The long-anticipated visit of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to Ukraine came at the end of the political season, and yet it aroused interest in the active part of society.
Biden began his statement after meeting President Viktor Yushchenko with the following words: “Mr. President, thank you very much for your hospitality. On behalf of President Obama, I want to express our admiration, as well as our thanks—our admiration for what you and your colleagues began in what was an inspiration to other parts of the world and your neighbors, the Orange Revolution, and also thanks for your cooperation and help in the Balkans and Iraq and Afghanistan.”
As was expected, Biden reaffirmed America’s commitment to strategic partnership with Ukraine. Biden tried to reassure Kyiv that better ties between Washington and Moscow will not come at Ukraine’s expense.
“We don’t recognise, and I want to reiterate this, any spheres of influence. We do not recognize anyone else’s right to dictate to any other country what alliance it should seek to belong to, or what relationships, bilateral relationships, you have,” Biden said further in his statement. In this he essentially quoted a passage from his Feb. 2, 2009, Munich speech at a conference on security issues. “We will continue to reject the notion of spheres of influence, and we will continue to stand by the principle that sovereign democracies have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own partnerships and alliances,” he said.
At the same time, the U.S. vice president said he had come to Kyiv with “one simple, straightforward message”: “the United States is committed to a strong, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine.” In his words, the U.S. supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence and its right to make its own choices, including the choice of its allies. He emphasized that “if you choose to be part of Euro-Atlantic integration—which I believe you have—that we strongly support that.”
“Compromise ... is not a sign of weakness, it is evidence of strength”
Biden said that the U.S. is working to “reset” relations with Russia and added the assurance that this “will not come at Ukraine’s expense. To the contrary, I believe it can actually benefit Ukraine. The more substantive relationship we have with Moscow, the more we can defuse the zero-sum thinking about our relations with Russia’s neighbors.”
Biden said that the sides discussed the numerous challenges Ukraine is faced with today that have been aggravated by the global economic crisis. In particular, the discussion touched on the ways in which the U.S. can provide aid to Ukraine to carry out complicated reforms needed for strengthening democracy and the country’s economy, and energy sector.
Biden acknowledged that he was pleased to hear that the Ukrainian government had passed final resolutions needed to have private foreign investment companies return to Ukraine. In his words, this step will help American companies work in Ukraine, thus aiding the revival of both countries.
As was expected, the U.S. vice president spoke on the cooperation between the branches of power and the opposition. Referring to his many years in the U.S. Senate, he said: “It’s harder to make tough decisions in election years. It’s a difficult time in any democracy. I told the President what I will tell other officials with whom I’ll be meeting today, that working together, especially in times of crisis, is not a choice, it’s an absolute necessity. And compromise, I might add, is not a sign of weakness, it is evidence of strength.”
The U.S. vice president rounded off his statement with these words: “Ukraine has come a long way in the short time since declaring independence in 1991. And Ukraine’s vibrant civil society—and it is vibrant—its engaged and free media, as we witnessed here today—and its lively democracy show the world that Ukraine will continue on its chosen path toward a prosperous future as an integral part of Europe.
“The United States, Mr. President, is committing to walking that path with Ukraine to see to it that it becomes a vital part of Europe.”
“And again, Mr. President, I want to thank you for your hospitality. I look forward to continuing the discussions we had today at a working group level, and I am—I’m confident that Ukraine’s democracy will take deep root in the 21st century.”
After the meeting President Yushchenko and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden placed burning candles at a memorial to victims of the 1932–33 Holodomor. Following this ceremony, they had informal interaction with the Kyivites. The Ukrainian president invited the American guest to a coffee place for a cup of coffee and an informational conversation. Yushchenko told Biden some interesting facts on Kyiv’s history. The U.S. vice president said he greatly admired Kyiv’s cityscape and expressed interest in Ukraine’s history.
It’s a good thing Western politicians are taking interest in the history of this country. Ukraine may be making such slow progress on its way to European and Euro-Atlantic structures because it does know its own past.
COMMENTARY
Yevhen MARCHUK:
“I believe that for normal, politically neutral people—not to mention the politically engaged—this was a good visit. In Joe Biden’s speeches (nearly all of them are publicly available) one can find the official viewpoint of the U.S. vice president. Despite certain repetitions, Biden continues the same U.S. line with regard to Ukraine.
“Perhaps, in the private part there was a man-to-man talk between him and the Ukrainian leadership. Biden arrived somewhat late, which was due to his breakfast with Yushchenko. We don’t know what this man-to-man talk was about. But we need to highlight two nuances Biden mentioned.
“In particular, he said that the Orange Revolution was just a beginning and that it is continuing. In a way, it is right and good that they, in the U.S., understand this.
“However, at a different point in time he referred to Adams’ letter who wrote that those who make revolutions do not usually complete them. We know from France’s experience that a revolution devours its offspring. But it’s a good thing that this is mentioned by the U.S. vice president, who must have read numerous analytical documents on the situation in Ukraine.
“However, by this he emphasized the following (in my own paraphrase): We understand that you have pessimistic about the outcome of the Orange Revolution, but do not grieve. It has always happened this way in the world: revolutions are started by some and finished by others.”
“In this sense it was a good thing that he was the one who said this. However, I believe that in the part where he spoke about the fact that when people make their choices they need to think whether they want to return to the past or go forward to the future. I think this was a slight hint to our constituents about what they should aim at in these elections.
“Based on this, I believe that they indeed had a man-to-man talk. Even the certain positive aspects Biden mentioned were the result of his meeting with Yushchenko, who had told him certain things on top of what the embassy and other agencies include in their analytical materials.
“How this man-to-man talk was realized or is being realized/perceived will become clear in the near future. I only wish that no one would start boasting that Biden supported him/her. This will do only harm. I have already seen Hanna Herman’s message that Biden started his conversation with Yanukovych by saying: “Can I be speaking with the future president of Ukraine?” This information was picked up by the Internet sites in order to boost [Yanukovych’s image].
“In cases like this there are unwritten rules: if a conversation is semiprivate or private, without the press, its content is not disclosed afterward. For it appears as support, very definite support of a [presidential] candidate by the vice president. This is not the way to do things in top-level politics. This is called expressing self-addressed compliments.
“Biden’s statement was pleasant to Ukraine and Ukrainians. The main thing that was voiced is that better ties between the U.S. and Russia will not come at Ukraine’s expense. I liked Biden’s explanation on how to enter politics. He said: ‘When a young man or woman ask me what they should think about when they want to go into politics, I reply: First of all, ask yourself the following key question. What is so precious to me that I am ready for a political failure? If you can’t decide on this, you are driven by a mere ambition. Every country needs politicians who know they are ready for a political failure.’
“I believe that many of our politicians would be hard-pressed to answer this question.
“On the whole, Biden’s visit is a positive one. The question is only how Ukraine’s political elite will use it. The U.S. is a pragmatic nation, both politically and economically. When they feel that the words are not backed with specific and businesslike steps, they decipher this very quickly and draw [appropriate] conclusions. In my opinion one can find in Biden’s speech prompts addressed to politicians.
“Regarding repeated mentions of Shevchenko—all U.S. presidents mention him. Their service prepares the speeches, there is a Shevchenko monument in Washington, D.C., and Shevchenko wrote about Washington with his new and righteous law. Therefore it is very convenient to use this figure to arouse emotions in Ukrainians. This is a very good thing, which cannot be considered a hackneyed pattern. When a U.S. president or vice president mentions this, it is an element of respect. The only thing is: Will we live to see our Washington come?”
“The U.S. wants to maintain cooperation with an independent Ukraine, a key factor to Europe’s security”
Yurii SHCHERBAK, ex-ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. and Canada:
“I would give a very high mark to the statement made by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. In my opinion, in a way, he even exceeded the expectations.
“First, the politicians and experts who had said it would be a mere protocol visit or a courtesy call proved to be wrong. It is evident from the statement that this was a very serious political—I would even say geopolitical—visit that indicates: the U.S. wants to maintain cooperation with an independent Ukraine, a key factor to Europe’s security.
“The words about sovereignty and continuing strategic partnership make a very important statement. It means that the U.S. will continue its policy of strengthening our strategic partnership.
“It seems to me that Biden’s statement on the need of reforms, especially in the energy sector, was also extremely important. It is quite evident and one can say that civil society has been persistently demanding all the time that the programs to save energy and to introduce renewable sources of energy in Ukraine exist and be developed. We have huge resources in this area, which will help us cut our dependence on gas.
“Biden pointed out that it is hard to carry out reforms, because they may be unpopular with the citizens. However, they are needed if the country is to ride out the crisis and have prospects for further development.
“It is crucial and the U.S. vice president said he would convey the same message to the other officials he will meet. He will not say different things to different people. And this is very important. That is why I highly praise this visit, and we can confidently say that it has become an important landmark in the development of Ukraine–U.S. relations.
“Regarding the creation of a joint commission on the level of Kuchma–Gore, we don’t know the outcome of the negotiations, how it will all be assessed, and what specific proposals will be made. Perhaps, something will show up in the final communiqu .
“In principle, we have fairly positive experience with the commission on the level of the U.S. vice president and Ukraine’s president. However, it is clear that we need to consider institutional relationships between Ukraine’s ministries and their U.S. counterparts for the purpose of closer cooperation. If this offer is voiced, it will be a very good thing. However, they may limit themselves to a lower-level commission. Whatever the case, in principle, we need to prove our commitment to reforms and show that will continue our cooperation with the United States.
“That is why, if someone would like to portray this visit as a formal one and rid it of its essential meaning, this will be a very bad sign. It will mean that there are forces in Ukraine that do not want this kind of strategic partnership and cooperation between our countries continued.
“I hope that even the opposition will not, in all likelihood, launch these kinds of initiatives, if they can be called such, or deny something. I hope that the people … who are aware of their responsibility before the Ukrainian nation have to understand the weight of our cooperation with the great state that the United States continues to be.”
