties with Ukraine on February 7, as it aimed to finalize elected a new president, struggled to elect a new United States, Russia and Great Britain. The French and an agreement on partnership and cooperation with Parliament, and finally began to contend with its biggest Chinese governments gave Ukraine the same assur– Ukraine. The accord was finally signed by President dilemmas: a rusting nuclear arsenal, a stagnant economy, ances: to respect the territorial integrity and indepen– Kravchuk in Luxembourg on June 14. The aim of the a restive autonomous republic in the south and an aggres– dence of Ukraine, reaffirm their obligation to refrain document is to lay the groundwork for a widening free- sive, imperialistic "big brother" to the north. from the use or threat of use of force against Ukraine, trade zone in Europe, after an EU evaluation on the After waffling on such issues as the future of its except in self-defense. The memorandum presented to progress of reforms in 1998. nuclear weapons and a collapsing economy, Ukraine President Kuchma also stated that the nuclear powers But, the EU's first real gesture of support came late began making significant progress in these areas in will refrain from economic coercion and, in the case.of in the year, on December 5 in Brussels, with a loan of 1994 after Leonid Kuchma assumed office as Ukraine's aggression toward Ukraine, the nuclear states will seek 3108 million to pave the way for an international rescue second president on July 10. immediate action via the United Nations Security plan to help Ukraine with its balance of payments in the "The first government was more interested in politics Council. They pledged also not to use nuclear weapons fourth quarter of 1994. than policy," says one Western analyst based in Kyyiv. against any non-nuclear state party to the NPT treaty. in keeping with the January Tripartite Agreement, Mr. Kravchuk talked about the challenge of construct– Throughout 1994, the West had courted Ukraine, the U.S. government attempted to spur economic recov– ing a state and reforming the economy, but did not quite promising economic aid if it gave up its nukes. ery in Ukraine, presenting a program specifically geared understand that after three years of a decaying national U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry visited to establishing an enterprise fund for Ukraine to stimu– economy, only market reforms and hope for a better life Ukraine for the first time on March 23, promising Si00 late U.S. business investment and aid privatization on could guarantee Ukraine's independence. million for continued denuclearization, military conver– May 5. Nicholas Burns of the U.S. National Security To give credit where it is rightfully due, the govern– sion and housing for soldiers. During this historic visit Council headed the delegation that included representa– ment of Leonid Kravchuk put Ukraine on the map. to Ukraine, he viewed Pervomaiske, Ukraine's nuclear tives from the Treasury Department, the Agency for independent Ukraine was recognized by over 150 states, weapons site, where he was awed by about 100 missiles international Development (USA1D) and the Overseas but members of the nuclear club worried what would with almost 800 warheads targeted at the U.S. Mr. Perry Private investment Corp. (ОРІС). happen if things got out of control in this, the third also confirmed that Ukraine was indeed keeping its Economic reform in Ukraine was stagnant during the largest nuclear power in the world. pledge to remove its warheads to Russia,. first half of the year, and it did not seem there would be Pressure was put on Ukraine to give up its nuclear arse– Another offer made by the United States was a place any change when President Kravchuk appointed vitaliy nal, but its Parliament would not accede to the Nuclear for Ukraine in the newly created NATO security net- Masol as prime minister. The Parliament approved the Non-Proliferation Treaty without security assurances, a work, the Parternship for Peace. nomination on June 16, just 10 days before presidential sticking point under negotiation throughout 1994. Ukraine joined the PFP on February 8, in Brussels, elections. The year began with U.S. President Bill Clinton visit– becoming the first member of the Commonwealth of Mr. Masol, 66, a former Communist, had held the ing Ukraine — for three hours — with a stopover at independent States to do so; it was the sixth Eastern position of prime minister prior to Ukraine's indepen– Boryspil Airport on January 12. it was to be an act of bloc state to join after Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, dence, but was ousted by student strikes and large-scale good will and, more importantly, a stimulus for Estonia and Romania. Foreign Minister Anatoliy protests in October 1990. Ukraine to give up its nuclear arsenal. President Zlenko signed the document formalizing membership, Although many interpreted the Masol appointment as Kravchuk joined Presidents Clinton and Boris Yeltsin calling it a "reasonable and pragmatic alternative to par– a way for Mr. Kravchuk to get Communist backing in on January 14 in Moscow and signed an agreement tial and selective NATO enlargement." the upcoming elections, few were fooled by his declara– committing Ukraine to eliminate its 176 intercontinental "We strongly appreciate the open nature of the pro- tion: "in order to get the government moving, 1 believe ballistic missiles and some 1,240 nuclear warheads tar– gram and the absence of any intentions to draw new he is the only real choice." geted at the U.S. and transfer them to Russia in return dividing lines in Europe," he said. Parliamentary elections had been held a year earlier for guarantees that included economic support and inte– "By providing for specific and practical cooperation than originally scheduled, in the hope that a new legisla– gration into a European security network. between NATO and Ukrainian forces, this partnership ture would speed up the pace of reform in Ukraine. "Should Ukraine's Parliament fully ratify START І can foster an integration of a broader Europe and Although the outgoing Parliament boasted quite a and join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a multi- increase the security of all nations," said President record of activities, passing 402 laws and 128 resolu– lateral agreement on security guarantees would be Clinton when he proposed the program, adding that tions in three years, it failed to adopt seven successive signed between the United States, Great Britain and membership in this program is the first step for any economic reform packages presented by the govern– Russia," said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson soon country that aspires to full NATO membership. ments of Prime Ministers vitold Fokin and Kuchma in after the meeting of Presidents Kravchuk, Yeltsin and But it wasn't only NATO that interested Ukraine, as 1991-1993. Clinton in Moscow. Kyyiv set its sites on integration into the European Many democrats had hoped that a new Parliament The Ukrainian Parliament agreed to review the issue Community and such organizations as the Council of would be more pro-reform, but the partial Parliament of START 1, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Europe, the European Union, and sought a more formi– convened on May 11 with 338 deputies seemed more which it had passed with 13 conditions in November 1993. Parliament lifted those conditions on February 3, approving a disarmament package that did not include accession to the NPT. The legislative branch underscored that START approval was not to be considered an end in itself, but a process toward increasing Ukraine's security. The issue would come up again and again in Parliament during 1994. On November 16, the Ukrainian Parliament finally acceded to the NPT by a vote of 301-8, but sought more security guarantees from the nuclear club of nations. The newly elected president of Ukraine played a weighty role in getting his nation's Supreme Council to ratify the long-stalled NPT on the eve of his visit to the United States. A former rocket scientist and director of the world's largest nuclear missile factory, Pivdenmash, Mr. Kuchma was persuasive in arguing that Ukraine should become a non-nuclear state. "Ukraine has no choice today on whether it should be nuclear or non-nuclear. That choice has been made," he said, explaining that Ukraine had pledged disarmament and non-proliferation in 1990, when it proclaimed itself a non-nuclear state. "Further delays in reaching a deci– sion, in my opinion, would lead to a situation where the Author, author The articles in this special year-end issue of The Ukrainian Weekly were written by: The Ukrainian Weekly staff, Roma Hadzewycz, Marta Kolomayets, Khristina Lew, Roman Woronowycz, Andrij Wynnyckyj and ika Koznarska Casanova; and our colleagues, Marta Kolomayets Christopher Guly and Eugene iwanciw.

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