There is every reason to speak about a qualitatively new stage in the development of Ukrainian- Russian relations, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Ivan Aboimov said at a January 24 press conference. Ambassador Aboimov believes that last year might well have marked a turning point in the history of the two newly independent states. Incidentally, this opinion is also shared by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Russia Mykola Biloblotsky, who emphasized that economic relations between the two states had made a breakthrough in 2000, to which a 29% growth in goods turnover is vivid testimony.
Ambassador Aboimov recalled in particular that the past year was quite outstanding as far as meetings of the two countries’ leaders are concerned. Moreover, the ambassador drew attention not only to quantitative indicators (the presidents met eight times last year) but also to qualitative results. The ambassador declared that settlement of the natural gas problem was the main achievement in Ukrainian-Russian relations. “Developments” in this area seemed to have reached “an impasse,” in the ambassador’s opinion, as recently as six months ago. The Russian diplomat along with his Ukrainian counterpart noted an increased goods turnover after a long decline in economic cooperation. The level achieved can be raised further, Mr. Aboimov is convinced, if the current trend continues. The ambassador used the term “mutually advantageous” in describing the advent of Russian strategic investors to Ukraine.
What caused surprise was the ambassador’s stand over the language situation in Ukraine, particularly over alleged discrimination against the Russian language, about which the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry has repeatedly sounded the alarm. “The Russian language in Ukraine is not in a depressed condition,” the ambassador emphasized, stressing the word “not” (six months ago he expressed a somewhat different opinion). Yet, the ambassador could not avoid remarking that some problems still remain, for example, switching the language of instruction from Russian to Ukrainian in some schools. On its part, Russia is making, he said, every effort needed for Ukrainians to feel good in his country. According to Mr. Aboimov, a Ukrainian lyceum has been opened at the Moscow Linguistic University. A Ukrainian class has also been established in the Russian capital. This may seem very little, the ambassador admitted, but “a good beginning makes for a good end.”
Nonetheless, although Mr. Aboimov presented a well-argued and comprehensive report, he failed to give detailed answers to a number of journalists’ questions. To be more exact, he would give the same answer: “This will have no effect on Ukrainian- Russian cooperation.” The diplomat applied this fine figure of speech to such different things as the visit of Pope John Paul II to Kyiv, the dismissal of Vice Premier Yuliya Tymoshenko, the cassette scandal, and even the dismissal of former Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk traditionally interpreted as an attempt to revitalize the somewhat sluggish Ukrainian-Russian cooperation.
The two sides did manage to revitalize relations and not only because a new Minister of Foreign Affairs was appointed. The more so that the latter admitted at a recent press conference as unambiguously as his predecessor did that Ukraine’s main foreign-policy direction is European integration. Warmer relations with Russia seems to be the result of joint efforts. Ukraine should maintain more than good-neighborly ties with Russia in view of its energy dependence. Russia’s new President Vladimir Putin has pursued a policy of pragmatism since the very beginning of his tenure. This pragmatism was first displayed in the advertising of bypass pipelines and statements about discrimination of the Russian language in Ukraine. Yet, Ambassador Aboimov stressed that, although the year 2000 failed to solve all issues, it clearly showed “there are no insoluble problems in Russian-Ukrainian relations.”
Ukraine also seems to be showing pragmatism. Perhaps it was precisely this that helped achieve success.
