REQUESTING ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L KYIV 002061 E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2019 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR NATO AF UP SUBJECT: REQUESTING ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN REF: STATE 120807 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. James Pettit for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge delivered reftel message to MFA A/S-equivalent Ihor Hrushko November 25, noting favorably the decision earlier in the week by the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to triple the size of Ukraine's deployment to Afghanistan from ten to thirty personnel. Charge recognized Ukrainian sensitivities regarding Afghanistan, and understood that Ukraine would have no combat role. Hrushko admitted that Ukraine's budget situation gives the country "very limited possibilities," and the political squabbling and pre-election jockeying render decision-making "rather impossible." He was pleased that Ukraine's agreement on overflights to Afghanistan is working well, but regretted that he could give us no update on getting the ground-transit agreement through the Cabinet of Ministers. Hruskhko pledged to pass our message to the appropriate MFA officials, and to share any additional information about the NSDC decision as it becomes available. He hoped that FM Poroshenko would have more information to share when he meets with Secretary Clinton on December 9. ¶2. (C) Comment: Public opinion here remains neuralgic about any Ukrainian combat role in Afghanistan, because a) some 3,200 Ukrainians perished during the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s; and b) Ukraine's deployment of 1650 troops to Iraq (with 18 fatalities) in 2003-05 was deeply unpopular. Presidential candidate Serhiy Tihipko has already alleged that the current GOU plans a combat role for the enlarged Ukrainian deployment; in fact, we anticipate Ukraine will send medical personnel, deminers, and staff officers. The overflight arrangement with Ukraine has worked well; the land-transit agreement, unfortunately, is caught up in the take-no-prisoners warfare between the Presidency and the Cabinet of Ministers. PETTIT