KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine has begun talks with the United States on the possibility of Washington using information gathered by its radars, Interfax Ukraine cited Kiev's envoy as saying on Thursday.
The news is likely to irk Russia, which is highly sensitive to any hint of U.S. military partnership with former Soviet republics.
Washington last week denied it wanted to station U.S. radar systems in Ukraine, after President Barack Obama scrapped a planned missile shield based in central Europe.
But the U.S. State Department said countries such as Ukraine could contribute early warning information.
"This issue is in the process of working discussions. It is still at a beginning stage," Interfax cited the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oleh Shamshur, as saying. He added previous Ukrainian leaders had backed this idea.
Ukraine's foreign ministry said it had no comment.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday he was concerned at the prospect of U.S. talks on missile defense with countries that are not part of the NATO military alliance.
Shamshur suggested Russia had missed its chance to use information from Ukrainian radars. Russia canceled a post-Soviet radar data sharing deal last year, complaining the installations in Ukraine were outdated.
"We are also talking about the question of using our defense radars across Ukraine's territory, which, as you all know, Russia has declined to use," Shamshur was cited as saying.
Ukraine may still play a part in the US antimissile system, if Americans choose to incorporate one of Ukraine’s radars. The idea is currently under consideration, said the Ukrainian ambassador to Washington.
Yahoo StumbleUpon Google Live Technorati del.icio.us Digg Reddit Mixx Propeller Ukraine’s possible participation is now in the early stages of negotiation, Oleg Shamshur said at a media briefing on Thursday. He added that this would be logical, since the US and Russia will probably join forces on developing a joint ABM system and it would benefit Ukrainian defense companies.
In early October, Alexander Vershbow, US assistant secretary of defense for international security, hinted that Ukraine may have a place in the antimissile shield structure by hosting a radar base.
The announcement made headlines in the Ukrainian media. Some analysts and politicians were quick to point out that the Ukrainian constitution forbids hosting foreign military facilities.
“The Ukrainian constitution does not provide for any military bases or any representatives of military forces of other foreign states in Ukraine,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pyotr Poroshenko.
President Viktor Yushchenko was quick to say that the US never made any suggestions along those lines.
Now it appears that rather than hosting an American radar base, Ukraine might offer one it already has to become part of the system. It currently possesses two long-range radars, one in the capital of Crimea, Sevastopol, and another one in the city of Mukachevo in western Ukraine. They were used by Russia, but in February 2008 the lease contract was terminated, as Russia had built a replacement on its own territory.
Commenting on Thursday’s news, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was concerned by information that a non-NATO member could be involved in the proposed antimissile system.
“In a situation where issues of strategic stability should be considered in a partnership spirit, such concerns are not welcomed, so we call all parties to these negotiations to maintain maximum responsibility to such contacts and especially public statements,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.
“Just to start talking on some technical and tactical cooperation I think might be counterproductive, especially when there is a tendency to politicize these things, to make them public,” he told RT. “At some point this kind of process may lead to misunderstandings, to excessive concerns, and this has to be avoided.”
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
They may be cozy (not of late, though: the whole "middle of winter is a good time to discuss your natural gas debts" thing made them somewhat agry with each other), but they're not the same?
Who knew!
JULY 20TH 1969 - The day the entire world was looking up
It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small. - NEIL ARMSTRONG, MISSION COMMANDER, APOLLO 11
Signature dedicated to the greatest achievement of mankind.
MILDLY DERANGED PHYSICIST does not mind BREAKING the SOUND BARRIER, because it is INSURED. - Simon_Jester considering the problems of hypersonic flight for Team L.A.M.E.
The government of The Ukraine (always recognising that calling the place "Ukraine" makes it sound like a real country, and not merely Russia's borderlands ) and Russia haven't been cosy since the 'Orange Revolution'.
Realistically speaking, I doubt President Obama has any interest whatsoever in antagonising Russia over early-warning information gathered from The Ukraine's Soviet early warning systems.
It just means the Iskanders at Kaliningrad have to be shifted to a new location for new targets if this plan goes through.
STGOD: Byzantine Empire Your spirit, diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face... and whatever wreckage you leave behind you.
Kreia
Vympel wrote:The government of The Ukraine (always recognising that calling the place "Ukraine" makes it sound like a real country, and not merely Russia's borderlands ) and Russia haven't been cosy since the 'Orange Revolution'.
Yeah, but in Parliament and amongst the people, opinions are divided. The government is pro-western, but that approach caused them some trouble in the past.
Vympel wrote:Realistically speaking, I doubt President Obama has any interest whatsoever in antagonising Russia over early-warning information gathered from The Ukraine's Soviet early warning systems.
Yeah, probably not. He's been doing a lot to gain repproach with Russia, so...
JULY 20TH 1969 - The day the entire world was looking up
It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small. - NEIL ARMSTRONG, MISSION COMMANDER, APOLLO 11
Signature dedicated to the greatest achievement of mankind.
MILDLY DERANGED PHYSICIST does not mind BREAKING the SOUND BARRIER, because it is INSURED. - Simon_Jester considering the problems of hypersonic flight for Team L.A.M.E.
Vympel wrote:The government of The Ukraine (always recognising that calling the place "Ukraine" makes it sound like a real country, and not merely Russia's borderlands ) and Russia haven't been cosy since the 'Orange Revolution'.
Yeah, but in Parliament and amongst the people, opinions are divided. The government is pro-western, but that approach caused them some trouble in the past.
Isn't the country divided as well? Those that live in the East are primarily Russian-speaking...or am I mistaken?
[R_H] wrote:Isn't the country divided as well? Those that live in the East are primarily Russian-speaking...or am I mistaken?
Actually, it should be this that would give anyone pause. There is nothing to stop the Russians from trying to infiltrate a facility they are familiar with and know very well.
Plus, what if "heaven forbids", Ukraine returns to Russia?
STGOD: Byzantine Empire Your spirit, diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face... and whatever wreckage you leave behind you.
Kreia
Well, if the Russians got pissy over the Czech Republic hosting the radars, imagine how pissy they'll get if the Ukraine of all places hosts a radar, or shares information.
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
Russia gets feeds from two radar stations in the Ukraine already, besides the SAM batteries its allow to keep in the Crimean, so they don’t even have flimsy grounds to complain on this one (not that this will ever stop Russia). It does mean however that the complaining could get really amusing.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
PeZook wrote:The government is pro-western, but that approach caused them some trouble in the past.
It's pro-Western and simultaneously extremely, fiercely nationalist. Even to the point where neo-fascist rallies, etc. are condoned and supported by officials of the Ukrainian government. I could see that causing the government of Ukraine some problems, especially in the East, indeed. Mostly with nations around it like Poland, Russia, Belorus, etc. though -the USA is too remote and doesn't give a damn about neo-fascist popularity in Ukraine.
Lì ci sono chiese, macerie, moschee e questure, lì frontiere, prezzi inaccessibile e freddure
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
) and Russia haven't been cosy since the 'Orange Revolution'. 
