Bloggledygook: Ukraine Update: Yushchenko Gets Kennedy Award.

In a ceremony in Boston, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was awarded the JFK Profile in Courage Award.

The younger brother of the former U.S. president, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy praised Yushchenko’s personal courage and said he has inspired those struggling for democracy across the globe.

The award, given in a ceremony in Boston, comes a little more than two months after Yushchenko took office following the “Orange revolution” in Ukraine.

“At a critical moment in his nation’s history, he took a strong and courageous stand for what he knew was right. He risked his life, and nearly lost it, in the ongoing struggle for democracy in Ukraine,” Kennedy said, referring to the dioxin poisoning Yushchenko suffered during the election campaign.

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“I could not calmly watch as the hopes of her citizens were replaced by disillusion, as millions of people were forced to look for work abroad, as oligarchical clans stole the national wealth,” Yushchenko said, receiving the award. “With every cell of my body, I felt that millions of honest people were behind me, that we could win, that we would undoubtedly win.”

Yushchenko is set to address a joint session of Congress today. It is unrealistic to expect much in the way of news from high level visits other than the usual proclamations of mutual respect and cooperation, etc. This trip, after all, is more a reward for Yushchenko's performance in the elections, his true courage in the face of an assassination attempt and his overtures to the west than a policy summit. Still, one might have expected Yushchenko to use the distance from Kyiv to at least make some sort of statement about the ongoing scandals that are dogging his new administration. And the press has not pushed him on anything other than the planned troop withdrawals from Iraq.

There is some horse trading to be done. The Congress voted earlier to cut aid to Ukraine. The Melnychenko debacle continues. (Remember, Melnychenko was given asylum in the US). I have seen no talk, for instance, of the sale of nukes to China and Iran. Presumably, or rather, hopefully, this was brought up during his private meeting with Bush.

Back home, Yushchenko's plans to undo privatization deals stuck by the last regime is being challenged in, of all places, the European Court of Human Rights.

The case has become one of the most disputed of Ukraine's post-Soviet privatizations, as the government of President Viktor Yushchenko moves to undo deals that put state property in the hands of people close to the previous government.

The mill was acquired by Investment-Metallurgical Union, a consortium largely owned by Viktor Pinchuk, the son-in-law of former President Leonid Kuchma, and Rinat Akhmetov, a wealthy businessman..

Courts had approved the sale of the mill for around $800 million last year, despite reportedly higher offers by bidders from the United States and Russia.

Yushchenko has called the sale a theft and said his government would return the mill to the state. A group of lawmakers backing Yushchenko challenged the sale in a Kiev court, which halted the privatization.

At issue in the sale, aside from the obvious charge of nepotism, is that the company was fraudulently undervalued by the government of Leonid Kuchma.

In trade news, Export-Import banks of the US and Ukraine signed an agreement that would ease financing restrictions for US exports to Ukraine.

Under the agreement, Ex-Im Bank and Ukreximbank intend to work together to establish a Credit Guarantee Facility of up to US $ 50 million with Ukreximbank as obligor, under which Ukreximbank would make credits available to Ukrainian purchasers of U.S. goods and service exports.

As of the end of fiscal year 2004, Ex-Im Bank's outstanding loans, guarantees, and insurance commitments involving exports to Ukraine totaled just under US $180 million.

The MOU also encourages joint exchanges of information in an effort to facilitate transactions involving U.S. exports to Ukraine.

In a joint statement issued by Presidents George W. Bush and Yushchenko after their meeting on Monday, Mr. Bush said, "As Ukraine undertakes far- reaching reform at home, it can count on the United States for support. We applaud Ukraine's commitment to curb corruption, promote the rule of law and improve the business climate."

I know, this is all fairly boring. But perhaps we are so addicted to dramatic accounts every day that we miss the larger picture. Revolution can not, and should not, be perpetually sustained. That is the old Marxist-Leninist philosophy and look where that ended up. Countries that have torn apart tyrannical pasts must at some point get down to the quotidian activities that in their day-to-day normality signal a certain triumph of the previous revolution. I am sure that Ukrainians would like to spend more time working and shopping and eating than camping in Independence Square.

Maybe, just for this moment, we should allow Mr. Yushchenko a well-deserved brief moment to bask in the good light that he has brought to his country. The most momentous day in recent Ukrainian history was when Viktor Yushchenko was declared the fair winner of the presidency. Just as important, though probably not as well documented, will be the day he steps down and turns the reins of government over to a freely elected successor. That will cement President Yushchenko's reputation as a hero of democracy.

Comments

Getting an award from President Kennedy's younger brother isn't giving me a lot of hope that he's one of the good guys. Let's see how he's being handled by the Bush team. I'll take my cue from them.

Posted by: erp | April 06, 2005 at 11:41 AM

Yeah, I was going to make a snide remark about Teddy, but decided to let it go. After all, the award is named after JFK, whom many Europeans still admire for good reason. There is a certain poignancy to Yushchenko receiving an honor named for the man who made the famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate.

Posted by: Daniel | April 06, 2005 at 11:45 AM