Interview: Dutch referendum result provides chance for Ukraine to reposition foreign policy: Ukrainian expert

Dutch voters' rejection of a trade deal between Ukraine and the European Union(EU) in a referendum is a chance for Kiev to reposition priorities of its foreign policy, a Ukrainian political analyst said here Thursday.

"The Dutch gave Ukraine a second chance to reconsider its foreign policy strategy. The referendum made it clear that, for now, no one is waiting for our country either in the West or in the East," Ruslan Bortnik, the head of the Ukrainian Institute of Analysis and Management of Policy, told Xinhua in an interview.

Although the referendum was non-binding and its result does not oblige the government of the Netherlands to reject ratification of the cooperation deal with Ukraine, the plebiscite became an acid test for the Ukraine-EU relations, the expert said.

"I am sure that it is not the last referendum in Europe. Most likely similar referendums will be held in other EU countries, where there a lot of eurosceptics, in particular, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal and Greece. The question to be posed to voters will be not ratification, but the denunciation of the Ukraine-EU association agreement," he said.

The expert noted that a growing eurosceptic mood in the EU was the main reason why Dutch delivered a "no" vote to Ukraine-EU treaty on closer political and economic ties.

"The main factor behind the results of the referendum is a growth of the influence of euro-pessimists in Europe on the background of the migration crisis, terrorist attacks and the worsening economic situation," Bortnik said.

He believed that other obstacles for voters in the Netherlands to back the deal were internal Ukrainian problems, some of which are sensitive for Dutch society.

"The lack of effective investigation into the crash of the MH17, the scandal with stolen paintings from the Dutch museums, which were found in eastern Ukraine, and another scandal with Ukrainian president's alleged offshore property have predetermined the referendum result," the analyst said.

According to him, if the eurosceptic sentiments continue growing in the EU and Ukraine fails to root out corruption and carry out promised reforms, chances for implementation of the Association Agreement, which was the initial trigger for the ongoing unrest in Ukraine, are small.

"It is possible that the deal will not be realized, but will hang in a strange legal status, hang in the air," Bortnik said.

In his mind, even a possible suspension of the pact would not be a great defeat for Ukraine. Instead, it could pave the way for the internal transformation of the East European country, which will start building its own development strategy rather than just following the declared path toward the EU.

"A prosperous nation could not be built on the background of a 'path towards somewhere.' The well-being of the nation could be formed only within the country. Therefore, we need to develop Ukraine under our own steam, as a self-reliant independent state," Bortnik said. Endit