Russia to replace lame ambassador, Ukraine to replace lame duck

Russia’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Viktor Chernomyrdin, will be replaced with former Minister for Healthcare Mikhail Zurabov, who lost his position in 2007. Mr. Chernomyrdin was fired on June 19. “A normal, young and handsome former minister will take my office, he said a week later.

Photo: Russia to replace lame ambassador, Ukraine to replace lame duck

Official spokespeople for Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said that Zurabov was not a good candidate to become Russia’s Ambassador to Ukraine . Zurabov has never been employed at the Foreign Ministry, nor did he have anything to do with big politics. In addition, he was fired from his position of the healthcare minister in 2007.

Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russia’s well-known politician, was serving as Russia’s Ambassador to Ukraine for more than eight years – from May 21, 2001 to June 11, 2009. Ukraine’s then-Foreign Minister Vladimir Orgyzko threatened to expel Chernomyrdin to Russia for his harsh criticism of the Ukrainian government.

The Russian ambassador released yet another rude statement, for which he became known to the general public. “You can’t frighten a woman with high heels,” he responded having paraphrased a Russian saying, which originally sounds like “You can’t frighten a woman with a phallus.”

It is about time Russia should look for another candidate to replace Mr. Chernomyrdin in Ukraine. Moscow’s influence in the brotherly nation worsened considerably during his stay in the office. Two gas conflicts occurred between the two countries with Chernomyrdin acting as the ambassador.

In the meantime, the date of the presidential election in Ukraine is drawing near. The Ukrainians will cast their ballots on January 17, 2010. The number of presidential candidates in Ukraine is growing. Vladimir Litvin, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, the Supreme Rada, set out his wish to participate in the election on June 22.

Vladimir Skachko, a Ukrainian-born scientist of politics, told Pravda.Ru that Zurabov’s appointment as Russia’s new Ambassador to Ukraine would be justifiable only if he managed to change Chernomyrdin’s shallow policies to something clear, precise and aggressive.

“I mean that gas conflicts need to be prevented on time. They must not happen again in winter. If the new ambassador continues to develop Chernomyrdin’s line, which basically comes to regular declarations of friendship between the two brotherly nations, there will be no results achieved whatsoever.

“As for Litvin, this is just another attempt to use the so-called third force in the imminent battle for presidency between Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Yanukovich. Litvin has already proved to be a skilful speechmaker. If he speaks to common people, he glorifies them, if he speaks to nationalists, he emphasizes anti-Semitism, if he speaks to Jews, he appears in front of them as a genuine son of the Zionist nation. He is another Ukrainian absurdity attempting to replace Yushchenko, who in his turn has become not even a lame duck, but a toilet duck,” the scientist said.

Sergey Balmasov
Pravda.Ru