US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA1067

S E C R E T BRATISLAVA 001067 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, UP, LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAK REPONSE TO THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Scott Thayer for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY. The Slovak government and private citizens 
are very concerned about the turn of events in Ukraine.  Ivan 
Korcok, MFA State Secretary, convoked the Ukrainian 
Ambassador to Slovakia November 25 to express his strong 
concern about the undemocratic events and called for a new 
election in disputed eastern regions.  While the public 
frets, the government has released a statement critical of 
the elections and will send Slovakia's first president, 
Michal Kovac, to Kiev November 27. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (S) Radoslav Kusenda, MFA Ukraine desk officer, told 
poloff November 26 the GOS will follow the EU common 
position. Kusenda characterized the GOS position as a 
Visegrad position, tracking most closely the Polish and 
Hungarian positions.  Michal Kovac's official trip November 
27-28 to Kiev comes at the request of FM Eduard Kukan and is 
intended to follow the Polish lead in sending Lech Walesa to 
Kiev.  The GOS intends to show their solidary with the 
Ukrainian people, drawing parallels to their own historical 
experience.  Kovac will meet with the Slovak Ambassador to 
Ukraine and other goverment officials yet to be determined. 
He will give a speech in downtown Kiev to the demonstrators. 
 
3. (S) Kusenda said Korcok's 15-minute meeting with the 
Ukrainian Ambassador noted the common EU position and the 
GOS' intention to send Kovac to Kiev.  The Ukrainian 
Ambassador noted that any shortfalls in the election process 
in some districts would have to be resovled by the courts. 
He discounted any possibility of another election.  The 
Ambassador also noted different election observers 
characterized the democratic nature of the election 
differently, apparently referring to CIS observers. 
 
4. (S) That same day, the Ukrainian PolCouns (protect) 
approached DCM at a conference to say that Western help was 
needed to keep PM Viktor Yanukovych out of office.  He 
expressed privately, but openly to various conference 
participants his pro-opposition views.  Publicly, when asked 
about the state of affairs in Ukraine November 23, he stated 
only that results were preliminary, and he could not further 
comment. 
 
Public Reaction 
--------------- 
 
5. (SBU) While visible public mobilization has been limited 
(twenty youth protested in front of the Ukrainian embassy, 
carrying orange strips in support of Yushchenko), Ukraine's 
flawed election is the top topic of conversation among 
pundits and citizens this week.  Some private Slovaks have 
expressed concern that allowing Yanukovych to walk away with 
the elections will cause an increase in lawlessness, which 
will trickle over the border into Slovakia.  They are also 
alarmed by the strong Russian support for the flawed results, 
recalling with trepidation the day Russian tanks rolled into 
Bratislava in 1968. 
 
6. (SBU) President Ivan Gasparovic said publicly November 24, 
&Slovakia has good relations with Ukraine ) above all in 
regard to trade and economic matters and sees it (Ukraine) as 
a partner country in the future.8  He continued, &the 
positions taken by NATO and the EU will be decisive for 
Slovakia.8  (Comment: Gasparovic's statement reflects 
long-term policy to keep citizen-to-citizen relations strong 
and maintain important trade ties across the border.  End 
comment.) 
 
7. (U) An MFA press release November 25 stated: 
 
&The Slovak Republic follows with extraordinary concern 
attempts of the current leadership of Ukraine through 
publication of manipulated results of the second round of 
presidential elections to sharpen the unprecedented domestic 
political situation in Ukraine.  We regret to state that in 
spite of numerous notices and appeals from the side of 
international community the current leadership of the state 
did not secure free and democratic elections in Ukraine. 
 
"We consider the official announcement of the second round of 
presidential elections results dishonest and contradicting 
the real choice of the Ukrainian voters.  We appeal all 
participated parties of the domestic-political conflict to 
solve the situation through dialogue.  We urge Ukrainian 
leadership to avoid violent means in solving this situation.8 
WEISER 
 
 
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