Take It Slow With Pushing Ukraine
Re “Bush Pledges to Back Ukraine,” April 5: It is promising that President Bush is encouraging nations such as Ukraine to take positive steps toward involvement with the world community by joining NATO and the World Trade Organization.
However, his statement that the United States and Ukraine “would work together to foster reform in other Soviet republics,” while in accordance with his Wilsonian views of spreading freedom and democracy around the world, may be too ambitious for the young nation.
Such problems as corruption, cited by President Viktor Yushchenko as one of his nation’s top domestic concerns, should be tackled before any attempts are made to enact reform elsewhere. With regard to relations with Russia, encirclement may indeed be on the minds of its political leaders, but the likelihood of their being threatened by talks between these nations is low and reflects realist views reminiscent of the Cold War period that will linger for years to come.
Barbara R. Barreno
Cambridge, Mass.
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