Russia's Medvedev Slams Ukraine's Yushchenko for His Anti-Russian Politics

Ukraine deviated from principles of friendship and partnership with Russia and began to run anti-Russian policies under the rule of Viktor Yushchenko, Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev said in an open message to his Ukrainian counterpart.

Photo: Russia's Medvedev Slams Ukraine's Yushchenko for His Anti-Russian Politics

Medvedev recollected all discrepancies between Russia and Ukraine in the message, which was posted on his videoblog. Medvedev also set out his concerns about the critical condition of bilateral relations and delayed the arrival of Russia’s new Ambassador to Ukraine.

“The problems in the bilateral cooperation existed before, of course. It was natural after the collapse of the Soviet Union when one had to build new relations between sovereign states. However, the events that we have been witnessing during your presidency [in Ukraine] can not be considered anything else, but Ukraine’s deviation from the principles of friendship and partnership with Russia,” Medvedev stated.

The Russian president is certain that Ukraine took the anti-Russian stance during Georgia’s barbaric aggression against South Ossetia.

“Those in Kiev who supplied arms to the Georgian army and intend to continue doing it now, share Tbilisi’s responsibility for the crimes,” Medvedev said.

Medvedev also highlighted the persistence of the Ukrainian administration to join NATO, although many common Ukrainians stand strongly against the initiative. The Russian leader said that Ukraine saw a threat to its security from Russia, although Viktor Yushchenko “is perfectly aware of the fact that there cannot be such a threat.”

“The ongoing attempts to complicate the activities of the Black Sea Navy of the Russian Federation are a logic continuation of this destructive line,” Medvedev said.

“There is an impression that Kiev is eager to terminate Ukraine’s economic ties with Russia, especially when it comes to the energy industry. As a result, the joint gas transportation system, which guarantees energy security to Russia, Ukraine and many European states, has been put at hazard.

“The relations between Russia and Ukraine suffer from the attempts of the Ukrainian administration to revise history and glorify Nazi associates. I want to inform you that under the current anti-Russian course of the Ukrainian leadership, I have taken a decision to postpone sending a new ambassador to Kiev.

“Ukraine has always been not just a neighboring state, but a brotherly nation for Russia. The administrations of Russia and Ukraine must cherish these neighborly relations,” Medvedev said.

Mikhail Zurabov, Russia’s new Ambassador to Ukraine, was supposed to look into the matter of Ukraine’s arms shipments to Georgia.

Anatoly Kinakh, a deputy of the Russian Parliament, stated that Russia had already begun to scrap its defense cooperation with Ukraine on the program to modernize S-300 and Buk-M1 missile complexes, as well as the MiG-29 fighter jet.

Ukrainian politicians say that the nation must continue its cooperation with Georgia.

“The Russian government has demonstrated another emotional perception of the political reality,” Yury Kostenko, the leader of the pro-presidential bloc of the Ukrainian People’s Party said.

Also read: Russian authorities have lost hope with Yushchenko