On its way to NATO, Ukraine should reconsider the mentality and the entire system of relations in the country - Barbora Maronkova
For effective cooperation with NATO, Ukraine should not only accept 555 adapted technical standards, which are constantly discussed in the media, but also review the functioning of the entire system of relations in the country. Such opinion was voiced on October 16 in Kyiv by the Director of the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine Barbora Maronkova.
Several things should be reconsidered: the mentality, the views on how institutions work and how they work. The adoption of the Law On National Security was a very important step in this context. This is what we mean, and what we repeat to Ukraine - the state should focus on wide reforms, considers Maronkova.
Discussion of Ukraine-NATO relations took place within the presentation of the new quarterly issue of TRUMAN Index - analytics on the development of Ukraine’s bilateral relations with the US, EU, China and Russia. Starting from 2018, TRUMAN Agency and New Europe Center experts are exploring another direction - Ukraine-NATO relations.
TRUMAN Index of Ukraine-NATO relations in the reporting period (March-September, 2018) is 0.86. This indicator is slightly higher than for the previous period, but still remains low enough to state effective cooperation.
In particular, both the experts and NATO representatives point out the low awareness of the Ukrainian population about the North Atlantic Alliance itself, and its goals. As a result, we have a relatively low level of support for Ukraine’s path to NATO. And the lowest support rates are shown in the southern and eastern regions of the country.
Barbora Maronkova notes that information activities in the southern regions of Ukraine - in Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblast, are carried out regularly. And not only by NATO representation in Ukraine, but also by embassies representatives of the Alliance member countries.
There is a lot of activity. The question is why they have no effect? Perhaps because the other side is hindering our success and increasing its contractive, counter-informational activities. This is a guess and this explains the situation in the south, Maronkova says. In Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, our presence there is not powerful enough. This is a conclusion that we must draw. This is a reminder that we should be more active.
Among the main events of the reporting period, our analysts identify the NATO Summit in Brussels and the blocking of Ukraine-NATO Commission, caused by the conflict with Hungary on educational issue. Despite everything, the advancement of Ukraine on its way to NATO goes on, although slowly. NATO representatives see this as a normal process.
Of course, some obstacles will appear in our way. It is natural for any country. So it was in Slovakia, where I come from. In 1996, we were supposedly invited, and then they said that we would not become members of NATO. And it seriously disappointed the Slovaks. At the same time, it encouraged us to more active work. On the way to NATO, every country underwent a lot of reforms and changes. They are not simple, they require strategic patience both from the government and from the expert environment. This is a process that require a serious level of motivation, says Barbora Maronkova.
The Ukrainian side also realize a long-term perspective. At the same time, Ukrainians believe that it is necessary to take as much knowledge and experience from today's capabilities as possible.
We are absolutely soberly aware that NATO and other countries may one day say: we no longer have the resources to help you. And we are well aware that we will then have to rely on our own capabilities and abilities. Therefore, now Ukrainian armed forces is a good opportunity to develop their own capabilities to protect the state with the support of NATO and other states, Acting Head of Directorate of Military Cooperation and Peacekeeping Operations of General Staff of Ukraine, Colonel Hennadiy Kovalenko.
Information:
TRUMAN Index is a quantitative and qualitative assessment of Ukraine’s progress in bilateral relations with the EU, the USA, China, Russia, and NATO. The journal is published quarterly, which allows one to track the dynamics of the relations development. Analytical material prepared by independent experts.
TRUMAN Index presents the monitoring of events in the Ukraine’s foreign policy in each of the areas, as well as an analysis of the approaches of the countries (regions) towards Ukraine during the research period. In addition to qualitative analysis, each event in bilateral relations is rated on a scale from -10 to + 10 points. The overall score of the foreign policy direction, divided by the number of events in the reporting period is TRUMAN Indeх.
