The Chocolate King Comes to

Chocolate City
The Ukrainian leader addresses Congress and Obama,
asking hat in hand for help for his beleaguered nation.
BY JAMIA T!I"#$%&$'T$MB$! (), *+(,
Ukrainian 'resident 'etro 'oroshenko is -oming to
.ashington Thursda/, seeking support and 0nan-ial ba-king in his ongoing
battle 1ith !ussia o2er 1hether his -ountr/3s politi-al and e-onomi- future
lies 1ith Mos-o1 or the rest of $urope.
A /ear ago, 'oroshenko, kno1n as the 4-ho-olate king4 be-ause of his
!oshen -and/ -ompan/, thumbed his nose at Mos-o1, faulting !ussia3s
strong%arm ta-ti-s for pushing Ukrainians to1ard the $uropean Union.
Toda/, he hopes the United &tates 1ill bolster his former &o2iet republi-
against those same bull/ing ta-ti-s, 1hi-h ha2e pushed him to -ompromise
both on territor/ and his .est1ard aims as !ussia3s 1illingness to 0ght for
Ukraine has pro2ed stronger than $urope3s.
'oroshenko is set to meet 'resident Bara-k Obama at the .hite 5ouse and
address a 6oint session of Congress Thursda/. But 1hat he3ll lea2e 1ith %% in
terms of greater 0nan-ial or militar/ support %% is still un-lear.
The &enate is preparing far%rea-hing legislation that 1ould double do1n on
the energ/ and defense san-tions that the Obama administration
announ-ed earlier this month, in-luding spe-ial pro2isions targeting
7a8prom %% !ussia3s state%o1ned energ/ giant %% and its abilit/ to interfere
1ith $urope3s gas supplies.
The bill, slated for a 2ote in the &enate 9oreign !elations Committee after
'oroshenko speaks, 1ould also gi2e the Obama administration authorit/ to
send arms to Ukraine. The 5ouse also passed a resolution .ednesda/ on
Ukraine3s right to defend itself. But the legislation ma/ not garner enough
support to pass. a1makers are 6uggling a number of emergen-/ measures
as a &ept. :+ deadline to pass a spending bill to a2ert a go2ernment
shutdo1n looms.
On .ednesda/ e2ening, the 5ouse passed a measure, kno1n as a
-ontinuing resolution, to fund the go2ernment through #e-. ((. The &enate
is e;pe-ted to take up the spending bill Thursda/.
&o far, the United &tates has made san-tions its main response to !ussia3s
e<orts to destabili8e eastern Ukraine and its Mar-h anne;ation of Crimea.
The United &tates and the $uropean Union ha2e targeted-ompanies in
!ussia3s 0nan-e and energ/ se-tors as 1ell as businessmen and politi-ians
-lose to !ussian 'resident =ladimir 'utin. "either approa-h has -aused him
to pull ba-k his support of separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The United &tates and $urope ha2e also o<ered Ukraine modest 0nan-ial
support, but >ie23s kitt/ is rapidl/ empt/ing. Ukraine3s budget situation has
deteriorated ?ui-kl/, as the go2ernment 1as for-ed to di2ert more and
more resour-es to the militar/ o2er the summer. The International Monetar/
9und agreed in Mar-h to gi2e the -ountr/ a @() billion loan, released in
tran-hes, -ombined 1ith some @(+ billion more promised in bilateral aid
from indi2idual -ountries. But the fund 1arned earlier this month that
Ukraine ma/ need a ne1 bailoutA 4!isks loom large,4 the IM9 said in its
&ept. * report. In Mar-h, the U.&. promised to ba-k @( billion of Ukrainian
debt to make it easier for Ukraine to raise mone/ in publi- markets but the
IM9 said Ukraine -ould need as mu-h as @(B billion more.
!obert >ahn, a senior fello1 at the Coun-il on 9oreign !elations, said
Ukraine3s allies 1ill likel/ 1ait to send >ie2 more mone/, e2en though it3s
-lear the -ountr/ 1ill need it as it struggles through IM9%mandated
e-onomi- reforms.
4The tenden-/ in the .est is not to do an/thing unless the/3re absolutel/
for-ed to,4 >ahn said.
In the fa-e of !ussia3s greater militar/ strength and -ontinued trade threats,
'oroshenko -ompromised this 1eek both on territor/ and an $U agreement.
Ukrainian la1makers passed la1s Tuesda/ gi2ing greater autonom/ to
eastern territories held b/ pro%!ussian rebels, further solidif/ing a -ease%0re
agreement that free8es militar/ gains made b/ separatists.
At the same time, the Ukrainian 'arliament took a long%sought step to1ard
the .est b/ passing an agreement that strengthens politi-al and e-onomi-
ties bet1een >ie2 and the $U blo-. But, in a notable -on-ession to Mos-o1,
>ie2 dela/ed some of the trade pro2isions of the agreement until *+(C.
Ukrainian -ompanies -an still e;port to the $U 1ithout pa/ing higher tari<s,
but the politi-al impli-ations of the dela/ %% that !ussia -an slo1 Ukraine3s
progress to1ard $urope %% are more important than its e-onomi-
impli-ations.
4In determining Ukraine3s geopoliti-al orientation, the pre-edent has no1
been set for -onsultation 1ith Mos-o1 %% in this 1a/ Ukraine3s o1n
so2ereignt/ and right to self%determination has been further eroded,4
Timoth/ Ash, head of emerging%markets resear-h at &tandard Bank, said
.ednesda/ in an emailed anal/st3s note. 4Through this a-tion %% presumabl/
dri2en b/ $U po1ers %% the $U has 0nall/ re2ealed its real la-k of
-ommitment to Ukraine.4
.estern diplomati- sour-es said the $U didn3t pressure 'oroshenko into
dela/ing the agreement.
The stakes are high for 'oroshenko. Then%'resident =iktor Yanuko2/-h3s
de-ision not to sign the $U agreement last fall prompted demonstrators to
Dood the streets of >ie2, ultimatel/ tossing him out.
ast &eptember, 'oroshenko 1as at the Yalta $uropean &trateg/ meeting in
Crimea, 1here the ?uestion of Ukraine3s future dominated the agenda.
&ergei 7la8/e2, a >remlin e-onomi- ad2isor, 1arned that signing the $U
agreement 1ould be a 4sui-idal4 step for Ukraine. 'oroshenko said
Mos-o13s bull/ing %% in-luding banning his -ho-olates from the !ussian
market %% 1ere responsible for pushing Ukraine into $urope3s arms.
49or the 0rst time in our histor/ more than E+ per-ent of people support
$uropean integration and less than :+ per-ent of people support -lose ties
1ith !ussia. Thank /ou 2er/ mu-h for that, Mr. 7la8/e2,4 he said, a--ording
to the Economist.
The same meeting 1as held in >ie2 last 1eekend, instead of the no1%
!ussian Crimea. !ussian #efense Minister &ergei &hoigu said Tuesda/ he
1as sending more troops to Crimea, in response to "ATO for-es -ondu-ting
e;er-ises in Ukraine.
Posted by Thavam