International Harm Reduction Conference
10.06.2013
Don’t Write Off Ukraine
26.10.2012
This interview was published in a special Polish supplement to the Ukrainian weekly Kommentari coedited by Nowa Europa Wschodnia and the Polish Institute in Kyiv (Instytut Polski w Kijowie).
MAŁGORZATA NOCUŃ: You are the European Parliament’s special envoy to Ukraine. This is a difficult mission. We often hear that everyone is tired with Ukraine…
ALEKSANDER KWAŚNIEWSKI: Indeed, many people are tired with the constant political conflicts in Ukraine and this should not be ignored. But let’s also remember that the European Union has a lot on its plate and is involved in more than just Kyiv’s future. We are now tackling the consequences of the financial crisis, and the situation in Greece and Spain is far from solved. And yet we can’t say that we have given up our support for Ukraine. Without a doubt, Ukraine has many faithful friends in Europe, including Poland. I have a lot of respect for Poland’s President Bronisław Komorowski who is continuing the policy that I initiated to support Ukraine, and explain to its political elites how to solve problems and share the Polish experiences which have led us to EU membership. All in all, Ukraine has its group of friends but it also needs to provide us with arguments that we could use to support it. Ukraine needs to change its legal system and have honest elections. Ukrainians should remember: the key to Ukraine’s future is in Ukraine.