CO 6 6 9 4 3 8 JIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694383 Date 06 25 2019 SEeRET I RELEASE IN FULLI THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON IDECLASSIFIEDi SUBJECT Telephone Conversation with Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk PARTICIPANTS The President President Leonid Kravchuk Interpreter George·Sajewych Notetaker Rose Gottemoeller DATE TIME AND PLACE June 12 1993 10 33-10 47am Small Dining Room The President Mr President I am very pleased that we have a chance to talk today since it's been quite a while since our last U call in late January President Kravchuk Yes time does fly and I am glad to be-able U to speak to the President of the United States The President I know this is a busy time for you and also a difficult time with the coal mine strikes and the debates in the U Rada over Ukraine's future I wanted simply to reaffirm to you and th Ukrainian people my strong support for Ukrainian independence and for democratic U political and market economic reform I'm very pleased Secretary Aspin's recent trip was so productive We want strong security ties and I know that Secretary Aspin talked to you about an extensive program of defense cooperation U which we will be working to develop with your armed forces I also appreciate your continued resolve to achieve ratification of START I and the NPT U l On economic issues we want to build strong economic ties We are prepare'd to extend food credits and grants I will have our Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy contact your officials next week on our plans We could also support greater G-7 economic help to Ukraine conditioned on a market reform program introduced by your U government r would also like to do what we' can to help promote better Ukrainian-Russian relations I know you will meet Yeltsin this U week I strongly support his reform program in Russia ----- -- -------- ----- ----- -- ------- --- __ '__ ----------- ---- _ _ DECLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY Geoffrey W Chapman Senior Reviewer A GIS IPS 3 25 2019 Declassify on OADR SE6RET_ UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694383 Date 06 25 2019 From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION CO 6 6 9 4 3 8 3 IFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694383 Date 06 25 2019 I 2 As Ainbassador Strobe Talbott told you last month the U S is prepared to be helpful to both Ukraine and Russia in finding ways to resolve your differences if you agree that we should try to be of help U I hope very much that you and President Yeltsin will continue your efforts to promote good and peaceful relations between your U countries Let me say I really wanted to encourage you in this trying time I hope we can be real partners and I wish you well at this time President Kravchuk Thank you very much Mr President I also want to tell you that the situation in our country is very complex The miners in the Donetsk and the Krivoi Rog Autonomous Regions are seeking a return to socialism a return to the Onion and a return to the Communist Party And what's involved is a build-up of political pressure in light of economic difficulties The fear is political explosion and the dividing up of Ukraine -autonomy for Donetsk and Krivoi Rog and Galicia and finally the dismemberment of ·the countrx not unlike the situation in Yugoslavia I also have very good information that these efforts @ are being orchestrated outside of Okratns We have great danger today It is important that we have the economic support of the United States 1·arn determined to move forward with reform We have a complex conservative parliament The local councils are also conservative they were elected-at the time of the Soviet Union In general forces want ng th recreation of the Union are in co tr o t_ _ - - · Today I that the currency Monetary passed to parliament 22 ogJlllle ts _ 1 £ _o_z I _l __ r_- - r p-E -El t ___ _ parliament is dragging this out ' r will unqe_ r take _____ _ _____ _ reform and I ask for the __s upp or t ·o t_ th In t rnat i qnal _ Fund Without it currerief reform wil f have no chance 0 __ 0 0 U - L_ _ · - _ r·r · - ' • ' l ·• · ·• I believe President Yeltsin and I will resolve the Black Sea Fleet we have both introduced interesting proposals a·na I believe this will be resolved We_ a _ al o_ di_scµss i ng energy _ ---- --·· sources as the price for petroleum recently increased 100 percent U These are matters of survival to us Ukraine is afraid of political explosion All Bolshevik and Communist forces _the left and right are united to take advantage of the· economic U situation I ask the world community and the United States the greatest country in the world to help us in these endeavors You must understand that we may not be able to deal with parliament in a democratic way I deeply desire to invoke a democratic and freeSECRS'F SECRET UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694383 Date 06 25 2019 From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive U CO 6 6 94 3 g 3 IED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694383 Date 06 25 2019 bt bi- t I 3 SECRB'P market society but great forces are aggressively working against us the media of Russia and various pro-Communist forces - - rThis is what I wanted to pass on to you I also wanted to thank you for your words for you have expressed not only moral but also practical support U U Thank you I look forward to working with you President Kravchuk Good-bye Mr President U -· -- - - --- ·- ----- --- ·-· ____ •• 0 -- · - - · SECRET Bl el2a sify on OADR --· -- - C -f'DC T - - -- From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive The President -·--·· --·- _ __ ---' --·- ----·- -----··--· - ·-·-· UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694383 Date 06 25 2019