KIEV, UKRAINE—Ukraine can still join NATO as the military alliance’s door remains open, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told media in Kiev on Friday. Clinton’s visit comes one day after Ukraine officially declared itself a non-aligned nation.
Since Russian-leaning Victor Yanukovych took the presidency in February, he has steered Ukraine off the course of joining NATO set by his pro-Western predecessor Viktor Yushchenko.
Late Thursday, Ukrainian Parliament passed a bill establishing the country’s non-aligned status. There is also low support among Ukrainians to enter the alliance.
“Ukraine is a sovereign and independent country that has the right to choose its own alliances and NATO’s door remains open,” Clinton said at a meeting with Ukraine’s foreign minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko.
“But it’s up to Ukraine to decide whether or not you wish to pursue that or any other course for your own security interest,” she underscored.
At a joint press conference with President Yanukovych, Clinton also said that the U.S. supports Ukraine’s efforts to deepen its relationship with neighboring Russia in addition to Ukraine developing and strengthening economic and political ties with Washington and the European Union.
In recent months, Russian-Ukrainian relations, deadlocked for years, have opened up with the countries cooperating across a broad-range of issues including economics, gas prices, nuclear power, and satellite navigation.
Concerns over democracy
Clinton also mentioned America’s concern over the state of Ukraine’s democracy given recent complaints of harassment and censorship from journalists and civic activists.
“The United States will continue to raise concerns about freedom of the media, freedom of assembly, because we believe from our own experience that it’s important for the government to make the kind of commitments this government has made, and to follow through,” said Clinton at the press conference.
Since Yanukovych took office, several private TV channels have accused authorities of cutting back their broadcast frequencies and censoring news programs.
The U.S. ambassador to Kiev last month also criticized Ukraine officials for rolling back freedom of the press.
Energy plans
The top U.S. official said she supports the reforms being undertaken in Ukraine’s energy sector, but wants them to be more transparent and wants to look for opportunities for American companies to invest.
Ukrainian President Yanukovych proposed building a new gas pipeline across its territory.
Ukraine is trying to talk Russia out of its ambitious gas projects South Stream and Nord Stream to supply fuel to Europe bypassing Ukraine. Russia currently supplies 80 percent of its gas to Europe using Ukraine’s transportation system, the rest is transported through Belarus.
“(Our) concept suggests creating a joint venture with EU countries, Russia and Ukraine to build a pipeline across Ukraine that would provide additional volumes of gas transit to Europe,” President Yanukovich said at Friday’s press conference.
Russia and Europe agreed to run alternative pipelines to European countries after the 2009 gas conflict between Kiev and Moscow left some EU countries without Russian supplied gas for two weeks in winter.
Clinton said that American companies might be interested in taking part in nuclear projects, developing shale gas as well as deep-water drilling in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, Kiev is seeking a new loan package from the International Monetary Fund for an estimated $19 billion to sustain economic reforms. Ukraine already received a $16.4 billion loan, but the IMF suspended the loan under the previous government because of violations of IMF austerity rules. Ukraine’s ailing economy slowed by 15 percent last year during the global economic crisis.
“We hope that Ukraine will conclude an agreement with the IMF shortly to advance this process,” Clinton said.
Clinton will be visiting Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia the next days. Russia is not on her agenda.
