Now that what was billed as one of the most important NATO Summits in decades is over, what nations made out the best? Yeltsin’s former Foreign and Prime Minister, Evgeny Primakov, writes for Kommersant, “Those who ran headlong to NATO despite the likely implications have unequivocally lost. … Russia’s voice is being heard … and that can be considered a great achievement. On the other hand, we shouldn’t deceive ourselves: what happened in Bucharest did nothing to negate Georgian and Ukrainian aspirations to join NATO.”
As far as the Americans, Primakov writes, “And as paradoxical as it is, I think that among the winners was the United States. President Bush stated very firmly that he is fully behind the accession of Ukraine and Georgia, and has thus dramatically improved America’s position among the ruling elites of these countries. But now he must meet with Vladimir Putin. I dare to hope that Bush is interested in having a successful meeting.”
By Evgeny Primakov*
Translated By Igor Medvedev
April 4, 2008
Kommersant – Russia – Original Article (Russian)
Who wins and who loses from the summit in Bucharest? Those who ran headlong to NATO despite the likely implications have unequivocally lost. And the implications are clear: a splitting of Ukrainian society and a deterioration of Ukraine’s relations with Russia and Georgia. However, I would certainly not speak in terms of a Russian win.
On the one hand, events show that our voice is being heard. And that can be considered a great achievement for Russia, which seeks to be an equal in the international arena. On the other hand, we shouldn’t deceive ourselves: what happened in Bucharest did nothing to negate Georgian and Ukrainian aspirations to join NATO.
And as paradoxical as it is, I think that among the winners was the United States. President Bush stated very firmly that he is fully behind the accession of Ukraine and Georgia, and has thus dramatically improved America’s position among the ruling elites of these countries. But now he must meet with Vladimir Putin. I dare to hope that Bush is interested in having a successful meeting. But the chances of success would be much the lesser if at Bucharest, Ukraine and Georgia had been put on track to join NATO.
It is known that on the sidelines of the NATO Summit was a debate on the fate of the Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership Treaty between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is interested in normal, or perhaps even good relations with Ukraine. And it’s in the Russian interest to see larger numbers of Ukrainians oppose NATO accession. According to various estimates, something like half the population is now opposed. If Russia withdraws from the Treaty it will worsen relations with Ukraine and increase the number of Ukrainians wanting to enter NATO.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated foreign press coverage of the NATO Summit’s aftermath.
