The collapse of the bipolar world bestowed on us the notion of collective security. In any country, especially in Europe, a military expert involved in or with this problem and not dreaming of an assignment at the George Marshall European Center for Security Studies will be considered strange. This truly unique institution was founded by the United States and Germany. It is located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a scenic German resort town. Its key objectives consist in laying the foundations of world peace and stable international relationships, assisting the process of understanding and partnership among countries, providing the preconditions for a universal security system stretching from the Atlantic to Central Asia. Its training courses enroll officers all the way up, including brass from the US, Georgia, Great Britain, Uzbekistan, Denmark, Croatia, etc. Dozens of Ukrainian military experts have the center’s certificates and diplomas.
Recently, Kyiv was visited by Dr. Robert KENNEDY, Marshall Center Director, who kindly agreed to an interview with The Day .
The Day: Dr. Kennedy, how do you see our military’s professional level based on your experience, when teaching our cadets, and this visit?
R. K.: Actually, this isn’t my first trip to Ukraine; four years ago I had occasion to visit Odesa. From my experience I can say I’m most impressed by your people’s friendliness, communicability, and readiness to come into contact. During this visit I have been enchanted by Kyiv and I enjoyed meeting with our alumni.
The Day: How many Ukrainian officers have graduated from Marshall?
R. K.: Ninety-six officers have undergone training during the six years of Marshall’s existence. Plus nearly 200 other servicemen from your country attended so-called short courses and seminars. Among other things, they gained a wealth of experience in how to communicate with colleagues from different countries, for Marshall is teaching representatives of 47 countries, ranging from the United States to Central Asia and Russia.
The Day: You mean there are Russian officers being taught by NATO experts?
R. K.: Certainly. We are talking global security, so we invite all countries — NATO members and neutral European, Asian, and other countries — to take part in our dialogue. We must if want to have real understanding. This is a universal problem, and solving it is possible only together.
The Day: What role do you think Ukraine should play in building this security system?
R. K.: Above all Ukraine has to make up its mind on its strategy and foreign policy orientation, to find, so to speak, its place in the sun. It is also necessary to fully comprehend the role your country should play in international politics. I, for one, strongly object to the notion of Ukraine being the buffer zone between NATO and Russia. It is more of a bridge between East and West, a link through which we can understand each other. We can discuss global security only after all countries, among them Russia, the countries and territories in the Caucasus, and Europe, can feel they are equal members of a single family. Marshall’s main goal is to use this idea to unite different countries, develop a single notion of common security through the combined efforts of their representatives, the military, and understand one another’s problems and concerns. We hope that we can use such understanding to build a new kind of partnership in a renewed world, to secure every state a high level of development in the future.
I completely reject the idea of dividing lines in Europe. And it is precisely in the European region that Ukraine can occupy a key position as a regional leader. Thus your first positive steps on the road to democracy — it is now apparent that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel — are heartening. This is without a doubt the first step toward Ukraine’s development and great success in the world.
Ukraine is also important for us in that it can spur Russia to enter into a dialogue with the West. Moreover, I think that your country can play a constructive role in normalizing the situation, for example, in the Caucasus. Your readiness to do this is evidenced by your military’s peacekeeping missions. Personally, I can say that we at the Marshall Center will do our best to help your military to that end.
The Day: The concept of armed forces, as seen worldwide, has undergone fundamental change in the years your center has been in existence. How does this new understanding affect your institution?
R. K.: It is true that we have come to understand that in the twenty-first century armed forces might not be able to solve any of the tasks they did in the past century. The main task is how we are to restructure and reorganize our armies in view of the threats now arising. Already no one in Europe is going to crisscross the continent with large armed contingents. Today’s tasks of peacekeeping and antiterrorist operations are something completely different. We dealt with precisely this issue at this year’s first seminar for general officers from countries participating in the center. We realized that it is a matter of serious concern for everybody without exception. But simultaneously we understood that military reform in any given country takes time, major effort, and great cost. Do you think the United States has solved this problem? Not at all. The Defense Department is now looking for money to reform its own structures about the same way you do in Ukraine.
The Day: Speaking of reform, you mentioned that Ukraine as an important link in the system of global security. Aren’t you worried by the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have a long way to go to meet NATO standards? Our Defense Minister is not a civilian and our Air Force and Air Defenses are still separate branches of the Armed Forces.
R. K.: We understand perfectly well that such problems can’t be solved at once. Obviously, you will end up with the same scheme that the world’s current leading nations have. Of course, we would like to see this happen as quickly as possible.
The Day: When visiting Ukraine the first time, you met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk. Would you share with us what you discussed?
R. K.: I familiarized your Defense Minister with our immediate plans. Among other things, I informed him that we were introducing three additional courses a year for officers ranking from major to captain, and that six officers could come from Ukraine to attend every such course of training. In other words, we would have 18 more officers from Ukraine each year. I must say that your Defense Minister is very well aware of the need for such partnership, and we understood each other perfectly.
The Day: Will there be any changes in the training programs for our officers after this visit?
R. K.: Whenever I visit the heads of military departments in different countries, I always stress that the Marshall Center is meant for them, that they must determine their own priorities: what kind of training courses they think their officers should undergo and what subjects should be included in the program. We always put together our training program starting forth from such requests and propositions. And now, as I leave Ukraine, I expect in a few weeks to receive from your Defense Ministry its proposals. We are prepared to conduct a very extensive range of courses, from settling critical situations to solving economic problems. The rest is up to you.
