Ukraine divided in its attitude to NATO MAP
Ukraine divided in its attitude to NATO MAP

Ukraine divided in its attitude to NATO MAP

10:27, 01.07.2008
2 min.

During the nearest half a year Ukrainian diplomats will spend a lot of time communicating with Old Europe. Before December NATO summit Ukraine has to convince opponents...

It’s a long road ahead of Ukraine before it can access the NATO Membership Action Plan.

During the nearest half a year Ukrainian diplomats will spend a lot of time communicating with Old Europe. Before December NATO summit Ukraine has to convince opponents of its entrance to the alliance, above all Germany and France, to vote for MAP to be given to Kyiv. The forces from another side of the barricades will be trying, meanwhile, to convince these countries of the opposite. Their current task number one is to frustrate and hamper summer plans for military training “Sea-breeze”.

On 3 July the Ukrainian delegation will be reporting about the fulfillment of target plan “Ukraine-NATO” in Brussels but diligent behaviour is not the only way to gain the favour of Europe and NATO officials. Ukraine is going to work hard with those who refused to vote for its MAP in Bucharest. Mykhailo Osnach, director of NATO Department in Foreign Ministry of Ukraine, says:

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‘We shall continue our consultations with particular states, members of alliance, i.e. with those who were not ready to provide consensus about the question of inviting Ukraine to join MAP during summit in Bucharest.’

Opponents of NATO membership have already planned how to fight with Americans. Parliamentary communists are promising to organise protests in December when the alliance will be deciding whether to accept Ukraine for MAP. Communist leader Petro Symonenko says they will be protesting until a NATO referendum is held in Ukraine. In general, communists have their own idea about the system of security for Ukraine. They say its format would be something like ‘Europe without The Unites States of America’:

‘The position of Ukrainian communists is directed onto the intention to define our security within the framework of European Community. A European Security system should be created today, beyond NATO.’

Meanwhile, temporary friends of communists from the team of radical leftist faction of progressive socialists headed by Natalia Vitrenko, shared with journalists absolutely different security strategy. They are inviting communists to join the protest actions but can as well do without them. Their target is unity with Russia and presence of Black Sea Fleet in Crimea forever. Natalia Vitrenko:

We believe that the best security system for Ukraine is the system of collective security within the framework of a new union. Black Sea Fleet which is the property of Russian Federation, we believe, must stay forever in Crimea and in Sevastopol.

NATO General Secretaty Jaab de Hoop Scheffer who visited the capital of Ukraine early this week called the constant presence of people with red flags as sign a democracy. He said: I am absolutely not worried about the presence of demonstrators behind the windows of this building. It’s a sign of a democratic norm. The only problem is that discussion in society should not be based on myths.

Progressive socialists complained that they were not given a chance to express their position. They were sure that NATO chief official got scared of them and ran away from Kyiv. Now they are promising that not a single NATO soldier will be present at summer military training “Sea-breeze” in Crimea, they are also stating that opponents of Ukraine NATO MAP from the Old Europe have already refused to participate in this training.

By Halyna Pastushuk, Polish Radio External Service

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