Following Chaly’s resignation, Ukraine’s foreign policy will be more conflict-ridden – Andry Yermolayev

August18200818:19

After the resignation of Yushchenko’s deputy chief of staff, Oleksandr Chaly, the country’s foreign policy will become tougher and conflict-ridden, as Chaly was an advocate of active neutrality for Ukraine, political expert and Director of Sophia Center for Social Research Oleksandr Chaly told ZIK Aug. 18.

Yermolayev assumes that the reason for Chaly’s resignation was his attitude toward the conflict in S Ossetia. “I believe, Chaly had offered more neutral and systemic policy than the one pursued by the secretariat. Chaly did not favor Ukraine’s European aspirations, he opted for active neutrality,” Andry Yermolayev observed.

Another likely factor was Chaly’s corporate interests: he is one of the leaders of the Industrial Union of Donbas, one of the most influential industrial-financial groups in Ukraine close to its Russian counterparts. “I do not exclude that corporate intrigues are behind the resignation, taking into account that Chaly’s IUD partners are becoming increasingly oriented toward the cabinet of Tymoshenko,” the expert opined.

It would be wrong to link Chaly’s resignation with his wife’s membership in the BYUT party roster in the Kyiv city council, he notes. “It is not a major factor,” Yermolayev thinks.

Chaly’s resignation is a big loss. Figuratively speaking, he belongs to the doves, while Yushchenko environment is made up of the hawks. The hawks are winning over in Ukraine, much to the regret of Ukraine. Now the foreign policy will be tougher and rife with conflict, Yermolayev concludes.

Comment by ZIK

Oleksandr Chaly handed in his resignation Aug. 18, The Komersant-Ukrayina says, quoting its sources in the presidential secretariat. Meanwhile, the secretariat neither confirmed nor dismissed the information. “All I can tell you is that O. Chaly is currently on vacation,” Larysa Mudrak, the secretariat’s chief of information policy said.

Prior to his appointment to the secretariat, Oleksandr Chaly was vice president of the Industrial Union of Donbas Corporation.
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