Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USNATO632
2007-12-11 14:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Mission USNATO
Cable title:  

UKRAINE'S A/FM KHANDOGIY TELLS NATO MINISTERS

Tags:  PREL NATO MARR KCFE PARM BO 
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VZCZCXRO8857
PP RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHNO #0632/01 3451401
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 111401Z DEC 07
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK PRIORITY 3119
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1458
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000632 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2017
TAGS: PREL NATO MARR KCFE PARM BO
SUBJECT: UKRAINE'S A/FM KHANDOGIY TELLS NATO MINISTERS
DECEMBER 7 THAT UKRAINE AIMS FOR MAP, NRF PARTICIPATION

REF: A. KYIV 2947

B. 12/06 USNATO-EUR/RPM E-MAIL

Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b),(d).

SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000632

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2017
TAGS: PREL NATO MARR KCFE PARM BO
SUBJECT: UKRAINE'S A/FM KHANDOGIY TELLS NATO MINISTERS
DECEMBER 7 THAT UKRAINE AIMS FOR MAP, NRF PARTICIPATION

REF: A. KYIV 2947

B. 12/06 USNATO-EUR/RPM E-MAIL

Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b),(d).

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (C) At the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) Ministerial
meeting at NATO Headquarters on December 7, Acting Foreign
Minister Khandogiy forecast a Ukrainian request to launch a
NATO Membership Action Plan at the April 2008 Summit in
Bucharest and announced Ukraine's readiness to contribute
forces to the NATO Response Force. He supported NATO's
position on keeping the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
in force while working to amend it. Ambassador Nuland
affirmed support for Ukraine's engagement with NATO, hoped
for a timely formation of a new government before NATO could
seriously consider the MAP request, and urged an effective
public information campaign about the reality of the
NATO-Ukraine relationship to the Ukrainian people. Other
Allies supported Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations and
contributions to operations, but also called on Ukraine to
form a government and meet deadlines for assessing its
performance on the 2007 Annual Target Plan (ATP) and
approving the 2008 Plan. All other speakers avoided
commenting directly on Ukraine's MAP request. End Summary.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
--------------

2. (C) A/FM Volodymyr Khandogiy told Allied Foreign Ministers
and Ambassadors that Ukraine's parliamentary elections had
demonstrated the nation's "pro-European choice." He stated
that Ukraine had now "exceeded the Intensified Dialogue
level" of cooperation with NATO, and pointed to the
similarity of the NATO-Ukraine Annual Target Plan (ATP) to
the NATO Membership Action Plans (MAP) undertaken by nations
on a formal accession track with the Alliance. Building on
that, Khandogiy announced Ukraine's intention to:

- finalize the decision to request MAP at the Bucharest
Summit, "neither artificially speeding up, nor slowing down"
Ukraine's accession to full membership;


- undertake expert level discussion with the Alliance on a
Ukrainian contribution to the NATO Response Force (NRF);

- further enhance Ukraine's contributions to NATO-led
operations (adding a team of medics to ISAF and a second
vessel to Operation Active Endeavor); and

- approve the 2008 ATP "in the coming days."


3. (C) Khandogiy forthrightly supported the CFE Treaty as a
"key instrument for preserving peace and stability in
Europe," supporting NATO's position that it should remain in
force pending negotiations to implement and ratify an adapted
treaty. He expressed appreciation for NATO Trust Funds, in
particular the U.S.-led TF for eliminating excess munitions,
the "largest such project in the world."

ALLIES ENCOURAGE PRACTICAL COOPERATION
--------------

4. (SBU) Ambassador Nuland affirmed U.S. support for Ukraine
and its NATO aspirations, citing the U.S.-led Trust Fund and
Ukraine's contributions to NATO-led operations as examples of
the mutual support of Ukraine and the Alliance. She looked
forward to the timely formation of a new government, urging
all parties to send clear signals of support for Ukraine's
NATO integration as a prerequisite for serious Alliance
consideration of a MAP request. She also encouraged a
stepped-up information campaign on NATO within Ukraine to
dispel the image of NATO as a "four letter word."


5. (SBU) Thirteen other Allied reps (including the Polish,
Estonian, Hungarian, and Romanian FMs as well as Slovakian
and Greek Political Directors) also responded supportively,
with new Allies generally hopeful Ukraine could move to the
next level and others more cautious. Common themes were the
observation that Ukraine is the only NATO Partner nation that
contributes to all NATO-led missions and operations; support
for Ukraine's free and fair elections as compared to recent
elections in Russia; calls on Ukraine to swiftly form a
government; complete the 2007 ATP self-assessment and approve
the 2008 ATP; and recognition that much work remained to be
done to build public support in Ukraine for NATO integration.

DELIVERABLES
--------------

6. (SBU) Allies expressed disappointment that Ukraine was
unwilling or unable to approve the 2007 ATP Assessment or the

USNATO 00000632 002 OF 003


2008 ATP program without the explicit authorization of a new
government in Kyiv. These documents were to have been the
primary deliverables for the ministerial. Still, FMs noted
the Military Committee with Ukraine Work Plan for 2008 (REF B
- NUC(C)D(2007)0006) and approved a Joint Statement (below -
NUC(C)D(2007)0007),negotiated by the NUC Political
Committee.

JOINT STATEMENT
--------------

7. (U) Following is the text of the Joint Statement. Note
internal numbering:

NATO-UKRAINE COMMISSION AT THE LEVEL OF FOREIGN MINISTERS
BRUSSELS, 7 DECEMBER 2007 JOINT STATEMENT

(1) Foreign Ministers of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, meeting
today in Brussels, underscored the importance of the
NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership for security and
stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area and in this
context recalled the tenth anniversary of the Charter on a
Distinctive Partnership. They took stock of the progress
achieved in NATO-Ukraine cooperation since their last
meeting. Ministers also discussed the foreign and security
policy priorities of Ukraine and the prospects for the
development of the NATO-Ukraine relationship, including the
NATO-Ukraine Action Plan and the Intensified Dialogue on
Ukraine,s aspirations to NATO membership and relevant
reforms, without prejudice to any eventual Alliance decision.

(2) Welcoming Acting Foreign Minister Khandogiy,s statement
on recent developments in Ukraine, Allied Ministers noted
with satisfaction Ukraine,s democratic reforms and expressed
confidence in their continuation. They welcomed the conduct
of free and fair parliamentary elections to the Verkhovna
Rada in September 2007 and the formation of a governing
coalition. Ministers looked forward to the timely formation
of a government in Ukraine.

(3) Re-affirming their commitment to the success of NATO's
operations and missions, Ministers welcomed their ongoing
operational cooperation in the context of Operation Active
Endeavour, including the deployment of a second Ukrainian
vessel, the corvette Lutsk; ISAF, including through
Ukraine,s contribution to PRT efforts; KFOR; as well as in
NATO Training Mission Iraq. Allied Ministers expressed
appreciation for Ukraine,s active support for all NATO-led
operations and missions. They noted with satisfaction and
further encouraged Ukraine,s contributions to security in
its region and beyond. Ministers noted the Work Plan of the
Military Committee with Ukraine for the year 2008.

(4) Ministers reviewed the progress that had been made
throughout 2007 in reforming Ukraine,s defence and security
sectors, including in the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Joint
Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR). In this context,
they welcomed in particular Ukraine,s progress in
implementing a comprehensive review of its security sector.
Allied Ministers also encouraged Ukraine to continue to
implement effective reforms in its defence and security
institutions. Ministers noted the progress made in the
framework of the NATO/PfP Trust Fund projects for the
destruction of small arms, light weapons and man-portable air
defence systems (MANPADS) and for the retraining and
resettlement of released military personnel, and encouraged
their continued successful implementation.

(5) Ministers noted Ukraine,s reaffirmation of its strategic
course of Euro-Atlantic integration aimed at achieving full
membership in the Alliance. Ukraine,s Acting Foreign
Minister emphasised that continued support for Ukraine,s
Euro-Atlantic aspirations would be appreciated. In this
regard, Allied Ministers welcomed Ukraine,s reconfirmation
of its determination to follow through on relevant reforms.

(6) Recalling the Riga Summit Declaration, Allied Ministers
reiterated that NATO,s door remains open to European
democracies willing and able to assume the responsibilities
of membership, in accordance with Article 10 of the
Washington Treaty. Ministers stressed the fruitful
cooperation in the Intensified Dialogue and underscored that
further stages toward achieving Ukraine,s Euro-Atlantic
integration goals would depend primarily upon concrete,
measurable progress in the implementation of key reforms and
policies.

(7) Ministers looked forward to the prompt adoption of an
ambitious NATO-Ukraine Annual Target Plan for 2008, and its
timely and determined implementation. They underlined the
importance of informing the Ukrainian people about

USNATO 00000632 003 OF 003


NATO-Ukraine cooperation. Ministers agreed to keep
Ukraine,s progress under review. Allied Ministers
reaffirmed their continued readiness to assist Ukraine in the
implementation of its reform goals, in particular in the
fields of defence and security sector reform.

(8) Ministers looked forward to holding a summit meeting of
the NATO-Ukraine Commission in April 2008 in Bucharest.
NULAND