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Premier Seeks to Defuse Russia-Ukraine Spat
21 August 2009
Published in
Inform
issue #121
See the full issue here.
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has sought to defuse the rhetoric flowing between Kyiv and Moscow following Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s letter to President Viktor Yushchenko.
Ms Tymoshenko said, "Notwithstanding the fact that the foreign policy is the constitutional prerogative of the president, I cannot keep silence on the latest developments in Ukrainian-Russian relations. Taking into account their importance, I'm concerned over an extremely high level of public polemics on this subject."
See the full issue here.
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has sought to defuse the rhetoric flowing between Kyiv and Moscow following Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s letter to President Viktor Yushchenko.
Ms Tymoshenko said, "Notwithstanding the fact that the foreign policy is the constitutional prerogative of the president, I cannot keep silence on the latest developments in Ukrainian-Russian relations. Taking into account their importance, I'm concerned over an extremely high level of public polemics on this subject."
The spat between the two presidents followed last
week’s open letter from Mr Medvedev in which he
accused Ukraine’s leaders of pursuing anti-Russian
policies. In particular Mr Medvedev accused Ukraine
of illegally arming Georgia in its war against
Russia last year, pursuing NATO membership while
"ignoring the opinion of your country's citizens"
and for risking gas supplies to Europe through two
gas disputes. Also, Mr Medvedev said he would delay
the despatch of the newly appointed Russian
Ambassador to Kyiv – Mikhail Zurabov – until
relations have improved.
Relations between the states were partly inflamed by a toughly worded rebuttal from the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Vira Ulyanchenko. “Sadly, the young Russian leadership is hostage to an old imperialist complex,” she said last Wednesday.
President Yushchenko took a more measured response to Mr Medvedev’s letter, saying that he was very disappointed with the “unfriendly nature” of the Russian president’s address. After refuting points in the letter, he concluded: "I believe in a good future for Ukraine-Russia relations based on deep traditions of friendship and neighbourhood between the people of our countries.”
Ms Tymoshenko said, "As prime minister, I have always done my best to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, first and foremost, in the economic sector controlled by the government. I will continue doing this in any post to which the Ukrainian people entrust me."
The premier said that she has striven for and will build “equal relations with Russia based on national interests, mutual benefit, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.” She said that “Ukraine’s realisation of its sovereign rights, forming a modern political nation, cannot be considered as a policy aimed against anyone."
In the recent past Ms Tymoshenko was accused by the president’s office of being pro-Russian. During the Russia-Georgia war she maintained the same line as the EU, supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. Most commentators regard her as adopting a pragmatic stance to normalising relations between the two counties. “What I am is pro-Ukrainian,” said Ms Tymoshenko.
Relations between the states were partly inflamed by a toughly worded rebuttal from the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Vira Ulyanchenko. “Sadly, the young Russian leadership is hostage to an old imperialist complex,” she said last Wednesday.
President Yushchenko took a more measured response to Mr Medvedev’s letter, saying that he was very disappointed with the “unfriendly nature” of the Russian president’s address. After refuting points in the letter, he concluded: "I believe in a good future for Ukraine-Russia relations based on deep traditions of friendship and neighbourhood between the people of our countries.”
Ms Tymoshenko said, "As prime minister, I have always done my best to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, first and foremost, in the economic sector controlled by the government. I will continue doing this in any post to which the Ukrainian people entrust me."
The premier said that she has striven for and will build “equal relations with Russia based on national interests, mutual benefit, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.” She said that “Ukraine’s realisation of its sovereign rights, forming a modern political nation, cannot be considered as a policy aimed against anyone."
In the recent past Ms Tymoshenko was accused by the president’s office of being pro-Russian. During the Russia-Georgia war she maintained the same line as the EU, supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. Most commentators regard her as adopting a pragmatic stance to normalising relations between the two counties. “What I am is pro-Ukrainian,” said Ms Tymoshenko.