Kay Bailey Hutchison: Ukraine is fighting on two fronts

In addition to combating foreign aggression in Donbas and in the Crimea, Ukraine is waging an equally important war – with corruption. This opinion was expressed by Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, during the 11^th Kyiv Security Forum organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine.

“Only the fight against corruption, the establishment of democratic institutions, including an independent judiciary and anti-corruption courts will establish the long-term principles for combating the external interference and development of Ukraine as a modern European state,” the U.S. Representative believes.

She stressed that Ukraine has achieved an impressive progress in reforms over the past four years, in particular in the development of democracy.

According to Hutchison, NATO will continue to support the aspirations of Ukraine and of Ukrainians to be free, but it also expects certain steps on the part of the country, in particular, in the legislative field.

“The further step that the NATO expect in the framework of defense reform is the Law on National Security, which would introduce civilian and democratic control over the military,” Hutchison expressed hope that this law would be adopted as a whole.

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The annual international event Kyiv Security Forum was launched by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine in 2007 as a platform for high-level discussions on the current issues in Europe and the Black Sea region. The Forum aims at increasing security cooperation between the EU and the Black Sea region, raising awareness about regional developments among key regional players, promoting the role of independent and non-governmental actors in setting the security agenda in Europe.

The event is being held with the support of NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine, the German Marshall Fund, The Victor Pinchuk Foundation, The Royal Institute of International Relations, Chatham House (UK), and The Regional Representative Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Ukraine.