| Ukraine is looking for allies in the conflict with Russia Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk yesterday spoke about his view on the problems in relations between Kiev and Moscow. He expressed surprise at the gas “amounts and figures” that “cannot be clearly explained and argued” by the Russian partners. “Blackmail and pressure,” which Ukraine “will never accept,” reminds Mr. Tarasyuk of “desperate attempts to assert himself.” They are far from the “policy of a serious international player.”
The minister recalled that “Ukraine depends on Russia as much as Russia depends on Ukraine,” and expressed confidence that the bilateral gas conflict will be resolved. Mr. Tarasyuk did not rule out that Ukraine may apply for EU membership next year. But at the same time he confirmed “the desire to develop friendly, partnership, good neighborly relations with Russia.”
There are already radical calls in Kyiv to involve the countries of the “nuclear club” in resolving the dispute. Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Alexander Chaly recalled the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, according to which the United States, Great Britain, France and China became the guarantors of Ukraine's economic and political security in exchange for the renunciation of nuclear weapons. Russia also signed that memorandum. By referring to this document, Kyiv will make it clear that the possibilities for resolving gas problems at the bilateral level have been exhausted, Mr. Chaly believes. Otherwise, the “crisis in Ukrainian-Russian relations” “could go far beyond the scope of a commercial dispute over the gas issue.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov met with the ambassadors of the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany to inform them about the progress of negotiations with Russia. “The prime minister met with the ambassadors as representatives of European gas-consuming countries, and not members of the “nuclear club,” Vadim Karasev, head of the Ukrainian Institute of Global Strategies, noted to Vremya Novostey. Our interlocutor does not rule out that “in the event of an aggravation of the situation,” the mechanism of the Budapest Memorandum could be launched, providing for resolving Ukraine’s problems through consultations through the UN institutions, Washington and Brussels without the involvement of NATO forces.
Moscow is concerned about Kyiv's intentions to reconsider the conditions for basing the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Yesterday, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Vladimir Masorin, who is on a working trip to Crimea, called the calls of some Ukrainian politicians to reconsider the conditions for basing the Russian fleet in response to rising gas prices “insufficiently balanced and responsible.” These conditions “are clearly defined in the basic agreements on the Black Sea Fleet, signed in a single package with the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Kyiv in 1997, and are not subject to revision,” the admiral said.
“Responding with loud statements regarding the conditions for basing the Black Sea Fleet in response to unfounded demands for increasing gas prices is not the method by which these extremely complex issues need to be resolved,” says Boris Tarasyuk. He confirmed that the Russians are violating many provisions of bilateral agreements on the basing of the Russian fleet in Crimea. He recalled the sublease of facilities and land that were allocated for the needs of the fleet, and not for business activities, as well as the hydrographic equipment that was not returned to Ukraine. Svetlana STEPANENKO, Kyiv |
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