He has called for both Russia and the United States to take steps away from Ukraine. The West is just as responsible as Russia for the instability there, he says, citing its initial push for further pro-Europe economic and security accords. Konovalyuk is contributing to a new draft of the constitution that would leave Ukraine specifically unaligned with Russia, the U.S. or any other European bloc. He spoke with U.S. News through a translator, after meeting with members of Congress to solicit support for Ukraine to build up its military on its own.
If, instead, the U.S. and its NATO allies persist in rhetoric of peace-through-cooperation and opening up NATO membership to other contested countries, then Russia will only franchise its destabilization campaign to Moldova, Georgia or elsewhere, Konovalyuk warns.
“The situation in Ukraine demonstrates that the entire architecture of security that was instituted after the Cold War needs to be overhauled,” Konovalyuk says. His perspective has been shaped by three terms in the Ukrainian parliament, before leading a commission in 2008 to investigate his government’s alleged involvement in illegally supplying weapons to the Georgian army during the Russian invasion earlier that year. “Ukraine has become this arena for conflict between the West and Russia, but instead it could be the bridge that would connect their interest.”