Yuri Kramar exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
On March 19 a meeting between the defense minister of Ukraine Pavel Lebedev and the ambassador of Azerbaijan Einulla Madatli took place in Kiev. The ministers discussed military cooperation, including teaching of Azerbaijani officers in Ukrainian universities.
In recent 6 months the cooperation between Kiev and the South Caucasus countries made several sharp turns. It intensified in 2005 after the “orange” president Yushchenko came in office. He initiated “a new lease of life” of GUAM.
Before the victory of “Maydan” in Kiev GUAM had a bit isolated, but neutral character in the CIS. Its consolidating goal was protection of the countries’ interests. Ukraine and Moldova counted on diversification of gas and oil supplies; Georgia intended to use its transit status in the sphere of energy supplies. Due to well-known reason, Armenia didn’t participate in the union. Not only because of a distinct orientation to Russia, but also because its ineffectiveness in the organization as it has no energy resources and transit routes.
However, after “the Rose Revolution” in Tbilisi in 2003 and later “the Orange Revolution” in Kiev, GUAM’s character changed. Pragmatism was replaced by ideology, or “color romanticism.” Yushchenko and Saakashvili who didn’t hide pro-Western and pro-American attitudes were aimed at cooperation between Ukraine and the Caucasus for establishing “the anti-Russian stripe” from “color” regimes. Moreover, during the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan there were separate elements of “a color scenario” – declarative judging by European observers of supposedly violations; the opposition’s demands to recognize the results of the elections invalid; and so on. It looked incorrect toward the legitimate power of the country which is a member of GUAM.
Despite continuation of the union’s sessions, soon its work was focused on cooperation between the most ideologically close countries – Ukraine and Georgia. Moreover, their leaders were not simply political likeminded people, but they were relatives, Mikhail Saakasvili is godfather of Victor Yushchenko’s relative.
At the same time, there was no intensification of economic cooperation between the countries – the reason was stagnation of Georgian economy. However, military cooperation between Kiev and Tbilisi became very active. Georgia imported a lot of military equipment – and a significant part of it was given to Tbilisi as a present. The cooperation showed itself brightly during the conflict over South Ossetia when Ukrainian President sent several missile complexes C-300 to Georgia. They say several Russian airplanes were shot down by the complexes. There is information that recruits from the radical-nationalist organization UNA-UNSO fought on the Georgian side, but the massive mobilization wasn’t declared.
The Ukrainian authorities suddenly intensified toward the Russian Black Sea Fleet ships which were situated in Sevastopol and fulfilled tasks near Georgia’s banks. Ukraine tried to forbid them to put to the sea; on shore sailors were prevented from transporting cargo.
However, joint efforts of Tbilisi and Kiev couldn’t change the result of the five-day war. Ukraine had to pay a lot for its position in the conflict – today the gas price for Ukraine is higher than for Germany. The most important thing was than exaggeration of anti-Russian cooperation between Yushchenko and Saakashvili choked progress in purely economic activity of GUAM. Moldova left it in 2009, even before collapse of the orange regime in Kiev.
When Yanukovich’s team came in office, the previous orange radicalism disappeared in Ukraine. But it doesn’t mean any pro-Russian attitude of the elite – its interests are still focused in the Western direction. At the same time, the ruling Regions Party has no intention to fight with Russia because of Georgia.
Ukraine continued cooperation with the Caucasus states. But it became more pragmatic. Kiev doesn’t fight with Georgia because its transit importance is still high, especially for Azerbaijani gas supplies which can be a partial alternative to Russian gas.
Kiev is free in development of cooperation with Azerbaijan which is the most economically powerful state of the Caucasus region, including the military sphere. That is why training of Azerbaijani officers in Ukraine was discussed. Even though capacity of the Ukrainian army is not brilliant because of lack of financial support, the country still has a strong military educational potential. So, Azerbaijani soldiers will most probably gain a lot of good for their professionalism. This fact confirms a new turn in the Ukrainian foreign political course – from previous orange romanticism to sober and mutually beneficial realism.
