Ukraine's Orange Revolution and U.S. Policy (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised July 1, 2005 |
| Report Number |
RL32845 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Steven Woehrel, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
In January 2005, Viktor Yushchenko became Ukraine's new President, after massive
demonstrations
helped to overturn the former regime's electoral fraud, in what has been dubbed the "Orange
Revolution," after Yushchenko's campaign color. The "Orange Revolution" has sparked a great deal
of interest in Congress and elsewhere. Some hope that Ukraine may finally embark on a path of
comprehensive reforms and Euro-Atlantic integration after nearly 15 years of half-measures and false
starts. Others are interested in the geopolitical implications of a pro-Western Ukraine in the former
Soviet region and in relations between Russia and the West. Some analysts detect a new wave of
democracy sweeping the post-Soviet region.
Yushchenko has said that his key domestic priorities include reducing the size of the unofficial,
"shadow" economy, maintaining macroeconomic stability, and fighting corruption, a major problem
in Ukraine. Other critical priorities include improving the independence and effectiveness of the
judiciary and attracting foreign investment. Yushchenko has vowed to prosecute those guilty of
crimes, including fraud during the election, the 2000 murder of Ukrainian journalist Georgi
Gongadze, and an attempt on Yushchenko's life during the campaign, which has left him disfigured.
In foreign policy, Ukraine seeks closer ties with the European Union, NATO, and the United States,
with the goal of eventual NATO and EU membership. Yushchenko has said that he views Russia
as a "strategic partner" of Ukraine, but that integration with the West will supercede Russian-led
integration efforts.
The Bush Administration has hailed the "Orange Revolution" as a part of a wave of
democratization sweeping the region and the world, and has proposed a modest increase in U.S. aid
to Ukraine. Experts believe that prompt U.S. and international assistance may be needed to help the
new government to boost public support before crucial March 2006 parliamentary elections. The
United States has also expressed hopes that the United States and Ukraine will work together more
effectively on such issues as weapons proliferation and trafficking in persons. The Administration
has downplayed Yushchenko's decision to honor a campaign pledge to pull Ukraine's troops out of
Iraq by the end of this year. President Yushchenko visited the United States on April 4-7.
During the Ukranian presidential election campaign and during the ensuing electoral crisis,
Congress approved legislation calling for free and fair elections in Ukraine and urged the
Administration to warn the previous regime of possible negative consequences for Ukraine's leaders
and for U.S.-Ukraine ties in the case of electoral fraud. The 109th Congress will consider aid
funding
for Ukraine, and may take up extending permanent Normal Trade Relations to Ukraine, terminating
the application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment to Ukraine, which bars permanent NTR status for
countries with non-market economies that do not permit freedom of emigration. This report will not
be updated. For background on the Orange Revolution, see CRS Report RL32691(pdf) , Ukraine's
Political Crisis and U.S. Policy Issues , by Steven Woehrel.
