UKRAINE: DEFENSE MINISTER ON COALITION TALKS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIEV 001937 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM MARR NATO BO UP SUBJECT: UKRAINE: DEFENSE MINISTER ON COALITION TALKS, HONEST OFFICIALS, BELARUS, AND NATO PFP TRUST FUND Classified By: Ambassador for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Defense Minister Hrytsenko opined to Ambassador May 18 that Orange coalition prospects were growing as President Yushchenko was resigning himself to ex-Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko's return to the prime ministership. He agreed with Ambassador's listing of honest government officials, adding Transportation Minister Bodnar and Deputy Prime Minister Kyrylenko to the list. Hrytsenko downplayed the significance of his upcoming meeting with his Belarusan counterpart. Ambassador expressed appreciation for Hrytsenko's role in getting the U.S.-led NATO PfP Trust Fund back on track. End summary. Coalition Prospects -------------- ¶1. (C) During a May 18 farewell call, Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko told Ambassador that prospects for an Orange Coalition were growing. President Yushchenko was coming around to the notion that former Prime Minister Tymoshenko would again be Prime Minister. Hrytsenko also saw a coalition agreement as a way to hem in Tymoshenko's populist instincts (on economic policy, and perhaps foreign policy). The Integrity Meter -------------- ¶2. (C) When Ambassador told Hrytsenko that he was one of the handful of senior officials who clearly put the good of the country first, Hrytsenko asked who were the others. Ambassador mentioned Presidential Chief of Staff Oleh Rybachuk, Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk, Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko, Economics Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk. Hrytsenko agreed with all, save Lutsenko. When Ambassador said he was not commenting on competence (Our Ukraine bloc official Roman Zvarych told us recently that Lutsenko was not effective),Hrytsenko responded that there might also be issues of integrity, but he had no details. (Comment: The first such allegations we have heard about Lutsenko.) Hrytsenko also criticized Rybachuk's ability to get things done. Hrytsenko then praised the integrity of DPM Vyacheslav Kyrylenko and young Transportation Minister Viktor Bodnar (who was rumored to be a creature of Yushchenko adviser Petro Poroshenko and Zaporizhzhya Governor Yevhen Chervonenko),saying that he had taken some difficult stands. Belarus Contacts -------------- ¶3. (C) Responding to Ambassador's inquiry, Hrytsenko stated he would meet with his Belarusan counterpart, Leonid Maltsev, to sign bilateral agreements concerning the opening of recreational facilities in the Crimea for Belarus military officers. Minister Hrytsenko said the Belarus military did not have such recreational facilities and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense had unused facilities such as a sanatorium that they would make available to Belarus military officers. ¶4. (C) Hrytsenko added they would discuss various other issues. As an example, he said he would inquire if there were any changes in the use of the Belarus military in suppressing political activity. As far as Minister Hrytsenko knew, the Belarusan military had not been used in this way. He commented the Belarusan military was well aware of the constraints that Belarusan President Lukashenka was placing on them, but would welcome additional military-to-military contacts, if offered. NATO PfP Trust Fund -------------- ¶5. (C) Ambassador expressed appreciation for Hrytsenko's role in getting the NATO PfP Trust Fund for destruction of MANPADS and small arms/light weapons on track. ¶6. (U) Visit Embassy Kiev's classified website: www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. Herbst