Posted on 07/30/2004 11:36:52 AM PDT by lizol
Ukraine Looks to Reduce Troops in Iraq
Thu Jul 29, 1:42 PM ET
By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC, Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine - Ukraine is negotiating with the United States and Poland to reduce and eventually withdraw its troops from Iraq (news - web sites), a top defense official said Thursday, becoming the latest country to consider pulling out its mission.
Vyacheslav Bolotniuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, gave no timeline.
"There will be a decrease of troops," Bolotniuk told The Associated Press.
Ukrainian troops have begun turning over guard duties of several key facilities to Iraqi soldiers, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, and Iraqi border guards took over patrols on a section of the Iraqi-Iranian border from a Ukrainian contingent.
Earlier Thursday, Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk told the ITAR-Tass news agency that negotiations had started in Warsaw earlier this year and continued last month at the NATO (news - web sites) summit in Istanbul.
The talks about the withdrawal are "probably related" to increased violence in Iraq, Bolotniuk said.
Ukraine opposed the U.S.-led war, but sent troops in part to improve relations with the United States amid accusations that President Leonid Kuchma approved the sale of radar systems to Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).
Ukraine has 1,650 Ukrainian troops serving in the Polish-led force patrolling southern Iraq, making up the fourth-largest, non-U.S. contingent. The mandate for the troops is open-ended, and Kuchma has suggested in the past that they were in it for the long haul.
However, the country's government is under increasing pressure at home to withdraw the troops, especially as Ukraine's Oct. 31 presidential election heats up. The top candidates are Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who has Kuchma's backing, and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
Seven Ukrainian soldiers have died in Iraq, three of them in combat in April, and about 20 have been wounded.
Several countries have reconsidered troops in Iraq as violence and kidnappings have threatened foreigners in the troubled country. The Philippines pulled its troops out July 20, a month ahead of schedule, after militants threatened to kill a Filipino truck driver. After the troops were withdrawn, the hostage was released unharmed.
Spain withdrew its forces from Iraq after the deadly Madrid bombings
I can't believe our so-called "allies" are chickening out of Iraq. This shows who are true friends are. If Ukraine pulls completely out, the bulk of the weight on forces will be on the other countries which have large forces in Iraq: the US, the UK, South Korea, Italy, and Poland.
This may be just a decision related to Kutchma's current policy.
During meeting with Putin in Yalta a few days ago he announced a crucial change in Ukrainian official defence doctrine - basicly turning back from NATO and EU and again building closer relations with Russia.
And since Putin opposed the war and Ukraine wants to build clsoer relations with Russia, Kuchma feels that he needs to pull out of Iraq to appease Putin. I heard that Ukraine opposed the invasion of Iraq but sent troops anyway to build closer relations with the US. Apparently, they care more about a relationship with Russia than the US.
I'm affraid that's the point.
Don’t blame Ukraine, they did there great job, Ukrainians and other troops in polish zone trained and still train Iraqis soldiers and police. When they go to home this Iraqis will take their jobs, take responsibility for own country. If you want blame somebody blame this rich countries which didn’t do anything there or send SMALL contingents, much smaller than poor Ukraine. Ukraine showed good will and NATO even didn’t invited them to the pact. Remember also that Kuchma isn’t Ukraine.
I'm not saying that Ukraine didn't do a good job. I'm glad that they have helped in the Iraq War. I just don't like the idea that countries are pulling troops out, especially ones with larger forces, like Ukraine. Iraq is still unstable and we could still use all the help we can get.
But if Bush wins (which I pray he does---I am voting for him), Ukraine can still be a strong ally, regardless of its financial situation.
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