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