VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSL #0562 3360922
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 010922Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2159
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 0052

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000562 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USNATO FOR RANDY HOAG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2013 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR UA LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAK OFFICIAL: "UKRAINE AS READY FOR NATO AS WE 
WERE" 
 
Classified By: DCM Keith Eddins for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. USNATO Director for Defense Planning John 
¶R. Hoag discussed Ukraine's prospects for NATO accession 
during a courtesy call with the Director of the Security 
Policy Department at Slovakia's MFA, Juraj Podhorsky, on 
November 19. Podhorsky compared Ukraine's readiness for a MAP 
favorably with Slovakia's readiness when it was given a MAP 
in 1999, but suggested that it may be simpler to bring 
Ukraine into NATO by another means. Podhorsky said Slovakia 
will support a MAP for Ukraine and Georgia at the NATO Summit 
in December, but said there was no chance of achieving 
consensus. End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Hoag visited Bratislava to take part in a conference 
on NATO prospects for Georgia and Ukraine. In a courtesy call 
with Podhorsky, the two discussed Ukraine's prospects in 
particular and Slovakia's role and strategy as the NATO 
Contact Point Embassy in Kyiv. Podhorsky said he is convinced 
that, due to their common history, experiences and ties of 
Slavic blood, Slovakia is the best possible advocate for NATO 
in Ukraine. 
 
¶3. (C) NATO-Russia relations will be the most interesting 
topic for Slovakia at the December NATO Summit. Podhorsky 
(protect) said that "unfortunately" Slovakia would argue for 
continued interaction and cooperation with Russia. Slovakia 
will support MAP for Georgia and Ukraine, but must otherwise 
be cautious not to provoke Russia. 
 
¶4. (C) Russian Ambassador-at-large Alexandre Alexejev, who 
was in Bratislava for the same conference as Hoag, told MFA 
Political Director Igor Slobodnik that Georgia and Ukraine 
clearly do not meet the requirements laid down in NATO's 1995 
"Study on Enlargement", and should therefore not be offered a 
MAP. According to Podhorsky, Slobodnik responded sharply, 
beginning with a reminder to Alexejev that conditions for a 
MAP and for membership are up to the current NAC, and no one 
else. Slobodnik went on to say that although he agreed 
Georgia and Ukraine do not meet the 1995 criteria for 
membership, MAP is not membership and Slovakia itself did not 
meet the criteria for membership when it was given a MAP. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Podhorsky described Slovakia's message to Ukraine as 
"What you do for NATO, you do for yourself." He said this 
message is based on Slovakia's own experience, in which the 
country faced its strongest domestic opposition from generals 
who believed their personal needs were being put second to 
the desires of SHAPE, and from citizens who had yet to 
overcome decades of Communist propaganda about NATO's 
predatory motives. Unfortunately, that message is harder to 
sell in Ukraine's eastern regions, where cuts in officers and 
arms purchases will be most painfully felt, and where much of 
the population identifies more closely with Moscow than Kyiv. 
It is especially in these regions, however, that NATO 
benefits from having its message put across by a "Slovak 
face." 
 
¶6. (C) Podhorsky did not accept a description of the 
Ukrainian government or General Staff "ignoring" western 
advice. He said he understands the tense political situation 
in Ukraine, and that it is not possible for the Ukrainians to 
do everything at once. Podhorsky hopes allies will show 
patience with Ukraine for as long as Ukraine shows some 
perseverance and interest in defense reform. 
 
¶7. (C) Podhorsky was not surprised to hear that young 
Ukrainian officers who are trained in the U.S. are often 
ostracized upon their return home. He surmised that more 
senior officers feel threatened by subordinates who are more 
qualified, and in line to "steal" their jobs. Podhorsky was 
sympathetic but did not have any suggestions to resolve the 
issue. He said similar issues arose in Slovakia when they 
were reducing the ranks of their officer corps, and many good 
young officers were probably lost because they couldn't get 
ahead when they thought it was their time. 
 
¶8. (U) This message was cleared by Randy Hoag. 
OBSITNIK