“The problems of MAP, gas and Bush are featured with the fact they are interrelated” such is the comment on a foreign policy context by Vadim Karasev, director of the Global Strategies Institute.

MAP is Membership Action Plan for joining NATO. It’s Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko who desires strongly to join the military bloc.

As for Yulia Timoshenko, she uses her signature under the letters addressed to Brussels as internal currency in exchange for which she would like to get some political concessions like replacement of the mayor of Kiev. The latter would allow the Prime Minister to get control over the capital. That seems to be a profitable exchange for her, as NATO does not appear to be willing to accept Ukraine in the near future.

Oleg Rybachuk headed the group of Ukrainian experts visiting France and Germany – that’s the countries speaking against joining the MAP by Ukraine. “As a person who has had many contacts with the ambassadors from the NATO members, it has become clear to me that our diplomacy resource isn’t enough to oppose the counter-campaign organized by Russia. Our forces are unequal and we feel that real informational war is going on” said Mr. Rybachuk.

Moscow is utterly opposed to Ukrainian approximation with the NATO alliance. Possibly, Russia’s arguments are influencing the Europeans but they would never admit changing their decision under the pressure by the country that is not a NATO member. This is why the refusal given to Kiev seems to be motivated with the fact Ukrainian society has mixed feelings about the idea.    

And this is really true. The first letter by Ukraine about joining the MAP caused the parliamentary crisis. And the left parties promise organizing many-thousand meetings of protest occasioned for the American President’s visit. 

Nonetheless, Viktor Yushchenko’s team still hopes for support by George Bush about joining MAP by Ukraine. Alexander Chaly, deputy chief of presidential secretariat said that “There are all prerequisites, internal and external ones, for getting a positive response regarding MAP. We consider Bucharest summit as our chance, this is the moment of truth for NATO and Ukraine”.

Undoubtedly, such an enthusiasm will make it an awkward situation for the countries that would like to restrict to a polite promise to Ukraine to accept it to MAP in the future. Bush also is going to have a difficult case. Some wits remind that the visit by American president will be held on the Fools Day when no one can be really believed.