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At Large
Moving Ukraine’s Democracy Forward
There’s only one way out for this post-Soviet nation.
Back in 2004, when thousands of young people gathered in the central square of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, Americans cheered, for it looked as if democracy had spring full-blown upon the departure of long-time strongman Leonid Kuchma.
From this distance it seemed that Ukrainians were speaking with one voice, but they weren’t. As in any democracy there are many voices to be heard and since then, many have been heard, often in disagreement with one another. Fewer than two dozen years have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of independent governments among its former components.
The United States, as a mature democracy, understands that formulating a foreign policy toward a young democracy, such as Ukraine’s, means listening to many voices. No one voice, no matter how strong, can reflect all points of view. The development of Ukrainian democracy is an ongoing process. The country has been and still is in the process of healing painful issues that divided peoples and places over a very long time. Ukraine and its leaders need the support of other democratic nations, especially ours, as it works its way through the process.
Historically, Ukraine has a very long relationship with Russia. Indeed, Russia had its beginnings as Kievan Rus, in what is now Kiev, in the 9th century. The east and south of Ukraine is largely Russian-speaking today. The country’s east and northeast border on Russia. The northwest borders on Belarus. The west is largely Ukrainian-speaking and borders on Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary on the west and Romania and Moldova on the southwest.
Today, Ukraine is an important strategic partner of the United States. It sent troops to Afghanistan and had one of the largest contingents in Iraq. Because of its geographical position, Ukraine is, in effect, a potential gateway between the U.S. and Russia. At the moment, however, the question is open: for whom will the gateway open?
For Ukraine to move forward with its democracy, the time has come for opposing forces on important issues to find a way to compromise over seemingly intractable issues. Take the case of the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She is in prison, convicted in 2011 for “abuse of power” over a natural gas transaction she had negotiated with Russia. In addition, she has also been charged with implication in the murder of a Ukrainian parliamentarian in 1996.
Her supporters claim this is all a political vendetta. Prosecutors say that is not so; that there is plenty of evidence to support the charges against her. The unwillingness of either side to budge has very divisive implications for the society.
U.S. Senators of both parties recently showed that compromise, worked out quietly, can open up a seemingly intractable problem. They worked to solve the long-standing and divisive issue of illegal immigration of millions of people into the country. Six months ago, no one thought this possible.
Ukrainians, given their history of suffering, as a people do not want human hatred in the form of any “ism,” whether it be fascism, nationalism, chauvinism or religious intolerance. While politicians come and go, the nation remains and its people want the values of democracy to prevail. Thus, in cases such as the Tymoshenko one, they can look to the U.S. for examples on how to worked toward compromise.
Mr. Hannaford is a board member of The Committee on the Present Danger.
About the Author
Peter Hannaford was closely associated for a number of years with the late President Reagan, beginning in the California Governor’s office. His latest book is Presidential Retreats.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (8) | Leave a comment
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Sean| 3.13.13 @ 7:57AM
Umm this article made no sense at all.
"U.S. Senators of both parties recently showed that compromise, worked out quietly, can open up a seemingly intractable problem. They worked to solve the long-standing and divisive issue of illegal immigration of millions of people into the country. Six months ago, no one thought this possible."
Your talking about Ukraine and you put this in. Let me tell you the fight over amnesty and importation of slave labor is not over in the USA.
"Thus, in cases such as the Tymoshenko one, they can look to the U.S. for examples on how to worked toward compromise."
What they can over look corruption and criminal behavior of office holders in the name of commity?
PolishKnight| 3.13.13 @ 10:35AM
My western leaning Ukrainian wife thinks that Tymoshenko is guilty as hell and should rot in jail. She also thinks that opening up the border to millions of illegals makes government largely obsolete. If anyone can just enter the country and become a voter, why bother having a government at all?
In many ways, our country's decay matches Ukraine's woes due to a loss of nationality during Catherine the Great's time: As various invaders and special interest cronies take over the government, public confidence is lost and the free market, as it is, decays. It becomes too expensive to run a business with so many Tony Sopranos to pay off. People don't feel confidence in the banks. Government services fail as budget cutbacks go directly to consumer services and the money goes to cronies (does THAT sound familiar? White House tours closing?)
We will become Ukraine in a few years if we're not careful.
Arnie| 3.13.13 @ 11:51AM
Polish Knight, I have to tell, and I mean it with all due respect, but the evidence is quite clear, Tymoshenko isn't guilty of anything that deserves the treatment she is getting. She was actually a great reformist leader that was attempting to clean up the Ukraine.
The charges that were brought against her were about signing a government contract for energy services, which the incoming government said was a corrupt deal, but yet they didn't provide any evidence.
The real problem is that Tymoshenko made a deal without consulting or including the russian mafia/business side of the Ukrainian government. As you know, the eastern half of Ukraine is essentially russian.
The current government in the Ukraine is very close to Moscow, and it simply wants to crush any progress the Orange revolution was happening. In fact, the current leadership was tied up in poisoning a former leader and disfiguring him.
Arnie| 3.13.13 @ 11:52AM
any progress the Orange Revolution was having*
PolishKnight| 3.13.13 @ 2:52PM
Arnie, I'm only repeating what my wife told me. I simply don't know and have no opinion personally on the matter. She's of the opinion that Tymoshenko was an oligarch who made money from the collapse of the USSR and continued to make money from the oil deal.
That said, I think BOTH my wife and I would be interested if you had a link to an analysis that could explain how she brokered a gas deal with Russia that gave away Sevastopol AND contracted Ukraine to have to buy a certain quota of gas at double international rates?
I agree with you that Putin poisoned Yushenko. Another setback of late is that a major airline in the region, Aerosvit, went bankrupt and the oligarch who owns Ukraine International stood to benefit.
Moe Blotz| 3.13.13 @ 8:52AM
Mr. Hannaford, is it true that Chicken Kiev now glows in the dark?
Bob K| 3.13.13 @ 10:18AM
Mr. Hannaford,
You certainly cannot attribute the "compromise" in the Senate on the issues surrounding the USA's problem of Illegal Immigration to "Democracy." The compromise came about because the Senators ignored the concerns of the American people and gave Democracy in America short shrift! The problem remains. As intractable as before! And what you forgot to mention is that many of them also "compromised" their own principles while doing so!
When those Senators come up for re-election, or perchance to run for another office, they will find themselves subject to the real workings of democracy and won't be able to ignore it's consequences as they did in their "compromise" in trying to "fine tune" it in the matter of Illegal Immigration.
All they succeeded in doing was to advance the unforeseeable workings of democracy by dividing the electorate even more than it has been in the past!
PolishKnight| 3.13.13 @ 2:55PM
Sadly, much of the way Democracy operates is to obfuscate corruption and going against the will of the people. "Bipartisan" Senators and congressmen from safe districts pass amnesty bills and provide cover for colleagues in weaker districts who go for no shows. Or they pass the bills on a weekend at the start of an election cycle. The electorate forgets the issue and they bring up a new issue at election time to draw attention away from their previous vote.