USA welcomes Ukraine's decision to send troops to Iraq

BBC Monitoring ^ | June 05 2003 | Interfax-Ukraine news agency

[knighthawk]

Kiev, 5 June: The US embassy in Kiev welcomes the results of voting in the Ukrainian parliament on sending peacekeepers to Iraq.

"This is a significant step to support international efforts to secure Iraq's freedom and provide its people with an opportunity to determine their future themselves," the US embassy told Interfax-Ukraine today.

The USA, the UK, Poland and over 30 other countries hope to work together with Ukraine to rebuild Iraq, the embassy said and added that the USA had offered its help to finance the deployment and stay of Ukrainian forces in Iraq.

"By making a contribution to the restoration of security and stability in Iraq, Ukraine will also facilitate the creation of conditions for an opportunity to honestly compete for rebuilding contracts. According to UN Security Council Resolution No 1483, revenues from selling Iraqi oil will be sent to an account under international supervision. These funds will be transparently used to restore Iraq's economic infrastructure and other needs for the good of Iraqi people," the embassy said.

"Ukraine's contribution to peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region, starting from the deployment of its radioactive and chemical cleanup battalion in Kuwait, helps us to jointly counter threats that affect all of us. This is a manifestation of determination to create such conditions where there is no place for despotism, tyranny and terrorism. We hope to continue working together to build a strong foundation for peace and stability in Iraq," the US embassy said.

The Ukrainian parliament approved Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma's proposal to send peacekeepers to Iraq with 273 votes [225 votes were needed].

[knighthawk]

Ping

[marron]

This is interesting. We need to find a way to knit the Ukraine into the West, to offer them a way out and a way forward that does not mean continued dependency on Moscow.

I think we have not done enough to make that happen. But maybe late is better than never. I like the idea of using Ukrainian and Polish troops, and hopefully engineering and construction companies as well, in the rebuilding of Iraq. I hope some of my favorite American companies get a piece of it as well, of course, but there is no harm in using this as an alliance-building opportunity.

Just as long as, in the end, the French are frozen out. Hey, no hard-feelings, but don't let the door hit you on the way out, as we say.