The Russian-oriented opposition exploited Ihor Kinal’s death to further its anti-NATO campaign.

ekeeper Ihor Kinal during an attack by Serbs in Mitrovica was tragic, as were the injuries sustained by 20 Ukrainian and 22 Polish peacekeepers.

In Ukraine’s own internal battleground, it was inevitable that Kinal’s death would be exploited for political ends.

The Russian-oriented opposition exploited Kinal’s death to further its anti-NATO campaign, confusing the two Ukrainian peacekeeping contingents in Kosovo: the one attacked was a Ministry of Internal Affairs battalion under UN command and the other is an army battalion under NATO command.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Volodoymyr Ohryzko and Minister of Defense Yuriy Yekhanurov made the right call in assuring the international community Ukraine would remain a reliable peacekeeping partner.

Ukrainian soldiers gain exposure to international military standards, soldiers from Western armies and learn about the local cultures they’re protecting. Exposing Ukrainian soldiers to the world beyond the Russian cultural and political barrage ultimately aids Ukraine’s European integration.

Meanwhile, peacekeeping soldiers receive better pay, and the government received $200 million for its first 10 years of peacekeeping. Peacekeeping boosts Ukraine’s image and helps it solidify relations with strategic partners.

Allowing a single tragic incident to become an excuse to pull soldiers out of UN peacekeeping missions would have been a mistake.