UKRAINE: READY TO WORK WITH FINLAND AS OSCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KYIV 000299

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/UMB AND EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PBTS OSCE RS UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: READY TO WORK WITH FINLAND AS OSCE
CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE

REF: A. KYIV 29

B. SECSTATE 167807

C. 06 KIEV 477

Classified By: Political Counselor Kent Logsdon for reasons 1.4(b,d)


1. (C) Summary: Unlike their Spanish predecessors, the Finns
appear ready to take on the problem of Russia in the OSCE
context, judging by Finnish Foreign Minister Kanerva's
January 15-16 visit to Kyiv in his capacity as OSCE
Chairman-in-Office (CiO). Kanerva met with President
Yushchenko, FM Ohryzko and other Ukrainian government
representatives and spent time with the OSCE Project
Coordinator in Ukraine (PCU),throughout his visit expressing
particular interest in Ukraine's view of Russia's actions
within the OSCE context. The PCU head hopes that the Finns
will be more supportive of the PCU's role, which had been
taking hits recently due to a Russian disinformation campaign
against it. Kanerva and his Ukrainian interlocutors
expressed nervousness over the possibility that Russia would
continue to play a spoiler's role more broadly by
undercutting the OSCE's support of democratic standards and
reforms. Ukraine looks forward to receiving a CiO Special
Envoy on Conflicts in the OSCE area, who is expected to visit
Kyiv in February. End summary.

Finnish Visit a Success - Focus on Russia in the OSCE
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2. (SBU) Finnish FM Kanerva visited Kyiv on January 15-16,
meeting with President Yushchenko, Foreign Minister Ohryzko,
Speaker (and former Foreign Minister) Yatsenyuk, and Deputy
Prime Minister Nemyria (Prime Minister Tymoshenko's key
advisor and point person for European integration). The
brief meeting with President Yushchenko was focused on the
Transnistria conflict and energy security. Yushchenko made a
press announcement after the meeting reiterating his
commitment to the 5-plus-2 talks and stressing that
Transnistria issues must be resolved on the basis of Moldovan
sovereignty and territorial integrity.


3. (C) According to MFA Director for the UN and Other
International Organizations (to include OSCE) Serhiy
Kyslytsya, FM Kanerva was especially interested in Ukraine's
view of Russian actions in the OSCE framework, noting to his
counterpart FM Ohryzko that Russia had essentially prevented
Spain from any enjoying any success as OSCE
chairman-in-office. Ohryzhko was sympathetic, but focused on
Ukraine's foreign policy priorities like European
integration, Euro-Atlantic integration, and good relations
with Russia. According to Kyslytsya, the Finns plan to
dispatch a Special Envoy to the region to talk to OSCE
governments about seeking ways to resolve the "frozen
conflicts," including Transnistria.


4. (C) MFA International Organization Department OSCE
Division Chief Volodymyr Tolkach separately gave a similar
readout, stating that achieving OSCE consensus was important.
Tolkach, however, shared U.S. concerns that Russia and its
proxies among CIS countries desired to weaken the OSCE Office
of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) through
its supposed reforms. He privately suspected Russia of being
behind Kazakhstan's bid to become CiO in 2010, although
Tolkach caveated that the view was his own "off the record"
opinion. (Comment: Although only expressed privately, MFA
appears to view Russian actions in the OSCE framework as
transparently disingenuous and manipulative. Publicly, MFA
is trying to maintain a neutral stance, balancing its desire
for both better European and Western relations with a goal of
achieving positive and stable relations with Russia.)


5. (C) PCU Deputy Volker Frobarth was satisfied with the
outcome of Kanerva's visit. Frobarth said the visit went
much better than expected, and he believed Finland shared the
PCU's vision for continuing its work in Ukraine.
Acknowledging that the PCU had been under intense scrutiny
from OSCE headquarters in Vienna and criticized in a number
of areas, Frobarth blamed Russian interference and constant
complaining as the reason. He noted that a former PCU Head
of Mission had close ties with the White House and, with the
current PCU head also a former American diplomat, the
Russians had exploited these facts to try to discredit the
PCU and its goals. They and their proxies initiated a
campaign to portray the PCU as an out-of-control, rogue
entity pursuing USG, rather than OSCE, goals. Frobarth
decried this portrayal as unfair and patently ridiculous, and
one that any interested observer would quickly dismiss as
preposterous. The Russians went so far as to accuse the
former PCU Head of personally financing part of the Orange
Revolution. Frobarth lamented, however, that many in Vienna
were uninterested in actually discerning the facts for
themselves. In a backhanded compliment to the Russian
disinformation campaign, he admitted that Russian persistence
in repeating unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing had
caused problems for the PCU


6. (C) Frobarth expressed optimism that Vienna's
dissatisfaction with the PCU would dissipate under Finnish
leadership. FM Kanerva mentioned to Frobarth that he was
completely impressed by the operation and found the
criticisms of the PCU to be baseless. Frobarth opined that
the Finns had been dealing with the Russians for years and
had a better "perspective" on their operating style than the
outgoing Spanish. Frobarth expressed the need for the PCU to
continue on its current track, which he believed would be
maintained under Finnish leadership. A Russian proxy as
Ambassador (although Frobarth doubted its likelihood) could
roll back all the positive progress and momentum the PCU had
achieved in recent years. The PCU remained committed to
electoral reform, rule of law, and civil society programs
which formed the bedrock of the PCU mission to help further
solidify democratic gains in Ukraine.

Ukraine Supportive of OSCE and PCU
--------------


7. (C) As he has done previously (ref C),Tolkach continued
to express support for the PCU and its projects. Frobarth
indicated that every Ukrainian official who met with Kanerva,
from the President on down, expressed similar support and
gratitude. Frobarth described his working relationship with
Tolkach as supportive and positive, although he noted that
Tolkach was mildly frustrated with being unable to view the
complete results of two OSCE internal audits. Tolkach made
the same point directly to us regarding the PCU. Echoing
what he told us in early 2006, Tolkach said relations with
PCU Head Ambassador Schumaker (note: who arrived in Kiev in
Fall 2005) were amicable and he was fully satisfied, but then
added that he felt he was being kept out of the loop. He
cited the PCU's internal audit as an example. Frobarth said
the audit's substance had been relayed to Tolkach informally,
but, per organizational guidelines, the PCU cannot give
Tolkach the actual report. Frobarth admitted some
information in the audit, which had been denied to the
Ukrainians, had been released to the Russians upon their
insistence. According to Frobarth, this was a mild
embarrassment and added to the perception that Russia
received special treatment for its intransigence, while
requests from a cooperative Ukraine were being ignored.


8. (C) Tolkach said Ukraine strongly supported Kazakhstan's
bid for CiO in 2010, but will be watching its actions
closely. Comparing Ukraine to other CIS countries, Tolkach
highlighted the fact that the Ukrainian Government had
seconded observers to ODIHR to monitor recent elections in
Georgia, and that Ukraine had welcomed ODIHR to observe its
three most recent elections. Tolkach said Ukraine's actions
showed it was committed to democratic principles and reforms
and that Ukraine expected Kazakhstan to do so as well.
Tolkach also expressed a desire for the USG to support
Ukrainian candidates to OSCE posts. Tolkach noted Russia had
two Heads of Mission positions; Romania had very good
representation in OSCE; and even Moldova had two members in
the high commission for ethnic minorities; but Ukraine only
had filled only one position with policy responsibilities.
Tolkach indicated to us that Ukraine was planning on
proposing a candidate to be HOM for Montenegro and would
appreciate U.S. support. (Embassy note: Most recently,
Ukraine was unsuccessful in its bid to take over as head of
the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. End note.)


9. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
Taylor