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Helmut Kohl addresses the United Nations, June 1997.

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Boris Yeltsin at the United Nations, October 1995

Yeltsin, Boris

1931 - 2007

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Kravchuk, Leonid Makarovych

1934 - 2022

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Mitrokhin, Vasili

1922 - 2004

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Zlenko, Anatoliy Maksymovych

1938 - 2021

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Hartmann, Peter

1935 -

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Bush, George H.W.

1924 - 2018

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Documents

Date unknown	Memo on the Problem of the Black Sea Fleet In June 1993, the Russian General Staff warned of escalating tensions over the unresolved status of the Black Sea Fleet (ChF), driven by Ukraine's territorial claims over Crimea and control of fleet assets. Disputes over the division of the fleet and its infrastructure, compounded by Ukrainian efforts to assert authority over ChF personnel and facilities, risked destabilizing regional security. The memo advised that Russia should push firmly for joint control of fleet infrastructure and, if necessary, question Crimea's 1954 transfer to Ukraine, while using diplomatic efforts to highlight the risks of ongoing deadlock.
Date unknown	RF MFA Department of Information and Press, 'Concerning Western Assessments of the Position of Ukraine on Nuclear Weapons (Information)' As of April 1993, Western observers expressed growing concern over Ukraine's inconsistent stance on nuclear disarmament, particularly its hesitation to ratify START-1 and join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Ukraine's conditional approach to denuclearization was criticized as extortionate, risking strained relations with the West and delaying global disarmament efforts. While some countries supported Ukraine's position, most Western governments urged restraint and flexibility, emphasizing the need for international coordination, while recognizing Russia’s limited options in resolving the issue.
1993	On the Question of the Self-Determination of Crimea Between 1991 and 1993, Crimea's political status became a source of conflict with Ukraine, as Crimean authorities pursued declarations of sovereignty and independence, while Ukraine asserted its territorial integrity. After initial moves toward secession, including plans for an independence referendum and the adoption of a separate constitution, tensions were partially eased when Crimea introduced a constitution acknowledging its status within Ukraine. However, debates over autonomy and governance continued, with further legislative developments pending in 1993.
June 8, 1993	Yu. Babich, 'Concerning the Situation in the Black Sea Fleet (Analytical Note)' By mid-1993, tensions over control of the Black Sea Fleet (ChF) escalated sharply due to Ukrainian attempts to assert authority over the fleet, provoking protests and defections to Russian command, particularly in Sevastopol and Crimea. The crisis stems from the stalled implementation of the 1992 Yalta Agreement, which outlined shared Russian-Ukrainian oversight, while competing national interests and rising nationalist pressures have blocked a clear resolution. With local unrest growing and no firm diplomatic progress, the situation risks further destabilization without an urgent legal and political settlement at the highest levels.
July 30, 1997	The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Conversation with the President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Madrid on 8 July 1997 Kohl and Kuchma debate plans for the establishment of a permanent German-Ukrainian commission. Kohl emphasizes Ukraine's relevance in terms of European security.
April 23, 1997	The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Meeting with Russian President Yeltsin on 17 April 1997 in Baden-Baden Kohl and Yeltsin talk about the convocation of regular German-Russian summits including their relevant ministers. They review Yeltsin's meeting with Clinton in Helsinki on NATO enlargmement in March 1997 when Yeltsin gave his consent to the conclusion of a NATO-Russia partnership treaty based on the condition that NATO would not deploy nuclear armaments and permanent conventional forces in its new member states. Kohl points to the long-term perspective and the importance of concluding the NATO-Russia Founding Act.
January 10, 1996	The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Meeting with the President of the Polish Republic, Mister Alexander Kwasniewski on 9 January 1996 at the Chancellor’s Office Kohl refers to the Franco-German relationship as a role model for Germany’s relationship with Poland. Kwasniewski looks into Poland's domestic reform agenda stressing the importance of further expanding Poland's ties with NATO and the EC.
February 3, 1994	The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Lunch Meeting with President Clinton in Washington on 31 January 1994 Kohl and Clinton review the state of NATO enlargement after the January 1994 NATO Summit in Brussels. They view NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) as the best solution to engage Russia and to reach out to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Both view the situation in Ukraine as a key factor in the search for Europe's post-Cold War order. "If anything happened in Ukraine, this would increase the pressure for the NATO accession of the Central and Eastern European countries," Clinton says.
January 19, 1994	The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Telephone Conversation with President Clinton on 18 January 1994 Kohl and Clinton review the recently concluded trilateral agreement on Ukraine's denuclearization and Clinton's contacts with Yeltsin and Ukraine's President Kravchuk.
December 21, 1992	The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Meeting with Russian President Yeltsin on Wednesday, 16 December 1992, in Moscow Kohl and Yeltsin analyze the domestic situation in Russia and Yeltsin's preparations for a referendum on the constitution in 1993. Kohl raises the issue of the two very recent contradicting speeches by Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev at the CSCE Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Stockholm. Kohl reiterates that this issue was 'very bad from a psychological standpoint" asking Yeltsin to clarify this during their joint press conference.