BRAMA, August 23, 2002, 1 am ET

© BRAMA/HK 7/2/02 Gennadiy Udovenko

11 years after independence, how is Ukraine doing?

After 70 long years of Soviet rule (some western political analysts predicted it wouldn’t last more than a few months), Ukraine finally established itself as an independent state on August 24, 1991. Plans for the upcoming Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations abound both here in the West and in Ukraine, but how is Ukraine really doing going into its 12th year of self-government? Has it made a successful transition into a democracy and market economy from the communist regime? Have the dreams of those who fought to free Ukraine from the Soviet yoke been realized? What awaits Ukraine in the future? Is its independence secure? The answers to these questions depend on whether you see a glass as being half empty or half full.

Eminently qualified to comment on Ukraine’s progress is career diplomat and politician Gennadiy Udovenko. His credentials include his current status as Deputy to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) and Chairman of the Committee on Human rights, former President of the United Nations General Assembly and former Foreign Minister of Ukraine. He also heads one of the two Rukh politcal parties, and travels frequently to the U.S. on missions related to the United Nations.

Below are some of the salient points about Ukraine's current situation underscored by Mr. Udovenko in a press conference last month in July at the headquarters of Ukraine's Permanent Mission to the UN.

Politically:

• Corruption, inflation, and other evils are a fact of life and politics in Ukraine. Ukraine continues to work to counter them, but don’t expect them to disappear overnight.
• President Kuchma will not be impeached by parliament, although establishing a mechanism for impeachment is under discussion.
• Members of Parliament tend to concern themselves more with their political futures than Ukraine’s welfare.

Economically/socially:

• The country is experiencing many of the same economic problems that it has been facing since independence; making payroll is one of the more persistent ones.
• Grain harvests may be lower than in previous years, but the long-range outlook is good.
• Minimum wage has gone up, but is a long way from meeting western standards.
• A wide gap remains between the wealthy and poor.
• No unemployment in Kyiv, the country's capital, but unemployment is pervasive in provincial areas where industry (esp. defense) has come to a halt.
• Market reforms are moving slowly, but they are moving forward, although ideologically, the situation is more complex, i.e., less promising.
• The Ukrainian national idea has “not yet” become a commonplace philosophy, but there is evidence that it is taking hold in the country.
• Universities are graduating classes of what Mr. Udovenko termed as “patriots”. Even Russian-speaking regions are showing a rise in patriotism towards Ukraine.
• Ratification of Russian as a state language alongside with Ukrainian is likely to be passed this fall.

Foreign relations:

• Integration of Ukraine in the EU and NATO – they will happen, but how soon is not known.
• Russian “neo-imperialism” is very active in the media and other areas.
• The current government’s policies are pushing Ukraine further into the Russian sphere.