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| Europe |
| Kuchma gets the well-chilled shoulder... |
| 2002-11-23 |
| Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has joined leaders of NATO partner states at the alliance's summit in Prague, despite being told he would not be welcome. There are 'suspicions' among US and British officials that he sold radar equipment to Iraq. Kuchma found the seating arrangements at the meeting changed, so that he would not have to sit near his main accusers. "Put him next to the kitchen. And make sure he has the waiter that walked into the door this afternoon..." Although Ukraine is a member of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, which includes countries ranging from Ireland to Uzbekistan, he was given strong hints by NATO leaders that it would be better if he stayed away from Prague. "Lenny, don't you have to get your oil changed or something?" In an effort to snub Kuchma, NATO downgraded its bilateral meeting with Ukraine at the summit to the foreign minister level. But, as president of a partner country, Kuchma has the right to attend meetings of the Euro-Atlantic Council, when they are conducted at the head-of-state level. On Thursday, NATO Secretary-General George Robertson told reporters he was uncertain Kuchma would show up at the summit. "The president of Ukraine knows the problem, knows that there is a shadow over him in relation to the export, the possible export, of Kolchuga radar systems to Iraq," he said. "Normally, when you've been caught trying to stab someone in the back, you don't want to get too close to them. Too much chance they'll hit you or something..." But Kuchma came to Prague anyway, turned up at an official dinner Thursday night, and joined the other leaders at the summit on Friday. NATO protocol experts found a way to prevent Kuchma from sitting next to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and one seat away from President Bush. They chose not to use the English alphabetical order for seating, the system that is normally used at the alliance summits. Instead, they arranged the seating in French alphabetical order, which meant that Kuchma was placed at the end of the table, with the Turkish president on one side and nobody on the other. See? The Frenchies are still good for something... Ukrainian Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko told reporters Friday his country is ready to cooperate with the United States and Britain to defuse what he described as their groundless criticism of Kuchma's involvement in the purported radar sales to Iraq. But he said Ukraine cannot give full access to bilateral arms sales deals, because that is privileged information. "We are open to our American counterparts, except for the information as for the Kolchuga transferred to some countries," said Anatoly Zlenko. "You must understand that we're obliged to protect this information and the bilateral agreements. "We're ready to cooperate fully, as long as we don't have to give any details. We have our sovreignty to consider, y'know. And no, you can't come into any presidential palaces to look for evidence..." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #2 Lenny was a good idea, back when the Soviet Union broke up. Like so many "fathers of his country," he found being in power more fun than getting the country moving. More money in it, too. You know what they say about absolute power and corruption... |
| Posted by: Fred 2002-11-23 11:14:32 |
| #1 The Ukrainians are real morons. |
| Posted by: Rodger Dodger 2002-11-23 08:43:26 |