    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [November 22, 1994]
    [Pages 2112-2113]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Welcoming President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine
    November 22, 1994

        Mr. President, Mrs. Kuchma, members of the Ukrainian delegation,
    representatives of the Ukrainian-American community, distinguished
    guests: It is indeed an honor to welcome to Washington the leader of one
    of the world's youngest democracies and oldest nations. To have you here
    with us today, Mr. President, is to be reminded that we live in an era
    of wonders, a time when peoples long denied hope are having age-old
    dreams fulfilled, a time when the unstoppable power of men and women who
    wish to be free has been demonstrated anew.
        The rebirth of Ukraine as an independent state after centuries of
    rule by others is one of the most inspiring developments of our time.
    For ages Ukraine was divided by competing empires, then subjugated to
    czars and commissars. Despite efforts to create an independent Ukraine,
    dictators, terrible famines, and relentless oppression all combined to
    deny your people the right to shape their own fate. Despite these
    ordeals, the Ukrainian people have endured, preserving hope and their
    identity and contributing greatly to the glories of European
    civilization. Now, finally, Ukraine has reclaimed its independence and
    its place as a pivotal state in the new Europe.

    [[Page 2113]]

        We congratulate you, Mr. President, and all Ukrainians on your
    remarkable achievements in the almost 3 years since regaining your
    freedom. You held a historic referendum and began the hard work of
    reform and building democratic institutions. Above all, Ukrainians are
    weathering the immense difficulties of political and economic
    transition. In the face of continuous hardship, you have shown patience,
    bravery, and the ability to overcome all obstacles, an ability your
    young athletes, like Oksana Baiul, showed so spectacularly in the
    Olympic competition.
        We honor you, Mr. President, in our Nation's Capital as the man who
    is leading a Ukrainian renaissance. Your boldness in the face of
    daunting problems reminds us of one of our greatest leaders, Franklin
    Roosevelt, who provided leadership in a time of great hardship in the
    United States. Like him, you inherited a nation in the throes of
    economic depression. And like him, you have lighted the darkness and
    created hope.
        You have blazed a path ahead on the two most critical issues for the
    future, economic reform and nuclear weapons. Thanks to your leadership,
    Ukraine is making the hard choices that will ensure the prosperity
    Ukrainians deserve. And thanks to your vision and that of the Ukrainian
    Parliament, you are removing the threat of nuclear weapons and laying
    the groundwork for an era of peace with your neighbors. I salute the
    courage you have shown.
        America will stand with you to support your independence, your
    territorial integrity, and your reforms. We are bound together by a
    dedication to peace and a devotion to freedom. The flame of that
    commitment to freedom was kept burning during the cold war by nearly a
    million Ukrainian-Americans, some of whom are with us here today, who
    never forgot Ukraine and who are today contributing to its reawakening.
    Now that your country is again free, all Americans are determined that
    the flame of Ukrainian freedom will burn ever brighter. We will stand
    with you.
        Seventy-seven years ago today, Mr. President, on November 22d, 1917,
    another generation of Ukrainian leaders declared the independence of
    Ukraine. It was a tragedy that civil war and bolshevism doomed that new
    state while it was still in its infancy.
        Today we are pleased and honored to welcome you, the leader of a
    Ukraine that is conquering the challenges of independence, poised to
    fulfill its hopes, a nation that will grow into one of the great nations
    of Europe. And we say, Vitayemo. Welcome.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:08 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House.