SLOVAK REPONSE TO THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE

S E C R E T BRATISLAVA 001067

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2014
TAGS: PREL PHUM UP LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAK REPONSE TO THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE


Classified By: CDA Scott Thayer for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (S) SUMMARY. The Slovak government and private citizens
are very concerned about the turn of events in Ukraine. Ivan
Korcok, MFA State Secretary, convoked the Ukrainian
Ambassador to Slovakia November 25 to express his strong
concern about the undemocratic events and called for a new
election in disputed eastern regions. While the public
frets, the government has released a statement critical of
the elections and will send Slovakia's first president,
Michal Kovac, to Kiev November 27. END SUMMARY.


2. (S) Radoslav Kusenda, MFA Ukraine desk officer, told
poloff November 26 the GOS will follow the EU common
position. Kusenda characterized the GOS position as a
Visegrad position, tracking most closely the Polish and
Hungarian positions. Michal Kovac's official trip November
27-28 to Kiev comes at the request of FM Eduard Kukan and is
intended to follow the Polish lead in sending Lech Walesa to
Kiev. The GOS intends to show their solidary with the
Ukrainian people, drawing parallels to their own historical
experience. Kovac will meet with the Slovak Ambassador to
Ukraine and other goverment officials yet to be determined.
He will give a speech in downtown Kiev to the demonstrators.


3. (S) Kusenda said Korcok's 15-minute meeting with the
Ukrainian Ambassador noted the common EU position and the
GOS' intention to send Kovac to Kiev. The Ukrainian
Ambassador noted that any shortfalls in the election process
in some districts would have to be resovled by the courts.
He discounted any possibility of another election. The
Ambassador also noted different election observers
characterized the democratic nature of the election
differently, apparently referring to CIS observers.


4. (S) That same day, the Ukrainian PolCouns (protect)
approached DCM at a conference to say that Western help was
needed to keep PM Viktor Yanukovych out of office. He
expressed privately, but openly to various conference
participants his pro-opposition views. Publicly, when asked
about the state of affairs in Ukraine November 23, he stated
only that results were preliminary, and he could not further
comment.

Public Reaction
--------------


5. (SBU) While visible public mobilization has been limited
(twenty youth protested in front of the Ukrainian embassy,
carrying ORANGE strips in support of Yushchenko),Ukraine's
flawed election is the top topic of conversation among
pundits and citizens this week. Some private Slovaks have
expressed concern that allowing Yanukovych to walk away with
the elections will cause an increase in lawlessness, which
will trickle over the border into Slovakia. They are also
alarmed by the strong Russian support for the flawed results,
recalling with trepidation the day Russian tanks rolled into
Bratislava in 1968.


6. (SBU) President Ivan Gasparovic said publicly November 24,
&Slovakia has good relations with Ukraine ) above all in
regard to trade and economic matters and sees it (Ukraine) as
a partner country in the future.8 He continued, &the
positions taken by NATO and the EU will be decisive for
Slovakia.8 (Comment: Gasparovic's statement reflects
long-term policy to keep citizen-to-citizen relations strong
and maintain important trade ties across the border. End
comment.)


7. (U) An MFA press release November 25 stated:

&The Slovak Republic follows with extraordinary concern
attempts of the current leadership of Ukraine through
publication of manipulated results of the second round of
presidential elections to sharpen the unprecedented domestic
political situation in Ukraine. We regret to state that in
spite of numerous notices and appeals from the side of
international community the current leadership of the state
did not secure free and democratic elections in Ukraine.

"We consider the official announcement of the second round of
presidential elections results dishonest and contradicting
the real choice of the Ukrainian voters. We appeal all
participated parties of the domestic-political conflict to
solve the situation through dialogue. We urge Ukrainian
leadership to avoid violent means in solving this situation.8
WEISER


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