UKRAINE: RADA PASSES ANNUAL MILITARY EXERCISE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KYIV 000823 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2017 TAGS: MARR MOPS MASS PREL UP SUBJECT: UKRAINE: RADA PASSES ANNUAL MILITARY EXERCISE LEGISLATION APRIL 6 Classified By: DCM Sheila Gwaltney, reason 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (SBU) The Ukrainian parliament (Rada) passed the annual exercise authorization legislation April 6, two days after rejecting it. Two U.S. exercises -- Rapid Trident and Sea Breeze -- are included in the authorization, as is one Ukrainian-Russian exercise. Yushchenko now has 15 days to sign the bill. Currently Yushchenko and his team claim they will not recognize any act taken by the Rada after Yushchenko issued a dismissal decree April 2, suggesting he will not take action in signing legislation he supported. However, after 15 days, the bill could still go into force under Rada Speaker Moroz' signature. ¶2. (C) Note: Defense Minister Hrytsenko, talking to Ambassador April 6, suggested the latter scenario would likely occur. Hrytsenko said that he had discussed the exercise legislation with PM Yanukovych earlier in the day, and that Yanukovych pledged to call Moroz and "fix the matter, hopefully today." The measure passed several hours later with the support of 237 of the 260 MPs present, despite having been subjected to vitriolic commentary by MPs from all three coalition parties April 4, when only five MPs voted in favor, 65 against, and 190 coalition MPs declined to vote (note: the opposition is boycotting the Rada). Hrytsenko personally held out hope that an overall political compromise would be reached in the next two weeks, within the timeframe Yushchenko has to consider/sign a piece of legislation. ¶3. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website: www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. Taylor