NATO welcomes the efforts of its strategic partner, Ukraine, in strengthening its presence in Afghanistan, even if it is minimal. “Not by a meter, but by two-three centimeters,” a source in NATO informed The Day. According to The Day’s interlocutor, NATO expresses regret because Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych didn’t come to the Alliance’s summit, which took place on November 19-20 in Lisbon. The interlocutor pointed out that this can be treated as a demonstration that Ukraine is not interested in NATO, which may have some consequences for Ukraine. At the same time, the source pointed out that not all leaders of the countries that had been invited participated in the summit.
NATO took positively the fact that before the summit the president of Ukraine signed the resolution on ensuring the continuation of Ukraine’s constructive partnership with the organization. This proves that relations with the alliance are important for Ukraine, and Kyiv wants to use all possibilities for cooperation with NATO, the source singled out.
He also noted that appointing five coordinators coincides with five points of the Annual National Program and also with the five clauses of the Membership Action Plan. It means that all agencies involved in the realization of the Annual National Program will be specifically coordinating their activity through the coordinators. “This is a very good concept,” stressed the interlocutor.
The realization of the Annual National Program, he adds, shows that the Ukrainian president believes this program is a positive tool for the development of relations with the alliance and realization of reforms, and generally such cooperation increases the status of the country as such. NATO also shares the idea that the Annual National Program can become an element of reforms and promised their support.
In the opinion of some representatives of the European community, in 2011, when there are no elections in Ukraine, the cooperation between the alliance and Ukraine will increase. In addition, in spring next year the first visit of the NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was invited by President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, will take place.
The Day’s interlocutor did not comment on the statement of the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Raisa Bohatyriova, who being in Warsaw on November 23 said: “Ukraine not only expressed its willingness to participate in building the European anti-missile defense, but also offered the use of its radars. If this proposal interests NATO, we are ready to cooperate on specific issues.” According to him, no one in NATO knows about it.
At the same time, he positively assessed the statement of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Valerii Khoroshkovsky, who, visiting the alliance’s headquarters on September 9, said that “Ukraine prepares for the end of the year a revised national security strategy, which should become a part of general NATO security.” This shows the unity on matters of security and that all performers play the same music, so the change of one direction — Ukraine’s refusal from joining NATO — does not stop the positive music, said the interlocutor.
Speaking about Ukraine’s prospects of NATO membership, he said the following: “At present an adaptation of two parties takes place: NATO and Ukraine. At the very beginning, when Yanukovych came to power, he said ‘stop’ to NATO, but in reality everything is quite the opposite. Today Ukraine is closer to the alliance than a few years ago. There is more presence behind the scenes than on stage. We receive signals that there is Ukraine’s interest in joining NATO, but Kyiv hesitates how to do it not to offend Russia.”
The source in NATO also thinks that the improvement of relations between Ukraine and Russia is positive, because it brings an additional security guarantee for everyone in Europe, since NATO is interested in improving relations with both Kyiv and Moscow.
In addition, Medvedev’s participation in the NATO summit is a demonstration of Russia’s interest in improving relations and rapprochement. Russia is interested in cooperation with the alliance on a number of issues: anti-ballistic missile defense, struggle against terrorism, piracy. At the same time, the source pointed out that there cannot be a quick answer to the proposals of Medvedev that Russia and the West can create a single perimeter of anti-ballistic missile defense with the elements of ABM and air defense oriented externally. “Such questions,” pointed out The Day’s interlocutor, “are not solved quickly.”
