UKRAINE: WORKING TO SECURE RADA APPROVAL FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIEV 000610

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: WORKING TO SECURE RADA APPROVAL FOR
FOREIGN MILITARY EXERCISES IN UKRAINE IN 2006

REF: A. KIEV 553

B. HERBST-KRAMER FEB 14 EMAIL

C. 05 KIEV 4590

Classified By: Ambassador, reason 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary: In the aftermath of the February 9 failure
of the Rada (parliament) to approve the measure authorizing
foreign troops to participate in military exercises in
Ukraine in 2006 (ref A),Defense Minister Hrytsenko asked
Ambassador late February 14 to approach Party of Regions
leader Yanukovych ahead of an expected revote the week of
February 20, stressing the importance of such exercises to
Ukraine's national interest. Ambassador met Yanukovych
February 15 and noted that Yanukovych had supported such
annual resolutions during his tenure as PM, and that a vote
in favor could signal Regions' intent to govern responsibly
were it to return to power after the elections. Yanukovych
said that he would discuss the issue with his faction leader
and get back to Ambassador on the issue. End summary.

Handwritten note from DefMin Hrytsenko: please help
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2. (C) Defense Minister Hrytsenko sent a handwritten note to
Ambassador late February 14 requesting assistance in securing
Rada approval for the bill approving foreign troop
participation in military exercises on Ukrainian soil. (The
bill had failed to secure the 226 votes necessary for passage
in a 215-to-11 vote February 9.) Noting that Yanukovych
seemed willing to listen to Ambassador's counsel, Hrytsenko
suggested that Yanukovych might prove receptive to a pitch
that, as Prime Minister, he had annually sent similar such
bills to the Rada for approval, and that the bill was about
Ukraine's credibility and predictability as a partner. For
his part, Hrytsenko pledged to work with the rest of the
Rada. (Note: Only two members of the governing coalition
partner Socialist Party voted for the bill February 9; ten
members of Rada Speaker Lytvyn's faction also failed to vote.
The 215-11 February 9 vote fell 11 votes shy of approval,
with 200 MPs not present or choosing not to vote.)

Yanukovych: I'll look into it and get back to you
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3. (C) Ambassador met Yanukovych February 15. Noting the
February 9 vote and Regions' non-participation, Ambassador
reminded Yanukovych that he had supported such bills while
PM, that the training was important for Ukraine's military,
and that a supportive vote by Regions when the measure came
up for reapproval would send a signal that it intended to
govern responsibility were he/the party to return to
government after the elections.


4. (C) Yanukovych replied that while he was aware the vote
had occurred, he had not been in Kiev February 9 and did not
know the reason for his party's non-vote. He said that he
would look into the issue, talk to the Party's Rada faction
leader, and get back to Ambassador.

Comment: a pitch worth making
--------------


5. (C) Comment: Yanukovych told us last November that, while
his pre-election actions and public comments in the lead-up
to March parliamentary elections would be focused on
protecting his base against the incursions of the further
left Communists and Natalya Vitrenko, he would be ready to
work constructively on a range of issues after the election,
presuming he and Regions returned to government (ref C). The
pitch for a constructive vote on an issue of Ukraine's
national interest before the election provides an interesting
opportunity for Yanukovych to send a signal that he and his
party can and are willing to approach matters of national
interest in a non-partisan manner. The bill could pass even
without Regions' support if the government succeeds in
maintaining party discipline among pro-government forces,
keeping Tymoshenko bloc votes on board, and convincing the
coalition-member Socialist Party and Rada Speaker Lytvyn to
provide additional votes, but none of these is necessarily a
given.


6. (U) Visit Embassy Kiev's classified website at:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
HERBST