Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who has made improved ties with Russia and the European Union a priority, is coming under fire from both sides.
President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday accused Ukraine of trying to sponge off Moscow by attempting to secure a cut in gas prices.
“It is very sad, it is sponging,” Medvedev said in Sochi, Interfax reported.
Medvedev said that for Ukraine to obtain a discount, it must either join a customs union with Kazakhstan and Belarus or sell its pipeline grid to Russia.
Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment about Medvedev’s remarks.
But Yanukovych, who has insisted that Ukraine’s future is in Europe while striving to repair ties with Moscow, has gotten a stern warning from Poland, which holds the EU’s rotating six-month presidency.
President Bronislaw Komorowski told Yanukovych last Tuesday that the trial of Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko might slow Kiev’s push for closer EU ties. “Obstacles have appeared [on Kiev’s path to European integration], and one of these is undoubtedly the trial of Mrs. Yulia Tymoshenko, which in Europe, in many countries, is seen as a trial of a political, not a criminal, nature that harms the image of Ukraine,” Komorowski told Yanukovych, who was on a one-day visit to Poland. Tymoshenko is facing charges that she abused her position as prime minister in 2009 by signing a gas deal with Russia.
(Reuters, MT)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.