>STOP NATO: �NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM > > >Canadians paving way for NATO role in Ukraine >Kremlin wary as Kiev embassy acts >as liaison office for alliance >GEOFFREY YORK >The Globe and Mail >Saturday, June 24, 2000 > > >Kiev -- The Kremlin was not pleased when it learned >the identity of the high-level guest at the Canadian >embassy in Kiev. > >The visitor was General Wesley Clark, supreme >commander of NATO forces in Europe. He was sharing >breakfast at the Canadian embassy with diplomats from >the nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. >And the results, according to a Russian government >newspaper, were "a closely guarded secret." > >Canadian diplomats later insisted there was nothing >hush-hush about the NATO commander's visit last >February, which they described as a routine briefing. > >But Russia's mistrustful reaction showed the >sensitivity of Canada's special mission as the >co-ordinating embassy for NATO in the Ukrainian >capital. > >Russia has warned NATO to abandon any hope of >expanding into the former Soviet republics. When NATO >held a political meeting in Kiev in March, the Russian >state newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta condemned it as "a >dangerous act" and "a move toward discord with >Russia." > >Many Ukrainians are equally unhappy with NATO's >expanding presence. When troops from 10 NATO nations >began a joint exercise with Ukrainian troops in >Western Ukraine this week, one Communist >parliamentarian suggested that NATO was exploring a >possible invasion route for its paratroopers. > >Canada is taking a key role in NATO's strategy to >defuse this fierce opposition in Ukraine. The Canadian >embassy is the "contact mission" for NATO visitors. >Canada helped create a NATO liaison office in Kiev. >And Canadians are visible as senior staff members at >the liaison office and at a separate NATO information >office where the military alliance is distributing >brochures, books and flag decals. > >With its 1.5 million Ukrainian Canadians and its >non-threatening image, Canada was a logical choice for >NATO's co-ordinating job. > >"NATO was always perceived as the enemy here, but >we're giving NATO a more human face," said Commander >Rick Williams, defence attach� at the Canadian embassy >in Kiev. "There's no doubt that Canada is leading in >this. Because of our special relationship with >Ukraine, we're a natural fit for the job. Our role is >quite significant." > >NATO's strategy is to cultivate a more peaceful image >by offering help to Ukraine in dozens of civilian >areas. It provided assistance after devastating floods >last year. It organizes conferences on scientific and >environmental issues. It gave language training to >retired Ukrainian military officers to help them learn >English, French and German. It even sent a delegation >to the Chernobyl nuclear plant to help Ukraine improve >its disaster-emergency planning. > >Leigh Merrick, chief of the liaison office, says NATO >is trying to "soften its image" by "blurring the >edges" and showing Ukraine the "portfolio of benefits" >of its relationship with NATO. "There is a clear >advantage to a gradualist approach to change." > >To convince Ukrainians, the liaison office calculates >the dollar value of its activities -- estimating that >a single visit by a NATO naval force means $750,000 in >benefits to the economy and that a single NATO >battalion can spend $300,000 during a peacekeeping >exercise. > >Despite this publicity machine, however, many >Ukrainians are suspicious of NATO's intentions in the >former Soviet Union, especially after its bombing >campaign in Yugoslavia last year. The Russian media, >which are highly influential in Ukraine through their >domination of local television, have reinforced these >suspicions with relentless attacks on the Western >alliance. > >Only 38 per cent of Ukrainians see NATO as a defensive >union or a peacekeeping organization, while 46 per >cent see it as an aggressive military alliance, >according to a poll of more than 2,000 Ukrainians this >month. > >The poll, conducted by the Ukrainian Centre for >Economic and Political Studies, found that 50 per cent >of Ukrainians believe their country should never join >NATO, while only 33 per cent want to join in the next >15 years. The most popular option for Ukraine's >future, according to those surveyed, is for Ukraine to >remain officially neutral. > >Kristina Tarasiuk, a 23-year-old government worker in >Kiev, is typical of many. "I think we should join the >European Union but not NATO. I think NATO is trying to >make Ukraine into an annex, a resource supplier, like >Africa. I have more trust in the former Soviet >republics, like Russia and Belarus, which we should >have better economic relations with." > >Georgy Kriuchkov, a Communist member of parliament, >argues that NATO has an "anti-Russian subtext" that >could damage Ukraine's relations with Moscow at a time >when Ukraine is heavily dependent on Russian gas and >other supplies. > >"To turn Russia into a hostile country would be >suicidal for Ukraine." > >He is suspicious of NATO's growing presence in Ukraine >-- its military exercises and other actions. "All >these activities are aimed at tying Ukraine closer to >NATO and locking it into an anti-Russian position," he >said. > >"The events in Yugoslavia proved that NATO is >considering possible military operations beyond its >borders. It would be easy to provoke a situation that >would allow NATO to send forces into Ukraine. Any kind >of civil rebellion in Ukraine could become a pretext >for NATO intervention." > >Despite such views, the Ukrainian government has moved >much closer to NATO recently. It signed a "special >partnership" agreement in 1997, going beyond the >"Partnership for Peace" agreements that the alliance >signed with most other ex-Soviet republics. Even when >Russia froze its relations with NATO to protest the >bombing campaign during the Kosovo war, Ukraine kept >its NATO ties alive. > >This year, Kiev ratified an agreement allowing NATO to >send troops to training exercises in Ukraine without >requiring visas. And it allowed NATO to designate a >training range in Western Ukraine as an official NATO >"Partnership for Peace" training centre. > >Anatoly Grytsenko, a retired Ukrainian air force >colonel who heads the Ukrainian Centre for Economic >and Political Studies, says NATO is following the >right strategy to improve its image here. > >"They're doing a good job, but it will take time," he >said. "If NATO doesn't start another Kosovo war, the >hostility will disappear." > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! >http://mail.yahoo.com/ > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >GET PAINLESS BUSINESS FINANCING! >Comparison shop for, apply for, and secure financing from the >nation's best-known financial institutions. One short application >gets you the financing your business needs. 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