Report of Ukrainian Foreign Minister A. Zlenko to President Kravchuk

To the President of Ukraine

L.M. Kravchuk

REPORT NOTE

Dear Leonid Makarovych,

On November 17th of this year deputy minister Tarasiuk and Ambassador of the United States of America to Ukraine, R. Popadiuk, continued the discussion of the issue of granting Ukraine guarantees of its national security by the nuclear states.

Particularly, several options of possible solution to this problem have been worked out in an "unofficial format" (i.e., without commitments at this stage from any of the sides). As a result of the discussion, it was agreed that there might be four most optimal approaches to provide Ukraine with guarantees:

1. Joint American-Russian statement about the acquisition of commitments by these countries regarding the non-use of force either with or without nuclear weapons or threat thereof against Ukraine. 

2. Unilateral statement by the United States of such nature that will propel other nuclear states to make analogous declarations.

3. Declaration of a special statement by Ukraine that would include a call for the nuclear states to take upon themselves commitments regarding the security guarantees for Ukraine as a non-nuclear state. In Popadiuk's opinion, such Ukrainian initiative would find a prompt response from the United States and, consequently, other nuclear states.

4. Joint American-Ukrainian statement with the same content, which would be accompanied by the appropriate reaction from NATO, NACC, CSCE, perhaps the UN.

The point here is that for each of the four solutions as a next step after the initial statements there would be statements from other nuclear states (including Russia) and also a confirmation from the pan-European structures (CSCE, NACC). 

The American side proposed five principles, which, in Ambassador's view, should be reflected in the said statements, regardless of who will initiate them:

- respect for independence and sovereignty of Ukraine (other states that renounce nuclear weapons) and for existing borders in accordance to the principles of the Council for Security and Cooperation in Europe,

- refusal to use of force or threat thereof against the territorial independence and political independence,

- commitment by the nuclear states not to have aggressive intentions against the countries that renounce nuclear weapons and also not to use the armed force against these states, expect in cases of self-defense in accordance to the UN Statute,

- commitment by the nuclear states to immediately bring the issue to the UN Security Council in order to provide support for any non-nuclear member-state of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which becomes a victim of aggression or threat thereof with the use of nuclear weapons,

- commitment by the nuclear states not to use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear member state of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, except in cases of attack on them, their territories or armed forces by such a state, which is an ally of a nuclear state or participates together with the nuclear state in an aggressive act.

R. Popadiuk stated that the proposed principles - are not a final version, but only an unofficial material for discussion, which can be adjusted and improved. Moreover, an agreement was reached that in case if Ukraine itself takes the initiative the text of the possible Ukrainian statement remains a prerogative of the Ukrainian side.

When informed that the draft of a similar resolution that had been unofficially submitted by Ukraine to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly faced disagreement from the American delegation, R. Popadiuk noted that it was better to solve such matters  on a bilateral level.

An agreement was reached regarding the desirability of making public the said statement before a discussion in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the matters of ratification of the START and Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The U.S. Ambassador proposed the date of December 1 as a possible best moment for the publication of the statement in case the issue about the initiator of such a step is solved.

In course of the discussion the American delegation was informed about our predisposition toward the first out of the proposed four versions: the join statement of the USA and Russian Federation regarding the guarantees of the national security of Ukraine. An understanding was also reached on the matter of necessity of issuing such statement at the level of presidents (the highest one). 

Our proposals regarding the possible version of statement will be sent separately. 

With respect,

Minister [signed] A. Zlenko