“Current administration must respond to this initiative”

Hanna Hopko, chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada’s Foreign Affaifs Committee, recently came up with a daring and important initiative. “Together with my colleagues, I have addressed the President, Speaker, and Prime Minister today, urging them to combine efforts in order to create an independent platform as an alternative to the forums of the Kuchma-Pinchuk family; these forums are surrendering Ukrainian [national] interests under the guise of ‘painful compromises.’ [Official] representatives of Ukraine should take an active part in all international platforms concerning our [national] security, including the Munich Security Conference, Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Brussels Security Forum, World Economic Forum in Davos, and a number of energy forums. In addition, we need strong platforms of our own to help Ukraine promote its interests – the way Poland does (e.g. Economic Forum in Krynica and Security Forum in Warsaw),” she wrote on Facebook. (https:// www.facebook.com/hanna.hopko/posts/10155423550882244?notif_t=like_tagged&notif_id=1496156482712540)

Ms. Hopko first demonstrated her principled stand in September 2014, when she came up with the initiative of a civic movement known as the Reanimation Package of Reforms. That time she posted a letter on Facebook addressing ex-president Aleksander Kwasniewski in Poland, then head of YES (Yalta European Strategy), to the effect that she refused the invitation to attend the Yalta meeting, adding that Mr. Kwasniewski should follow suit: “For many years the family of Leonid Kuchma, ex-president of Ukraine (acting through his son-in-law Viktor Pinchuk’s structures) has been holding YES forums, financing US and European politicians and the related foundations and structures... The reason for my resolute refusal is my principled stand. I support Oleksii Podolsky’s stand, namely boycotting any events organized and funded by the Kuchma family. At this critical time for my country, boycotting such events sends a loud and clear signal: Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yanukovych must be made answerable for the crimes committed and stand trial. You have spent quite some time in Ukraine over the past several years. Regrettably, you have failed to pay attention to the high profile criminal cases and trials involving Leonid Kuchma, involving acts of violence against politicians, journalists, and [public] activists.”

In January that same year, Ms. Hopko called for boycotting the “Ukrainian Luncheon” annually organized by Viktor Pinchuk’s Foundation within the framework of the Economic Forum in Davos: “I say we boycott it because of Viktor Pinchuk’s article, carried by The Wall Street Journal [in 2016]. In it he proposes Ukraine to reject European and Euro-Atlantic integration and hold elections in Donbas on the Kremlin’s terms and conditions – in other words, without withdrawing [Russia’s] armaments. Viktor Pinchuk further proposes to forget about Crimea, for the time being, and focus on solving other problems. In other words, this is a capitulation scenario; it doesn’t meet the interests of the people, its political will, or [the interests] of the Ukrainian government,” she was quoted by Hromadske Radio Channel.

Interestingly, the top Ukrainian officials, among them President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroisman, recently met with the new membership of the YES Supervisory Board, despite the repeated public calls for boycotting the Kuchma-Pinchuk family. Among those present was Viktor Pinchuk. They discussed using the site to help make active positive changes in Ukraine. This cannot be regarded as a positive signal, considering Ms. Hopko’s statements and those of the President – specifically that the Gongadze-Podolsky case, involving Leonid Kuchma, is a “matter of honor” for him.

The letter composed by Ms. Hopko and signed by about a dozen MPs proposes an alternative that the current administration can accept. It offers an opportunity to step off the wrong and step on the right track, and finally keep the promises made.

UKRAINE BADLY NEEDS GOVERNMENT TO SOCIETY COMMUNICATIONS SITES

Oleksandr TSVIETKOV, expert on US, lecturer with the Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine:

“This is a very important subject and [Ms. Hopko’s] message is very topical. One could assess it as a positive [signal]. Moreover, we must not oppose the existing forums here or abroad. Who is there to prevent the Ukrainian parliament from getting united and setting a site for regular communications? The key issue is that Ukraine badly needs government to society communications sites.

“Assuming that we’re moving in the direction of an open civic society – this being a world trend – it is important to discuss various matters on various levels, concerning domestic and foreign politics, including domestic priorities. Such discussions could result in a clearer cut domestic policy and [Ukraine’s] international image.

“Post-truth society is getting increasingly popular as a step forward, toward an open society. Here the emphasis is on minipolitics. Whereas geopolitics can be exemplified by China or the United States – or whatever threats ensuing from the Transatlantic dialog – such issues are placed on the agenda by political leaders, or even by life.

“In this case, it is important to create such communications sites where one can offer an alternative to the existing platform. Of course, this should be the responsibility of the executive branch. For example, a Facebook dialog with the Diplomatic Academy. A site where one could communicate with foreign delegations on several levels, including foreign affairs and executive authorities. A program of reforms for the Verkhovna Rada with standing sites to discuss various issues with representatives of a civic society.

“If we want to promote Ukrainian interests, we must generate several such sites to discuss a broad range of issues relating to domestic and foreign policies, with an eye to the constantly changing world. That way we’d ensure that the best idea wins and we’d have someone to implement it. That way we’d have a center that would take over the leadership. So far, there is only the hullabaloo over the existing forums because we offer no opportunities for meeting with the world’s outstanding personalities – and this is especially true of our youth.

“Den/The Day could come up with the initiative of generating this kind of site, doing so carefully, lest they say it was someone’s biased idea.”