[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2399-E2400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY OF UKRAINE AND ITS 
                     POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC REFORMS

                                 ______


                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 18, 1995

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing House Concurrent 
Resolution 120, expressing the support of the United States Congress 
for the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine and for political and 
economic reforms in that important country. In laying out a number of 
areas that both Ukraine and the United States should focus upon, House 
Concurrent Resolution 120 should serve as a contribution to the 
evolving relationship between our two countries. I am pleased that I am 
joined in sponsoring this resolution by my colleagues, Mr. Goodling, 
Mr. Solomon, and Mr. Hoke.
  The challenges Ukraine faces in ensuring its independence and in 
successfully implementing political and economic reforms should not be 
minimized. In the area of economic reforms, in particular, the 
Ukrainian people face many difficult struggles. The United States is 
providing vitally needed assistance intended to focus on those economic 
reforms that are key to Ukraine's economic transformation and, 
ultimately, to its continued independence. The international community 
has also begun to provide substantial assistance and loans to Ukraine 
in support of economic reforms there. As this resolution clearly points 
out, however, the ultimate responsibility for the success of those 
reforms lies with the President and Parliament of that country. It is, 
quite simply, a question of Ukraine's future independence. If Ukraine's 
leadership cannot overcome the political and economic legacy of the 
failed Soviet Union, that legacy will drag Ukraine's people backward. 
The burdens of that Soviet legacy are the greatest challenge to 
Ukraine's assumption of its proper place in Europe and in the trans-
Atlantic community, and those burdens must be overcome.
  Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 120 has a number of very 
positive things to say about Ukraine. Ukraine must be commended for the 
success of its political reforms to date. Ukraine has yet to adopt a 
new constitution that, by clearly defining the separation of powers 
among the branches of government, would lay a strong foundation upon 
which to consolidate Ukrainian democracy. Despite that, Ukraine has 
managed to carry out--in a free and fair manner--its first Presidential 
and Parliamentary elections as an independent State. Ukraine was also 
the first of those States that arose from the collapse of the Soviet 
Union to carry out a peaceful, democratic transfer of executive power. 
It is the first of those States to place its Ministry of Defense under 
civilian control. Finally, in June of this year, Ukrainian President 
Leonid Kuchma and the Ukrainian Parliament agreed to an interim 
political arrangement, pending the adoption of a new constitution. That 
arrangement should allow the President to move forward with 
privatization of State-owned enterprises and other important reforms.

  In closing, let me say that the future peace and prosperity of 
Ukraine also depends greatly on the behavior of its neighbors. The 
Russian Federation, in particular, should redouble its efforts to 
achieve a bilateral treaty with Ukraine that clearly accepts and 
respects Ukraine's independence. Russia should also move quickly to 
achieve a final and fair agreement with Ukraine on the disposition and 
basing of the Black Sea fleet. Ukraine has sought to work with Russia 
on various issues. Most important, Ukraine has agreed to become a 
nonnuclear State, relinquishing its Soviet-era nuclear weapons to 
Russia. It is appropriate for Russia to respond in a cooperative spirit 
by fairly dividing the fleet with Ukraine, paying appropriate 
compensation for the use of Ukrainian ports or facilities, and 
recognizing Ukrainian sovereignty. This would be no less than Russia 
itself would expect with regard to its sovereignty and territorial 
integrity.
  Mr. Speaker, Ukraine is the second largest State in all of Europe, 
with the sixth largest population. House Concurrent Resolution 120 
makes clear just how important Ukraine is to the peace, stability, and 
prosperity of Europe and therefore to the trans-Atlantic community of 
nations. American can and should play a vital role in helping Ukraine 
through these difficult times.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the 
resolution be inserted in the Record at this point.

                            H. Con. Res. 120

       Supporting the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine and 
     the progress of its political and economic reforms.
       Whereas August 24, 1995, marked the fourth anniversary of 
     the independence of Ukraine;
       Whereas the independent State of Ukraine is a member State 
     of the United Nations and the United Nations has established 
     in Ukraine an office to assist Ukraine in building relations 
     with the international community and in coordinating 
     international assistance for Ukraine;
       Whereas the independent State of Ukraine is a member State 
     of the Council of Europe, the Organization on Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe, and the North Atlantic Cooperation 
     Council of the North Atlantic Alliance, is a participant in 
     the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic 
     Alliance, and has entered into a Partnership and Cooperation 
     Agreement with the European Union and has been accepted 
     for membership in the Central European Initiative in 1996;
       Whereas the United States recognized Ukraine as an 
     independent State on December 25, 1991, and established 
     diplomatic relations with Ukraine on January 2, 1992;
       Whereas Ukraine is a major European nation, having the 
     second largest territory and sixth largest population of all 
     the States of Europe;
       Whereas Ukraine has an important geopolitical and economic 
     role to play within Central and Eastern Europe and a strong, 
     stable, and secure Ukraine serves the interests of peace and 
     stability in all of Europe, which is also an important 
     national security interest of the United States;
       Whereas Ukraine conducted its first presidential and 
     parliamentary elections as an independent State in 1994, 
     carrying such elections out in a free and fair manner and 
     moving further away from the former communist model of one-
     party, centralized, totalitarian rule;
       Whereas Ukraine's presidential elections of July 1994 
     resulted in the first peaceful transfer of executive power in 
     any of the independent States of the former Soviet Union;
       Whereas in June 1995, through peaceful cooperation and 
     compromise, the President and Parliament of Ukraine reached a 
     political accord meant to better define the balance of powers 
     between the executive and legislative branches of government, 
     pending the adoption of a new constitution for Ukraine;
       Whereas Ukraine is the first of the independent states of 
     the former Soviet Union to appoint a civilian to the office 
     of Minister of Defense;
       Whereas Ukraine is pursuing political and economic reforms 
     intended to ensure its future strength, stability, and 
     security and to ensure that it will assume its rightful place 
     among the international community of democratic States and in 
     European and trans-Atlantic institutions;
       Whereas through the agreement by the Government of Ukraine 
     to the establishment of a mission from the Organization on 
     Security and Cooperation in Europe in the region of Crimea, 
     Ukraine has shown its interest in avoiding the use of force 
     in resolving ethnic and regional disputes within Ukraine;
       Whereas Ukraine has taken very positive steps in supporting 
     efforts to stem proliferation of nuclear weapons by ratifying 
     the START I Treaty on nuclear disarmament and the Treaty on 
     the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, thereby 
     relinquishing nuclear weapons it possessed after the 
     dissolution of the former Union of Soviet Socialist 
     Republics;
       Whereas in December 1994, the Presidents of the United 
     States and the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister of 
     Great Britain signed a Memorandum on National Security 
     Assurances for Ukraine as depository States under the Treaty 
     on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons;
       Whereas the Secretary of Defense of the United States and 
     the Minister of Defense of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of 
     Understanding on cooperation in the field of defense and 
     military relations on July 27, 1993;
       Whereas Ukraine has sought to promote constructive 
     cooperation with its neighbors through humanitarian 
     assistance and through mediation of disputes;
       Whereas Ukraine has provided Ukrainian troops as part of 
     the international peacekeeping force meant to prevent the 
     spread of conflict in the states of the former Yugoslavia; 
     and
       Whereas Ukraine has played a vital role in preventing the 
     emergence of a coercive military bloc on the territory of the 
     former Soviet Union by representing the interests of the 
     smaller states that are members of the organization known as 
     the Commonwealth of Independent States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) Ukraine has made significant progress in political 
     reform in its first 4 years of independence and that it is to 
     be congratulated for the successful conduct of free and fair 
     elections for the presidency and parliament;
       (2) the territorial integrity of Ukraine in its existing 
     borders is an important element of European peace and 
     stability;
       (3) the President and Parliament of Ukraine should continue 
     their strong efforts to agree upon and submit to the 
     Ukrainian people for their approval a new democratic 
     constitution providing for a proper balance of power between 
     the branches of government;
       (4) the Government of Ukraine should continue its efforts 
     to ensure the rights of all citizens of Ukraine regardless of 
     their ethnic or religious background;
       (5) the Government of Ukraine should continue and 
     accelerate its efforts to transform 

[[Page E2400]]
     its economy, abandoning the failed economic policies of the former 
     communist regime and ensuring that programs meant to ensure 
     the success of economic reform receive strong support at all 
     levels of government;
       (6) the Government of Ukraine should, in particular, 
     proceed with the privatization of state-owned enterprises in 
     a very expeditious manner;
       (7) the Government of Ukraine should, in particular, place 
     a high priority on the adoption of those laws necessary to 
     ensure the continued growth of an economy based on market 
     mechanisms, private enterprise, and the right to private 
     property;
       (8) the Government of Ukraine should continue its effort to 
     arrive at an agreement with the ``G-7'' group of States 
     whereby the nuclear reactors at Chernobyl, Ukraine, might be 
     shut down in a safe and expeditious manner;
       (9) the President of the United States should support 
     continued United States assistance to Ukraine for its 
     political and economic reforms, for the safe and secure 
     dismantlement of its weapons of mass destruction, and for the 
     increased safety of operation of its civilian nuclear 
     reactors, and assistance for the establishment of rule of 
     law, for criminal justice and law enforcement training, and 
     for the promotion of trade and investment;
       (10) the President of the United States should insist that 
     the Government of the Russian Federation, in line with the 
     assurances for the security of Ukraine made by the President 
     of the Russian Federation in the January 1994 Trilateral 
     Statement on Nuclear Disarmament in Ukraine, fully and 
     finally recognize Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial 
     integrity and refrain from any economic coercion of Ukraine;
       (11) the Government of Ukraine should continue to act in 
     defense of its sovereignty and that of the other independent 
     states of the former Soviet Union by opposing the emergence 
     of any collective military bloc on the territory of the 
     former Soviet Union whose primary purpose would be the re-
     creation of that failed state or the reintegration into one 
     political entity of those nations once held captive by it;
       (12) the President of the United States should express the 
     support of the United States for Ukraine's insistence that it 
     be provided with appropriate rent or compensation for the use 
     of its bases, ports or other facilities on its territory 
     under appropriately negotiated and ratified agreements and 
     treaties;
       (13) the President of the United States should ensure that 
     Ukraine's national security interests are fully considered in 
     any revision of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe 
     that may be agreed to by the signatories to that agreement;
       (14) the President of the United States should work to 
     ensure that Ukraine's interests as an integral part of 
     Central and Eastern Europe are fully considered in any review 
     of European security arrangements and understandings;
       (15) the President of the United States should support 
     continued United States security assistance for Ukraine, 
     including assistance for training of military officers, 
     military exercises as part of the North Atlantic Alliance's 
     Partnership for Peace program, and appropriate military 
     equipment to assist Ukraine in maintaining its defensive 
     capabilities as it reduces its military force levels;
       (16) the President of the United States should ensure the 
     United States Government's continued efforts to assist 
     Ukraine in its accession to the World Trade Organization; and 
     should ensure, in particular, that the potential for 
     aerospace and space co-operation and commerce between the 
     United States and Ukraine is fully and appropriately 
     exploited; and
       (17) as a leader of the democratic nations of the world, 
     the United States should continue to support the people of 
     Ukraine in their struggle to bring peace, prosperity, and 
     democracy to Ukraine and to the other independent states of 
     the former Soviet Union.

                          ____________________