SEC RET 5916 THE W HITE HOUSE MEMORANDUM PF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION DECLASSIFIED PERE 0 13526 '° l · 0 l · 1 0'1 10 3 lPI a 811 SUB3ECT Telcon with Leonid Kuchma ·o f Ukraine o 21 July 1994 PARTICIPANTS The President President Kuchma Interpreter Marta Zielyk Notetaker Nicholas Burns DATE TIME AND PLACE 21 July 1994 9 51-10 09 EDT Oval Office The President Hello President Kuchma U President Kuchma Yes U I ·am calling ½o follow up on my letter · I The President wanted to congratulate you on your victory in the election and on yo r swearing in July l th U President Kuchma Thank you ·very much President Clinton I am very pleased you have called to congratulate me on my Presidency Thank you for ·c onfirming that Ukraine is important for the u s U The President Yo_u r countrY is' a very ·important priority for me personally and f9r he United States I hope' tha we will have close relations between our two govern ents and be ween us personally I wanted to discuss today two important aspects of our relations economic reform and security cooperation You have inherited a difficult economic situation You will need strong links to botll the East and west to rebuild your econon iy · There is considerable ·support in the West _for economic eform in Ukraine · t the G-7 s1 1 m1qit in Naples I led the effo t to commit more ttian four billion dollars in iriternational financial support which will become avai_lable as Ukraine underta_k es · fundamental economic reforms we also agreed on ·an initiative to ·promote nuclear safety and the shutdown of the Chernobyl reactors ·1 wanted to reaffirm our intention to go forward with our $350 · million bilateral assistance program to Ukraine I ·also recently approved the board of a new $150 million ·En erprise Fund which I hope 11ii1 ' stimulate private sector development in U raine · 1 think Ambass dor _Mil-ler has entioned to you that we will make available an eminent private U S economist Rudi Dornbush of the Sf CRB'f Declassify on OADR ·g1 eAET · From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive WA HINGTON Sl CRB'f -SECRET 5916 Massachusetts Institute of Technology who could assist you and your ·1 eading officials suc l as Minister Shpek· If you are interest d in this I know ·Professor Dornbush well and he' could arrive by the end of the month President Kuchma S'1 I am grateful and would like to have him The President Thank you very much U President Kuchma Mr Pre•s iden·t this our first conversation gives reasons for our closer relations with you I hope we may have a chance to ee soon to exchange opinions on our situation It would be even better· if you· could come to Ukraine This would be ·of extreme importance from our· point of view · I ould like o take the opportunity to reconfirm that all our international coltlJlli tments will be fulfilled · I am very _gra·t eful for your initiating the_Western effort to give· $350 million in assistance to Ukraine I h d the chance to speak to Mr Gore earlier nd at ·that time he thought the U S would be able to initiate that · assistance · And you did I am very pleased that you keep yo r word ' I think you are in fact I am sure you ·are aware of the grave economic situation in our country I woul like to find a mechanism t get aid flowing more quickly to olve th se economic · problems I would also li e to say that Ukraine will' meet its obligations uncer the Trilateral Accord It is possible to say that we are meeting all our agreements Today forty si·l os have been •dismantled · 307 nuclear warheads have been · transported to Russia But as for the s eps from the U S side concerning your assis tance no practical · steps have been taken up to now ·All the removed missi·l es and elements are kept in wagon's in the open· air Heptile fuei a very dangerous fu l is also ke t in tanks We pray to Gbd God willing that nothing will happen Th t is why· I would ' like to ask -you for a quicker solution for quicker considerati n of that issue because we may ose poli ically if something liappens we need to construct - storehous s ·for the fuel and for the neutraiization of the s ored components Regarding the 'Chernobyl nuclear power plant I agree that this requires an urgent solution I am not aware of all the d tails of the · problem When I know them I will let you know as soon as possible · I have a three year old gra dson and I don't want him to live near Chernobyl · As far as reforming the economy is concerned I am categorically for refqrrns and -progress There will be no reversal I hope we will manage and we would be glad to meet with the economic ad v isor you mentioned I have invited some economic advisors · from Germany and France as well so we are ready for cooperation Today Ukraine has only two ways The first is to become an economically powerful state The second ls the destruction of Ukrai e -and the path of Ukraine in this way is SSCRS-T SECRET From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive COJl e SECRET _ 5916 SEJCRE'f only with Russia I actually am against the second way but the economic situation of the preseµt day worries me Knowing you role in sorting out the · is ues of the world ·1 would like the United· States·' -and your personal' support f S1' _ I The President You will have it · We will work c osely on economic and security issues I app 1 eciate your reaffirming ·y_o ur intention to keep ·your commitments on security matters and · especially on the Tril'a teral ccord The Vice Presid nt told me about your role in ensuring that the Rada passed the· Accord last Februa y and I appreciate that I have also - committed to assuring that our '$350 million of assista ce to dismantle the nuclear missiles comes th oug without delay I know you have some concerns about this so I have asked our experts to go to Kiev as soon as your experts are ready to receive them Our team will be ready to work on the problems I also hope you and I wi l be· abie to work together on the last nuclear issue Ukraine' accession to the Non Prollfe ation Treaty because if we achieve progress on that we will be able to work together on other issues like high technology and aerospa'c e and this will be valuable' o Ukraine I hope we can solve this Thank you very much Mr Pres dent vrf ·Presiden Kuchma Thank you for your congratulations and your attention to Ukraine I hope_ to meet- you U The President Thank you I hope to see you soon ·cuf President Kuchina Goo I·bye The President Good·bye U End of Conversation SECRE'f - ---- U From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive