Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Ukraine needs to clean up its own house before any nation will take it seriously

In a frantic attempt to drum up support for Ukraine’s claim of a speedy accession to NATO, President Victor Yushchenko has been traveling far and wide. He visited the United States twice in a week, France just before that, and is scheduled to go to Italy and Great Britain the early days of October.

Courting the world’s policymakers in both hemispheres seems to be a lame attempt at boosting Ukraine’s chances to receive a Membership Action Plan to join NATO at the next summit in December. The previous summit in April postponed a decision on Ukraine and Georgia. The issue gained more momentum in the wake of Russia's five-day war in Georgia in August.

But as the president’s push for NATO increases, so does the resistance towards Ukraine’s potential membership. Too many voices have been raised against it lately, and they are getting more influential.

True, Ukraine still has vigorous support from outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush, but his is politically impotent. Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Jack Matlock said recently that the admittance of Ukraine would create a “dangerous gulf” between Washington and Moscow. Top officials in Turkey, France and other alliance members have expressed concern and said Ukraine’s advancement would be disadvantageous.

Even within Ukraine, influential politicians have called to halt the NATO application process. Anatoliy Hrytsenko, former defense minister, said Ukraine should concentrate on regional security programs and forget about NATO for now. The public, of course, is deeply divided over the prospect of NATO membership.

Now that Ukraine is frequently mentioned as a potential victim of Russia’s bullying, it appears that few in the West want to stand up for Ukraine. Not if the bully controls the natural gas taps.

But Ukraine itself does little to get out of this geopolitical mess. Wearisome infighting, no vision for developing the pro-Russian Crimea and a deteriorating relationship with Russia have contributed to the world’s perception of Ukraine as a troublesome place, and has reduced its chances for European Union and NATO memberships.

Membership in NATO and the European Union should remain a strategic goal, especially while a power-hungry KGB autocrat controls the Kremlin. But Ukraine needs to first clean up its domestic mess and show itself to be a stabile partner for the West before it has a chance to achieve its dreams.