European leaders opened the 12th annual Yalta European Strategy forum by praising Ukraine's progress in shedding its Soviet ways and moving out of Russia's orbit, but warned the nation is still not doing enough to root out corruption.
Speaking at the YES forum on Sept. 10, the foreign minister of Luxembourg, a former secretary general of NATO and a former foreign minister of Poland offered their advice on how Ukraine can rise above Russia and prevail in the war, which has now claimed 8,000 lives.
Radislaw Sikorski, former foreign minister of Poland and currently a member of parliament, said he had never been so deeply moved by any city in the world after seeing how quickly Ukraine’s capital recovered after the turbulent EuroMaidan Revolution protests in Kyiv in 2013-14 ushered in a new government.
The administration under President Petro Poroshenko has been “taking courageous decisions,” he said, noting, however, that unity among various political factions was crucial in ensuring Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
Ukraine must accelerate the pace of ongoing reforms in order to “stop being seen as a post-Soviet country and start being seen as a pre-accession country,” he said.
While Dmytro Shymkiv, deputy head of the presidential administration, questioned whether the European Union was really united in backing Ukraine, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said EU nations were “more solid and united” on Ukraine than other issues facing Europe, including the migrant issue.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former prime minister of Denmark and former secretary general of NATO, echoed the praise for Porosheno’s administration voiced by other speakers.
The new government has “done more in two years than other administrations have done in a decade,” he said.
While offering encouragement to Ukraine, Rasmussen offered a warning to Russia, noting that while the ceasefire seems to be holding, Russia’s behavior is unpredictable and fighting could resume at any moment.
“If it is clear that it is Russia and the Russian backed separatists who are responsible for the breakdown of the ceasefire, then it is time for the West to consider the provision of weapons to Ukraine,” he said.
While European leaders are counting on Ukraine to continue with reforms, he said, the West should “help Ukraine improve its ability to defend itself” in case the ceasefire is derailed.
Rasmussen’s comments drew strong applause from the audience, though he stressed that the provision of weapons should only be a Plan B if the Minsk agreements fail.
Jean Asselborn, the foreign minister of Luxembourg, agreed that the Minsk agreements were the best resolution to the conflict, saying they were “the only way to have a base to improve the situation.”
The YES forum continues today and Sept. 12, with participation of more than 350 global leaders. Live stream coverage of the events can be viewed at https://archive.kyivpost.com/yes-2015/ and the hashtage is #YESUkraine2015.
