RUSSIA, NATO, AND THE UNITED STATES
EASTWEST INSTITUTE RESPONDS TO NEW TENSION
For nearly 30 years, the EastWest Institute has worked to avoid major confrontation and to build trust between the United States and NATO on the one hand and, on the other, the Soviet Union until 1991 and after that Russia. This part of our web site is devoted to providing a variety of independent commentaries on current developments (first in Georgia, then more widely) that are provoking a wave of tension and distrust between Russia, NATO and the United States. We want to ensure that the perspectives of all parties are heard and understood. On that foundation of knowledge, we work to encourage the parties to resolve differences in a constructive manner. Our starting point has to be the enduring interests and long-standing policies of the parties as articulated by each. It is only against this background that we can interpret more recent moves. Our work is directed exclusively at promoting collaborative actions between Russia, NATO and the United States. These web-pages here are intended to address the obstacles preventing such collaboration and to find ways of overcoming those obstacles.
This page provides a set of resources and up to date commentary designed to inform policy choices about the way ahead. What is Russian security policy? How will US security policy in Europe look after the next election? What is the best form of relationship between NATO and Russia? What are the most practical proposals for resolution of disputes over sovereignty and self-determination?
From time to time, we will introduce a special topic on this larger set of themes. At present, we have chosen to look at Ukraine's relations with Russia, NATO and the United States.
Relevant EWI Papers:
- Nuclear Fuel Banks: Moscow, Washington to Lead on “Mergers” (July 2008)
- New Russia, New Ally: A Bilateral Security Agenda Beyond 2008 (June 2007)
- US-Russia Constructive Agenda Roundtable (April 2007)
- Preventing Nuclear Terrorism: The Moscow - Washington Alliance (February 2007)
- Ukraine's Future Relations with the European Union: Policy Recommendations for the New Ukrainian Government (June 2006)
Source Documents |
News and Commentaries |
Special Topic: Ukraine |
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Press Statement following the Negotiations of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev with French President N. Sarkozy, The Kremlin, Moscow, August 12, 2008 Russia's New Foreign Policy Concept (July 2008): Remarks by President Medvedev United States National Defense Strategy (June 2008) NATO Summit Declaration Bucharest (April 2008) August 14 Letter from President Sarkozy to President Saakashvili "U.S.-Russia Relations in the Aftermath of the Georgia Crisis. Testimony of Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (September 9, 2008) |
Split Over Russia Grows in Europe Russia sent President-elect Barack Obama a message this week when it threatened to "neutralize" the proposed U.S. missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. But analysts said the tough talk from Moscow had another aim as well: to exploit a festering divide within Europe. Checking Russia This summer's war in Georgia tested the uneasy relationship between Russia and the West forged since the fall of the Soviet Union. In this issue of Foreign Affairs, Charles King contends that Moscow has shown little regard for international institutions, and increasingly, may not have to, as Russian power has emerged as a powerful and compelling alternative to the West. What Has Moscow Done? The next president will have to reassess the U.S.-Russian relationship and find the right balance between pushing back and cooperating. This past summer's war in Georgia -- and its aftermath -- delivered a higher-voltage shock to U.S.-Russian relations than any event since the end of the Cold War. It made Russia an unexpected flashpoint in the U.S. presidential campaign and probably won Russia a place at the top of the next administration's agenda. Moscow’s Mayor Exports Russia’s New Nationalism Moscow's mayor, Yuri M. Luzhkov, promised this month to build a new neighborhood for South Ossetian separatists in Tskhivali, Georgia. His involvement in Georgia provides some indication of Russian policies on Georgia. Russian Elite Look to Kremlin For Aid as Wealth Evaporates According to one analysis, the wealth of the top 25 on the Forbes Russia list has plunged nearly $240 billion in the past five months. These losses have been felt across the Russian economy, as the tycoons' businesses trim jobs, cut salaries and suspend projects, and have presented Prime Minister Vladimir Putin with a delicate political question: Should the Kremlin bail out the billionaires? Do not let Russia 'Finlandise' western Europe But supposing Russia's aim is the re-creation of a "lite" version of the Soviet empire, based not on military might but on economic dominance and pipeline monopolies; and that it wants the "Finlandisation" of western Europe. That involves the use of money, above and below board, to cultivate friendly lobbies. One example is this week's dramatic €4bn ($5.5bn, £3bn) Kremlin bail-out of Iceland. Another is the former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder chairing a Russian-German gas pipeline consortium. Lech Kaczynski: How The West Got Georgia Wrong 'The Russians showed a helplessness in the West. That's terrible, because the West is much stronger than they are.' During the war between Georgia and Russia, no European leader denounced Russia as strongly as Poland's president, Lech Kaczynski. He has also been a fervent backer of U.S. plans to deploy 10 interceptor missiles on Polish territory. U.S. and Polish officials signed the agreement for the missile shield soon after Russian troops crossed into Georgian territory. While visiting the United Nations last week, he talked with Andrew Nagorski, a former NEWSWEEK senior editor and now director of public policy at the EastWest Institute. NATO rapid-response unit proposed to address fears about Russia Western defense ministers are set to consider a new force that could be deployed in nations that feel in threatened by Moscow. Moscow ready for "moderate detente" with the West The Kremlin does not want to further escalate the current confrontation with the West as a whole, and the United States in particular. Several well-informed sources in the Kremlin have said that Moscow will soon take a series of confidence-building measures to de-escalate tensions and improve relations with its key Western partners. Redefine the Concept of Independence Moscow’s decision to recognize South Ossetian and Abkhazian independence has begun to backfire: Russia has been widely criticized for its actions and the events in Georgia could provoke nationalist claims for independence within Russia itself. Redefining the concept of “independence” might be a way out of the crisis. New Russian world order: the five principlesPaul Reynolds, BBC NEWS, September 1 In the aftermath of the Georgian conflict, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has laid down five principles that he says will guide Russian foreign policy. Will Turkey Abandon NATO? Will Turkey side with the United States, its NATO ally, and let more U.S. military ships into the Black Sea to assist Georgia? Or will it choose Russia? Tit for Tat: Russia Suspends Relations with NATO On Aug. 21, the Russian Defense Ministry announced its decision to halt military cooperation with NATO members. The Russian announcement comes only a week after Moscow tried to convene a special meeting of the NATO-Russia Council to discuss the situation in Georgia, but was rebuffed by the alliance. Instead, NATO foreign ministers met independently of Moscow and threatened to curtail military cooperation with Russia. In effect, Russia and NATO have independently suspended their joint projects. Russia vs Georgia: The Fallout The Russia-Georgia conflict has transformed the contemporary geopolitical world. The urgent need is to implement fully the 15-16 August ceasefire, and most significantly, to ensure that Russian troops return immediately to pre-7 August positions. Current rhetoric in Moscow and Western capitals is eerily reminiscent of the Cold War and will do nothing to resolve the crisis on the ground in Georgia or repair the damage done to European security. The West needs to address Russia’s behaviour not by isolating Moscow, but by engaging it in a way that is both hard-headed and conditional Russia’s gains in Georgia may leave it more isolated The West will be shaping a long-term response to what many see as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's bid to change the post-cold-war world. Thanks to Russia, NATO is back The NATO Secretary-General must secretly be thanking Russia. Not since the end of the Cold War and the dismantling of the Warsaw Pact have the allies been able to pull together in quite the same way as following Russia's invasion of Georgia. Russia's Aggression Is a Challenge to World Order Russia's aggression is not just a threat to a tiny democracy on the edge of Europe. It is a challenge to the political order and values at the heart of the continent. Russia Never Wanted a War The planners of the crisis in Georgia clearly wanted to make sure that Russia would be blamed for worsening the situation. Russia Is Still a Hungry Empire Other empires such as Britain and France adjusted, not without difficulty, to the fall of their distant domains. Far more of Russia's essence is tied up in the Imperium, and it barely tried to find a new identity after the Soviet Union fell. The war in Georgia marks an easy return to territorial expansion and attempted regional dominance. The West is Strategically Wrong on Georgia Sometimes small events can portend great changes. The Georgian fiasco may be one such event. It heralds the end of the post cold-war era. But it does not mark the return of any new cold war. It marks an even bigger return: the return of history. Boundary Issues There is little doubt that the Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, provided Putin with his long-awaited casus belli when he ordered the shelling of South Ossetia. But Putin’s war, of course, is not about the splendors of South Ossetia; it is a war of demonstration. What Did We Expect? President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia gave Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin an excuse to exercise his iron fist. How to Stop Putin What is to be done? Let's be real. There's nothing to be done militarily. What we can do is alter Putin's cost-benefit calculations. Prisoners of the Caucasus Unite Prisoners of the Caucasus Unite: Coming to terms with a non-imperial identity will be a painful process for Georgia. But it will ultimately lead to a more stable situation. The Russians yearn for respect in the same way as a street kid with a knife Rubbing Moscow's nose in its historical failures cannot bring peace. The west must revive the art of traditional diplomacy. Russia’s Ominous New Doctrine? It's payback time for a grievance that Russia has borne against the West for nine years. Russia’s War is the West’s Challenge Challenge to the West: Russia's invasion threatens democracy and security everywhere. Preventative Diplomacy: Can Macedonian and Estonian Models Succeed in Georgia? With the recent tension in Georgia’s secessionist state, South Ossetia, the question has arisen how this conflict will be resolved. Can Macedonia and Estonia’s success in preventive diplomacy provide helpful examples? ‘We Are All Georgians’? Not So Fast The events of the past week in Georgia have little in common with either Hitler's dismemberment of Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II or Soviet policies in Eastern Europe. They are better understood against the backdrop of the complicated ethnic politics of the Caucasus, a part of the world where historical grudges run deep and oppressed can become oppressors in the bat of an eye. Russia’s Flashback to 1968 Superficially, it has to be said, the events of August 1968 do bear some resemblance to the events of August 2008, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has observed. Nevertheless, the word "superficial" is worth repeating: the international situation is utterly different now. Despite some misty-eyed memories of alleged Cold War decisiveness, we did not, back in 1968, have the will or the ability to help the victims of Soviet expansionism. The End of the Post-Soviet Era The quandary for the United States is that it has only two models to choose from: a containment policy from the Cold War era or a policy of integrating Russia as used in the post-Soviet era. Neither approach is appropriate today. The West has not yet identified what ought to replace containment or integration, but diplomacy will be critical to the task. Moscow will be largely successful in undermining the human rights and democracy agenda until and unless the United States adopts smarter policies and coordinates with Europeans. There should be no gap between Washington and its European allies on these issues. The War We Don’t Know Why, Russians and Ossetians (not to mention separatist Abkhazians in Georgia's western region) ask, should the same principle of self-determination not be applied to them? The answer is clear: because we say so. That sort of logic, in an era of colossal American decline and simultaneous Russian resurgence, no longer works on the field. The Kremlin’s New Containment Policy The war between Russia and Georgia is not about disputed territory or the personal animosity between Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Nor is it about Moscow's moral claims to defend the Ossetians… the current armed conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi is about power and survival. |
Political scientists forecast development of Ukrainian-American relations Political scientists see different developments in Ukrainian-American relations after Barack Obama was elected president, according to a poll of experts, carried out by Aksia Center for Political Values Studies. NATO Not to Easily Decide on MAP for Ukraine The Membership Action Plan might be granted to Ukraine in 2009 provided the situation is politically stable there, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor made clear. Ukraine wants to join EU battle group Ukraine has formally broached the possibility of joining an EU battle group, a suggestion that would, if approved, make Ukraine only the third non-EU country – after Norway and Turkey – to be incorporated into the military system. Ukraine says Russia pushing it out of arms market Russia is waging an `information war` against Ukraine to try to push it out of lucrative arms markets, the head of Ukraine`s main arms export agency was quoted as saying on Wednesday, Reuters reported. In comments posted on the Ukrainian president`s Web site, Serhiy Bondarchuk said Russian allegations that Ukraine had made illegal arms sales, specifically to Georgia, were aimed at trying to secure control over key markets. Georgia urges clear NATO signal on membership NATO has promised to grant Georgia and Ukraine, both former Soviet republics, membership eventually, but its Bucharest summit in April declined to give either a formal membership action plan, known as MAP. Russia opposes Georgian and Ukrainian membership of NATO, saying the alliance's expansion up to its borders threatens its security. In December, the alliance is due to follow up on its open-door policy, but after the Georgia-Russia conflict some allies want to delay extending NATO membership to Georgia or Ukraine, officials have said. Russia Should Talk to, Not Test, Obama, Officials Say Vice President-elect Joe Biden predicted during the campaign that a Barack Obama administration would face a major foreign-policy test within six months. Russian officials say their country ought not do the testing… Both have stated a desire to reassert their government's influence in world affairs, especially in eastern Europe. As Ukraine Staggers, Its Leaders Quarrel Ukraine’s paralysis raises difficult questions for the West. It is a country of 46 million in a strategic spot between European Union countries and Russia, and its stability is crucial to the region. Russia will keep one eye on Ukraine and the other on relations with West Russia has already turned off the gas tap once to Ukraine back in January 2006. The trigger that time around was a pricing dispute, and prices are set to rise steeply again. The risk now is that the Kremlin might be tempted to exploit Ukrainian instability in order to punish President Viktor Yushchenko for supporting Tbilisi during last August's six-day war. Weapons Point at Viktor Yushchenko As the battle for power heats up in Ukraine, the subject of Russia is coming to the forefront. The Supreme Rada commission investigating arms supplies to Georgia completed its visit to South Ossetia and Russia yesterday. Chairman of the commission Valery Konovalyuk told Kommersant that the commission has uncovered new information on Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko’s responsibility for arming Georgia before the war in the Caucasus. ‘What’s Looming in Ukraine Is More Threatening than Georgia’ In an interview, Kremlin-aligned political strategist Vyacheslav Nikonov argues that the recent war in South Ossetia and bickering over Ukraine doesn't mean Moscow is steering into a confrontation course. But if Kiev entered NATO, he says it would spell the end of Russian cooperation with the West. Russia’s Monroe Doctrine Russia’s Monroe Doctrine which emerged from what is now being called the Medvedev Doctrine or Russia’s new Foreign Policy Doctrine. This paper attempts to analyze its global and regional implications. Too soon to kiss and make up The European Union should not give Russia a new partnership deal until it genuinely withdraws from Georgia…The war was popular with ordinary Russians: the popularity of President Dmitry Medvedev and the prime minister, Vladimir Putin, has risen even as financial markets have tanked. There are plenty of Russian citizens and passport-holders in such neighbours as Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltics whom the Kremlin might easily find a sudden need to “protect”, just as it did in South Ossetia. White House hopefuls have no plan for Russia The next US president should take a more constructive approach to challenges from the east, if only out of enlightened self-interest... U.S. wants NATO membership plan for Georgia this year BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The United States is pushing NATO to put Georgia on a formal track to alliance membership in December, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday, despite concerns about the country's security after its war with Russia. Unpredictable Russia …Brussels does not need an open conflict with Russia, especially in conditions of a global economic crisis, which has upped energy security stakes. However, it may change its stance if a new gas war breaks out between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine's playground politics ...The one thing that has distinguished Yushchenko and Tymoshenko from Yanukovych, the villain of the Orange Revolution, is their staunch advocacy of Ukrainian sovereignty, especially against the revival of Russian hegemony. When the Russian army invaded Georgia last year, no one was surprised to hear Viktor Yanukovych back the Kremlin, just as the Kremlin had supported Yanukovych in his failed bid for the Ukrainian presidency four years earlier. Tymoshenko, who has been more outspoken in her criticism of the Kremlin than Yushchenko, was conspicuously silent. Building on Common Ground With Russia In 1914, an essentially local issue was seen by so many nations in terms of established fears and frustrations that it became global in scope and led to the First World War. There is no danger of general war today. But there is the risk that a conflict arising out of ancestral passions in the Caucasus will be treated as a metaphor for a larger conflict, threatening the imperative of building a new international order in a world of globalization, nuclear proliferation and ethnic conflicts. The war on coherence It is amazing how swiftly a new crisis can knock into perspective one which dominated discussion only a short time before. Just a few weeks ago we were debating whether the west was heading for a new cold war with Russia, or a new Crimean war over Ukraine, or a new Great Game in central Asia. Then the markets began their decline, and Georgia and its possible consequences were swept aside. Early Promise in Ukraine Gas Talks Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary agreement Thursday night on a gradual rise in gas prices over the next three years, in talks overshadowed by political infighting in Kiev and Ukraine’s support of Georgia in its August war with Russia. Ukraine-Russia tensions rise in Crimea Russia finds unlikely ally in Ukraine's Tymoshenko The Kremlin has struck a tactical alliance with its former foe Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko designed to help her become the next president and help Russia rein in Ukraine's drive to embrace the West. Political rows overshadow Russia-Ukraine gas talks Merkel to Russia: Georgia territory non-negotiable Merkel also said in opening remarks at a joint news conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that countries should be able to decide freely if they wanted to join the NATO military alliance. Russia fears US nuclear arms on its borders Accession of Russia's neighbors Ukraine and Georgia to NATO could lead to deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on their territory and trigger a new arms race, the Kremlin's security chief said in an interview. Putin Sceptical about Future of Agreements with Ukraine The uncertain internal political situation in Ukraine questions the agreements that Moscow and Kiev have already attained… The White House Failing Office Kommersant, October 1 George Bush refused to support Victor Yushchenko. Yesterday, Ukraine’s President Victor Yushchenko finished his visit to the United States. Bush warns Moscow against 'bullying' neighbors Zhyrinovsky tells when Russia will bring its troops in Ukraine “If Ukrainian authorities begin a physical destruction of the Russian population or any repressions against it, Russia will have a right to make a military intervention”, said Russian LDPR party leader Vladimir Zhyrinovskiy in an interview with Ukrayina television. Rice says Russia can't veto NATO expansion Russia cannot be allowed to veto NATO membership for former Soviet states such as Ukraine and Georgia, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview published on Sunday, according to Reuters. Russia, Ukraine Preferred to Part Friends Kommersant found out that, in spite of the numerous claims to each other, Moscow and Kiev will extend the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Russia and Ukraine for another ten years. The Second Time Around The present visit by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to the United States is substantively different from his first, already forgotten, visit in the spring of 2005. At that time, the leader of the Orange Revolution was not only warmly received by U.S. President George W. Bush, he was feted in both Houses of Congress, which is a rarity for foreign leaders. Three and a half years after that visit, when Ukraine was hailed as the “forefront of world democracy,” Yushchenko must be remembering it like a beautiful dream that he will never have again. Yushchenko Plays the Anti-Russia Card After more than 15 years, I still remember a fascinating conversation I had in 1992. I was visiting a Columbia University Sovietology professor at his country home 100 kilometers from Manhattan. I was introduced to an intellectual, elderly man who had been one of Czechoslovakia's leaders prior to World War II. Ex-Envoy Says Georgia in NATO Not in U.S. Interest WASHINGTON -- NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine is not in Washington's or the alliance's interest, former U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Jack Matlock said as he and other former U.S. and Russian envoys decried the poor relations with Russia. "To simply say every country should have the right to apply to any alliance it wants, that's true. But an alliance and its members should also have the right to determine whether it's in their interests to take in a member," Matlock told a forum sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Ukrainian Coalition Government Close to Revival, Delo Reports Almost half of the parliamentary deputies in Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's party want to revive a coalition government with Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, Delo reported, without citing anyone. The new Warsaw Pact Today a new kind of Warsaw Pact emerges, this time with a strong anti-Russian and pro-US profile. Poland and the three Baltic republics - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - harmonise their policy with regard to their status as super-ally to the US, their suspicion of Russia and their hidden frustration at "soft" European foreign policy. The Baltic leaders' journey to Tbilisi in August to show solidarity with Mikheil Saakashvili was the tip of the iceberg. These countries are the strongest supporters of Nato membership for Georgia and Ukraine; they heavily oppose the gas pipeline between Russia and Germany; they openly sympathised with the Chechen fighters against Russian rule. Bush tries to shore up Lithuania, Ukraine support WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush Monday was conferring with leaders of the former Soviet republics of Lithuania and Ukraine in a bid to shore up support for the two emerging democracies as Russia's regional power grows. Rice says Russia can't veto NATO expansion ATHENS (Reuters) - Russia cannot be allowed to veto NATO membership for former Soviet states such as Ukraine and Georgia, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview published on Sunday. Yushchenko advocates NATO as balance Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko blamed the Russia-Georgia war on a security imbalance in the Black Sea region that he said could be corrected by NATO`s further expansion to the East… But he downplayed fears that his country is vulnerable to military aggression by Moscow even if it does not gain admission to the Western alliance. Mr Lavrov's OfferUnian News Agency, Ukraine, September 11 Stop supporting Georgia - and, it is implied, Ukraine - respect our right to influence in the ex-Soviet area. Then we`ll swallow the anti-missile shield and admit you to business with us as one of the `old Europe` countries - that is the main message of Sergey Lavrov`s article for Gazeta. Ukraine: The Next Crisis? The Russian invasion of Georgia has sent shock waves throughout the West and the former Soviet space — especially Ukraine. Indeed, Ukraine could be the next potential crisis. Georgia’s increasingly pro-Western course, including growing ties to NATO, has been a thorn in Moscow’s side. But it did not pose a serious threat to Russian security. Georgia’s army is small, ill-equipped and no match for Russia’s, as was amply demonstrated this month. Kiev Accuses Moscow of Meddling Russian-Ukrainian relations have heated up again after Interfax information agency, citing informed sources in Moscow, published a list yesterday of Ukrainian politicians and businessmen who will be banned from entering Russia. That information has not been officially confirmed. Vyacheslav Kirilenko, leader of the pro-presidential Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense bloc and one of the politicians blacklisted, said the list was an attempt by Moscow to give support to the “pro-Kremlin majority” in the Ukrainian Supreme Rada. Medvedev Spurns Yushchenko President Dmitry Medvedev cannot meet Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko until issues damaging relations are resolved, the Kremlin said Sunday. The terse statement was the latest in a long series of criticisms aimed at Yushchenko, particularly his drive to secure NATO membership for Ukraine. It also amounted to a rebuff to an invitation Yushchenko had issued by telephone for Medvedev to visit Kiev before the end of the year. Yushchenko Accuses Moscow of Interference KIEV -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Tuesday accused Russia of seeking to destabilize his country by encouraging separatists on the volatile Crimean Peninsula but vowed that the Kremlin would not succeed. "I will not be an idealist who says that there are not intentions to cause internal instability in this or that region of Ukraine," Yushchenko said. "Without a doubt such scenarios exist." Pro-Western Government Disintegrates in Ukraine MOSCOW, Sept. 16 -- The pro-Western government in Ukraine that took power in the Orange Revolution in 2004 fell apart again Tuesday, setting the stage for the former Soviet republic's third parliamentary election in as many years, with the nation's policies toward Nato and Ukraine: Divide and Conquer Writing in the Edmonton Journal last week, David Marples, a professor of Russian and East European history at the University of Alberta in Canada, looked at the implications for Ukraine of Russia’s stepped-up assertiveness in what Russia calls its “near abroad.” This article is republished with the permission of the Edmonton Journal. Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent nations may signal the demise of Georgia. It also raises serious questions about future relations with Ukraine. Cheney Pledges Support for Ukraine KIEV, Ukraine — President Viktor A. Yushchenko said Friday that the question of Ukraine’s membership in NATO had new urgency in the wake of Russia’s conflict with Georgia, even though his political coalition was once again on the brink of collapse in part because of the issue. New Ukraine poll looms as coalition collapses Ukraine was last night facing the prospect of further political instability and its sixth election in four years after the pro-western coalition formally collapsed. Ukraine comes to the forefront An already fragile Ukraine has been made a lot more nervous by Russia’s war with Georgia—and it is not alone A tentative embrace Ukraine is promised closer ties with the EU. Ukraine Premier Lashes Out at Rival KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's premier accused the nation's president Wednesday of spoiling the country's relationship with Russia, a broadside that came one day after their governing coalition collapsed. The alliance between Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko, the main heroes of the 2004 Orange Revolution, fell apart amid their fierce rivalry for power and arguments over how to react to Russia's war with Georgia last month. Georgia and the Stakes for Ukraine The Ukrainian president writes about how the conflict next door has made his country nervous. Yushchenko Makes NATO Bid on Ukrainian Independence Day Ukraine sees joining the NATO alliance as vital to its security, President Viktor Yushchenko said on Sunday in a speech bound to antagonize Russia. Russian actions reignite tensions over strategic port in Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko presided over the first military parade in years — with a massive display of tanks, armored personnel carriers and missile launchers — to celebrate his country's 17th year of independence from the Soviet Union. Russia's willingness to send troops into Georgia, another former Soviet republic, to settle their territorial dispute this month has made Ukraine jittery, and the pro-Western Yushchenko used the celebration to again push for inclusion in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. War Tomorrow? The question of Ukraine’s ability to adequately respond to internal and external challenges arose in a new aspect. The events in South Ossetia posed a new question: is Ukraine able to defend itself if confronted with a military threat to its territorial integrity and sovereignty? Judging by pessimistic forecasts made by Western analysts and ambiguous statements that come from Russian politicians, the probability of such a threat is very high. Russia steps up help for political groups Seeking to reverse Ukraine’s pro-Western policy, Russia has stepped up support for various political groups in the country in an effort unseen since the 2004 presidential election, a top official said Thursday. Black Square Quoting a high-ranking official in one of the Russian ministries who communicates with an employee of the Russian Premier’s office, an informant of the Main Intelligence Division reported that during Yulia Tymoshenko’s negotiations with Putin, Tymoshenko promised to expedite Russian business interests in Ukrainian privatization and to refrain from supporting President Yushchenko’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations in return for backing her as a presidential candidate. Ukrainians more and more supporting withdrawal of Russian ships from Crimea The number of citizens who support the withdrawal of the Russian Black Sea Fleet from Crimea in 2017 is growing – results of the most recent poll. Russia’s Mirazh corvette returns to Sevastopol’s naval base-2 Russia's Mirazh guided missile corvette returned Friday to its Black Sea Fleet base at Sevastopol, which Russia rents from Ukraine, after patrolling waters off the Georgian coast. Moscow to prevent Ukraine, Georgia's NATO admission - Lavrov Investors Fear Kiev is Next on the Kremlin’s List The cost of insuring Ukraine's debt against restructuring or default rose to its highest since the 2004 Orange Revolution yesterday, as investors fretted that the Kremlin's spat with the west could spill over. Kiev Seeks an End to Ship Feud Ukraine said Wednesday that it would not stop Russian ships used in the Georgian conflict from coming back to their Black Sea port, lessening prospects of a standoff with Moscow. Nervous Neighbours Russia’s war in Georgia troubles its western neighbours: Poland, Ukraine and the Baltics. Ukraine Risks Wrath of Russia as Yushchenko Sides with the West NATO foreign ministers kept alive the hopes of Georgia and Ukraine yesterday that they could eventually become members of the military alliance. But even without the provocation to Russia of a clear timetable for either country to join, many Ukrainians fear they could be next to face the force of a resurgent Russia seemingly bent on avenging the disintegration of the Soviet empire. Russia Warns Ukraine not to Interfere at Navy Base Russia's foreign minister warned Ukrainian leaders Tuesday against trying to restrict the Kremlin's use of a Crimean naval base it leases from Ukraine, adding to tensions that have heated up since Russian troops invaded Georgia. Ukraine Ready to Work with West on Missile Defense Ukraine says it is ready to make its missile warning systems available for Western countries after Russia announced it was pulling out of a long-term missile defense agreement. Ukraine Dismisses Fear of Crimea Separatist Crisis A top Ukrainian security official on Saturday discounted any notion of a separatist rebellion in the sensitive Crimea as President Viktor Yushchenko proposed Kremlin talks on the issue of the Russian fleet based there. Off the Fairway? It looks like the war between Russia and Georgia is beginning to cure the Ukrainian leaders of their bad habit of hoping that the problems connected with the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea will be settled by Russia’s goodwill or straighten themselves out somehow. Is Ukraine Prepared to Maintain its Tough Stand Against Russia? Throughout the weeklong conflict, Ukraine - to the Kremlin's evident displeasure - has offered strong vocal support for Georgia in its conflict with Russia over its breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. But is it prepared to maintain its tough stand against Russia? Is Ukraine Next? Georgian War Exacerbates Russia-Ukraine Relations The war in Georgia has seriously exacerbated relations between Russia and Ukraine's pro-Western government. Kiev on Georgia: Diplomacy Awkward, Parties Divided While the West was slow in articulating its position, Kyiv hurried with statements condemning Russia but had to backtrack somewhat later. Ukrainian parties have been divided in their attitudes to the conflict. |
The Kremlin does not want to further escalate the current confrontation with the West as a whole, and the United States in particular. Several well-informed sources in the Kremlin have said that Moscow will soon take a series of confidence-building measures to de-escalate tensions and improve relations with its key Western partners.
These priority measures are being drawn up by an informal working group led by Alexei Gromov, deputy head of the presidential executive office.