“The president has a weak reserve bench”
Last week the nation got a new defense minister, Dmytro Salamatin. The first response to this appointment was sheer astonishment. To the media this man is primarily known as an active participant of parliamentary brawls. He has at least two scuffles on his record. In particular, he is believed to have broken the nose of his fellow MP Karpuk in a fight during the ratification of the Kharkiv Agreements in April 2010. At one time a photograph was circulated in the media, in which Salamatin was about to smash an opposition MP with a chair during another fight.
But here comes a real tidbit: Salamatin, a native of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, obtained Ukrainian citizenship only in 1999. Until that time he had been a Russian subject. Which means that the nation’s defense and security will be in the hands of a man who has nothing in common with Ukraine. However, this has already become part of the system. As we know, Ihor Kalinin, a native of Mytishchi raion near Moscow, was recently appointed director of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
What prompted the president to make such an appointment?
“There were several reasons for the appointment of the new defense minister,” muses Oleksandr Yefremov, leader of the Party of Regions parliamentary faction. “Firstly, we are changing not only our legislation, but the very standards of life, in line with the European standards…” Oh, that was very revealing, indeed. So this is what those European standards look like!
However, the Regionals say something quite different off the record. “Salamatin’s appointment means that the Boss has a very weak reserve bench. And this is bad.”
Mykhailo Volynets, a BYuT MP injured in a brawl with Salamatin, believes that the latter got appointed on the grounds of his devotion and willingness to obey. “The key factor here is Yanukovych’s fear of the elections, low ratings, and the upsurge of protest sentiment. Today the country is run by people who did nothing to contribute to its independence. These people have divided the nation. Therefore Salamatin’s appointment came as no surprise today. I think that the army takes it with suspicion and a certain degree of distrust.”
Serhii Soboliev is of similar opinion: “Like any dictator, Yanukovych suspects his closest environment of being able to betray him. Therefore, he mans the key posts with the members of his clan. This explains the appointments in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Tax Administration, and the SBU.”
The Day asked its experts to comment on the appointment of Salamatin as Ukraine’s defense minister.
Mykola SUNHUROVSKY, military programs director, Razumkov Center:
“For the most part I see Salamatin’s appointment in the negative. I cannot see him as a person, capable of leading Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. He is not competent in this sphere. Secondly, he has no credit as a strategic manager. He may be something like a ‘crisis manager,’ but now people with different qualities and abilities are necessary. However, the same qualities and abilities should be inherent in the president, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and who drives defense policy. For the second year now Ukraine has had no concept of the military doctrine or defense program – the tasks set before the Ministry of Defense are just obscure.
“As soon as Yezhel was appointed Minister [of Defense. – Ed.], I said that he would soon be dismissed. The same awaits Salamatin. It all depends on the tasks that will be set before him – and the development of the Armed Forces is apparently off the list. Salamatin is a dark horse, and it is unclear what he is up to.
“The appointment of Salamatin and Kalinin shows that this team has a very weak reserve bench, and when it comes to such ministries, there are no available players at all, and thus casual people get appointed.”
Hryhorii PEREPELYTSIA, Doctor of Political Sciences, professor, Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv:
“The appointments of Kalinin and Salamatin shows that the structures they head will conduct a policy suitable for Russia. That is, it will comply with Russia’s national interests. And herein lies the rub, because there is antagonism between Ukraine and Russia on the grounds of Ukraine being an independent state. Thus implementing such policy towards Russia will be extremely difficult, supposing you champion Ukraine’s national interests, which are in conflict with those of Russia. Proof can be found in the ‘energy wars’ and ‘cheese wars’ with Russia. However, not long ago Ukraine’s government assured us that all problems with Russia would be settled in the near future, and our two countries would be the best friends. However, even with this government’s extreme propensity for Russia, this systemic conflict remains insurmountable. We can now see how former Russian subjects are consolidating their stand in the incumbent Ukrainian government. We are soon going to see whose interests they will promote, Ukraine’s or Russia’s.”
