VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #9520 3521900
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 181858Z DEC 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU PRIORITY 0000
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0000
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0000
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 129520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ENRG UP MD
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Clinton's December 9, 2009 
Meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko 
 
¶1.  Classified by EUR Assistant Secretary Philip Gordon 
-  Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶2.  (U) December 9; 1:15 p.m.; Washington DC; U.S.A 
 
¶3.  (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
Secretary Clinton 
Assistant Secretary Phil Gordon, EUR 
Ambassador Richard Morningstar, S/EEE 
Ian Kelly, PA 
Kristina Kvien, NSC 
Jacob Sullivan, S 
Liz Zentos, EUR/UMB (Notetaker) 
 
UKRAINE 
Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko 
Ambassador Oleh Shamshur 
Deputy Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Yeliseev 
Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister Yurii Onischenko 
Second Territorial District Director General Ihor 
Hrushko 
First Secretary Viktor Hamotskyi 
 
¶4. (C) Summary: The Secretary discussed non- 
proliferation, security assurances, Ukraine's economic 
situation, and energy security with Foreign Minister 
Petro Poroshenko on December 9 in Washington.  During 
the meeting, which followed the inaugural session of the 
U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission, the 
Secretary emphasized that, regardless of the 
presidential election outcome, Ukraine needs to end 
political infighting and implement economic reforms. 
She stressed the opportunity for Ukraine to make a 
significant contribution to the President's April 
nuclear security summit and urged Ukraine to make 
critical reforms in the energy sector.  Poroshenko 
agreed to the Secretary's offer to send a team to Kyiv 
to discuss a U.S. proposal to remove Ukraine's highly 
enriched uranium fresh fuel.  He emphasized the 
importance of the IMF's release of further disbursements 
from the Stand-By Agreement before the election to send 
a symbolic message, even if the disbursement is partial. 
End summary. 
 
-------------------------------- 
END INFIGHTING TO ENABLE REFORMS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The Secretary noted the importance of the 
inaugural U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission 
meeting, which had taken place earlier in the day. 
Ukraine must remain independent and stable and must 
become prosperous again.  She emphasized that after the 
election, Ukrainian leaders should end political 
infighting and take concrete steps on reform -- 
especially economic reforms to get back on track with 
the IMF. She stressed that the IMF had held up the 
fourth tranche because of both budget deficit problems 
and a lack of political consensus. 
 
¶6. (C) Poroshenko echoed the Secretary's comments that 
the first meeting of the Strategic Partnership 
Commission was significant and suggested that he and 
Secretary Clinton should co-chair future sessions.  He 
stated that Ukraine would pass the "test of democracy" 
by holding a free and fair presidential election.  As an 
economist, he understood Ukraine needed to implement 
reforms, and he  emphasized he had made progress 
recently by having the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, 
and President of the National Bank sign an Letter of 
Intent to the IMF.  Ukraine was now urging the IMF to 
send a mission before the election, and that 
disbursement from the IMF before the election would send 
an extremely important message to the Ukrainian people. 
Ukraine should be able to make its gas payment in 
January, but the February payment could be difficult. 
 
---------------------------- 
SECURITY ASSURANCES AND NATO 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Secretary Clinton reiterated that the United 
States stood behind the Budapest Memorandum security 
assurances and that these assurances had not changed 
with the expiration of the START Treaty.  She emphasized 
that the United States envisioned multiple pathways to 
NATO membership.  The United States, however, had 
received mixed messages from Ukraine during its 
presidential campaign, and Ukraine's friends wondered 
whether Ukrainians really wanted NATO membership.  The 
United States continued to support Ukraine's eventual 
membership in NATO, but the Secretary reminded 
Poroshenko that all aspirants must meet NATO standards. 
She noted that during the December 3 NATO-Ukraine 
Commission meeting, Allies commended Ukraine on the 
finalization of its first Annual National Program and 
urged Ukraine to make further progress through its 2010 
program. 
 
¶8. (C) Poroshenko was pleased by the U.S.-Russia 
statement reaffirming the Budapest Memorandum security 
assurances.  He proposed bilateral consultations to 
establish new security "guarantees" for Ukraine, saying 
such consultations were needed to avoid an incident 
similar to the Russia-Georgia war.  Poroshenko lamented 
that Montenegro and Bosnia, which had not voluntarily 
given up nuclear weapons, were on their way to NATO 
membership.  Ukraine felt that NATO had demanded greater 
reforms from it than from other countries.  He claimed 
that both Prime Minister Tymoshenko and opposition 
leader Yanukovych had agreed to avoid raising NATO in 
their campaigns. 
 
--------------- 
ENERGY SECURITY 
--------------- 
¶9. (C) Poroshenko stated it was vital that the EU invite 
Ukraine to join the European Energy Community at the 
December 18 ministerial in Zagreb.  The Secretary agreed 
that energy security was essential.  Ambassador 
Morningstar said that he had actively lobbied for 
Ukraine's inclusion in the Energy Community and would be 
happy to make another approach to the EU.  (Morningstar 
later spoke with European Commission Pielbalgs to voice 
continued support for Ukrainian membership.) 
Morningstar noted that the EU was considering a 
compromise agreement that would involve a two-step 
 
approach to Ukraine's membership.  He noted some 
progress on energy issues, e.g., progress with Russia on 
gas issues at Yalta, but emphasized that this was short- 
term; what was needed was long-term reform.  The United 
States was ready and willing to help Ukraine modernize 
its gas sector, increase energy efficiency and improve 
the investment climate, if Kyiv's commitment was there. 
The Secretary stressed that Ukraine could boost its 
independence and sovereignty by increasing its energy 
independence. 
 
----------------- 
NON-PROLIFERATION 
----------------- 
 
¶10. (C) The Secretary applauded the non-proliferation 
initiative Ukraine presented at the OSCE ministerial, 
adding that Kyiv could truly demonstrate its commitment 
to non-proliferation by agreeing to give up its highly 
enriched uranium (HEU).  She suggested our two countries 
work together to reach agreement on a plan before the 
April nuclear security summit.  The Secretary suggested 
a new proposal -- to transfer HEU fresh fuel out of 
Ukraine by December 2010, and she offered to send a team 
to Kyiv to discuss the details.  The Secretary noted 
that, while some in Ukraine felt keeping HEU was a 
security blanket, the U.S. believed that this could have 
the opposite effect. 
 
¶11. (C) Poroshenko responded that Ukraine would be happy 
to accept a U.S. team at any time.  He said he believed 
Ukraine could achieve quick results with the HEU at the 
Kyiv facility and that he had appointed a group of 
experts working under his direction to study how to move 
forward on the HEU in Sevastopol and Kharkiv. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
AFGHANISTAN, MOLDOVA, CRIMEA, AND COPENHAGEN 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (C) Poroshenko stressed that Ukraine stood with the 
United States in Afghanistan, and referred to Ukraine's 
decision to increase its troop presence from 10 to 30. 
He said that his government could vote on a rail transit 
agreement for Afghanistan as early as December 16. 
Poroshenko noted that he had proposed to Russian Foreign 
Minister Lavrov that Ukraine and Russia open a hospital 
in Afghanistan. 
 
¶13. (C) Poroshenko commented on his productive meetings 
with the new Moldovan leadership.  He planned to meet 
with Foreign Minister Leanca on December 14 to launch a 
project to demarcate Ukraine's border with the 
Transnistria region of Moldova.  Ukraine would 
appreciate a strong U.S. signal supporting this 
initiative.  Poroshenko noted that Moldova had agreed to 
re-engage with GUAM and to take over the rotating 
presidency in 2011, following Ukraine. 
 
¶14. (C) Ukraine supports the opening of a U.S. 
diplomatic presence in Crimea, Poroshenko told the 
Secretary.  He emphasized the importance of Crimea, and 
said that having U.S. representation there would be 
useful for Ukraine.  Poroshenko requested a meeting for 
President Yushchenko with the President on December 18 
in Copenhagen.  He also invited Secretary Clinton to 
visit Ukraine, noting that he understood the many 
competing demands for her time. 
 
¶15. (C) Poroshenko complained that the United States had 
pushed to designate Ukraine a high-risk country as the 
Financial Action Task Force considers Ukraine's 
compliance on its anti-money laundering regime. 
Assistant Secretary Gordon said that he would look into 
this.  (Embassy Kyiv will receive instructions to follow 
up on this FATF initiative and make clear the steps 
Ukraine needs to take on money laundering to avoid 
designation by FATF.)  Poroshenko thanked the Secretary 
for her support as a Senator during the Orange 
Revolution and expressed his deep appreciation for the 
meeting. 
CLINTON