BBG Watch Commentary
An op-ed on Ukraine by former Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) member, former U.S. ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe, was published by Knoxville News Sentinel. In addition to his diplomatic and U.S. international broadcasting posts, Ashe was a four-term mayor of Knoxville, TN.
While at the BBG, Ashe resisted efforts by agency officials at the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) to reduce U.S. funded news broadcasts and other media outreach programs by Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) to Russia. Ashe is credited with saving jobs of some Radio Liberty journalists in Russia whom U.S. managers had fired in 2011, leading to protests from Mikhail Gorbachev and other Russian opposition figures. Last year, Russian human rights activists presented Victor Ashe with the Glasnost Award for his defense of Radio Liberty journalists in Russia.
While at BBG, Ashe also resisted proposed cuts in Radio Free Asia (RFA) and VOA broadcasts to Tibet, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and won admiration of journalists for demanding accountability from agency officials responsible for firings of reporters and proposing program cuts despite declines in media freedom and the growing propaganda offensive from countries like Russia and China.
No longer with the BBG, Ashe comments on the situation in Ukraine. He was U.S. ambassador in neighboring Poland from 2004 to 2009.
Victor Ashe: Sanctions for action in Crimea must be made clear to Putin
Having lived in Poland for five years from 2004 to 2009 as the US Ambassador to Poland, I had a front row seat observing the Orange Revolution in the adjacent nation to the east, Ukraine. In that case, a rigged election was thrown out, new fair elections held and a democratically elected President emerged.
He was Viktor Yushchenko whose face had been disfigured a few years earlier in an attack of acid on him. Hopes for success for enjoying freedom and economic vitality with him were high. Celebrations were everywhere.
Then disappointment set in as he fell far short of moving Ukraine to economic stability. The rising economic tide such as it was lifted only some of the boats. During the current crisis, Yushchenko has been silent.
Ukraine is a nation of 47 million people which is larger than Poland. It has been the nation between Russia and Poland. It suffered the Stalin sanctioned famine of the 1930’s which resulted in millions of deaths by starvation. It was a major battleground in World War II. It has great potential which has not become a reality. Oligarchs play a huge role in the governmental structure.
The country itself is somewhat artificially created in certain areas. Crimea had been part of Russia until 1954 when it was transferred to Ukraine then one of the Soviet Republics. It made no difference then as all reported to the Kremlin. Lviv in the west was part of Poland prior to World War II before Stalin annexed it into Ukraine. It retains a strong post western view and Ukrainian not Russian is the major language there.
During my time there I visited Lviv, Kiev, and Odessa on the Black Sea. In Lviv and Odessa, I spoke to young political leaders of several political parties on how to organize and what to do if elected to local offices. I was there under the auspices of the International Republican Institute which is federally funded in large part as is the National Democratic Institute (Democratic counterpart). Former Knoxville finance Director Randy Vineyard (now Blount County finance Director) participated in the seminar in Lviv with me on the section dealing with municipal finances
Crimea which is currently occupied by Russian troops is now home to the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. It is overwhelmingly Russian in its population with Russian the dominant language. This crisis has played into President Putin’s hands as he has never fully accepted the independence of Ukraine from Russia. A divided or fragmented Ukraine which does not join the EU or NATO is what Putin wants. Whether this occupation will end with Russian withdrawal or a new quasi nation such as South Ossetia in Georgia is still an open question.
President Obama’s past actions have emboldened Putin to make the moves he has made as missile defense was weakened in Eastern Europe from what Obama inherited from George W Bush, a reset policy with Russia which has failed to produce meaningful results and an announcement recently to reduce the size of the US Army to pre World War II levels. There does not appear to be an appreciation in the White House as to how Putin interrupts these actions as weakness.
It is obvious the US is not going to engage in military action nor does any serious US Leader suggest such. However, there must be consequences to what Putin is doing. Simply announcing there will be consequences and leaving the Russian guessing what they may be is useless.
When Putin invaded Georgia in 2008 there were no meaningful consequences to the creation of two new “nations” which the United Nations does not recognize. Putin may assume the same will happen here. After all 6 years later he hosted the winter Olympics in Sochi which is literally next door to the nation he invaded. No one seemed to recognize the incredible irony of this except Putin, a former KBG agent who is still one at heart.
The current non elected government of Ukraine is powerless to act and the new government represents several warring factions within Ukrainian society. But it is all Ukraine has at present. Elections are planned for May. But will circumstances allow that to happen? Western powers will have to undertake meaningful sanctions which may have to last for some time to have an impact.
The US can under current federal law deny visas and entry to the US for Russian leaders and citizens. The G 8 meeting in Sochi can be canceled. Bank accounts of Russian oligarchs in the US can be frozen.
If Putin gets away with the seizure of Crimea then eastern Ukraine which is also closely tied to Russia will be next. Ukraine will be become a substantially reduced nation in size and influence. Poles will be even more worried as to Russian intentions and with good reason.
Ukrainians who have looked with envy at Poland for its free democratic system and successful economy will feel they have been abandoned. President Obama’s legacy in world affairs will suffer but so will freedom everywhere.