A representative of Kuryer Polski, Dr. Bogdan Kotnis, was invited to attend the 12th US-Ukraine Security Dialogue that took place on March 3 and March 4, 2021. A high quality of panelists and carefully selected topics allowed participants to learn a great deal about current political and economic concerns in US-Ukrainian relations. Among the panelists were current US Senator Ben Cardin, Representative Andy Harris, former ambassadors Bill Taylor, Daniel Fried, William Courtney, and Roman Popadiuk, active Ukrainian politicians, as well as several experts from academia and various think tanks.
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There was a unanimous consent that the North Stream II is a dangerous proposition, serving as a Russian weapon of threat and control with little economic value. Panelists raised concerns regarding Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, Russian disinformation campaign, and cyber security issues. Kuryer Polski recommends that Polish politicians and opinion makers pay close attention to the various presentations from the conference that will be available on the Internet.
The 12th US-Ukrainian Security Dialogue organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) was an opportunity to learn about key issues concerning Ukrainian diaspora in the United States. Many of the concerns are shared with the majority of Polonia, the Polish American diaspora. Ukrainian Americans are prepared for co-operation with President Biden’s administration. They presented detailed concepts and procedures to focus on.
One of the key ideas mentioned by Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Director of the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies, is recognizing Ukraine as a US Major Non-NATO Ally. Such status would enable American presence in the Black Sea region even without the support of Germany or France. Ostap Krydyk, of Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, mentioned that Russia started a dispute with Poland as a war for historical truth and is continuing similar attacks against Ukraine. He suggested that Russians should be recognized as media terrorists. Paul Goble, an American analyst specializing in Russia and Baltic states issues, warned that Russian disinformation is not about the veracity of specific facts but rather about generating emotions. When they succeed, people refuse to listen to objective information distrusting any source.
Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges criticized the failure of the Minsk Process of negotiating with Russia on behalf of Ukraine. He warned that Germany and France would sell Ukraine in a minute for a good deal with Russia. Katerina Sodova of Georgetown University Center of Security and Emerging Technology advised to create a Cyber Security Deputy position in Ukraine in response to Secretary Antony J. Blinken’s announcement that cybersecurity is one of the key priorities for President Biden’s administration. All panelists agreed that fighting corruption and reforming the judiciary are top priorities that will lead Ukraine towards NATO membership.
