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Yanukovich names Ukrainian foreign policy priorities
Published: 01 March, 2010, 18:26
Edited: 05 March, 2010, 23:29
Integration into Europe is Kiev’s top priority, but that cannot be done at the expense of relations with Russia, Ukraine’s President has said. Viktor Yanukovich is in Brussels on his first foreign trip as head of state.
Ukraine finally has a sane and competent leader. One of Yanukovich's top priority should be to get rid of that hysterical drama queen, Yulia Timoshenko, before she can stain his administration with her foolishness.
If Yanukovich can steer the middle ground between Russia and the EU (and other trading partners such as Turkey), he probably won't go far wrong. He will win considerable kudos with many in the EU if he can stabilise the situation with gas supplies. NATO membership is an unnecessary distraction. EU membership is unlikely for a very long time - many in the EU feel that the last EU expansion was wrong. An alternative may be to seek free trade agreements with the EU. I wish him the best of luck in sorting out the mess he has inherited. Bandera - yeah, here in Western Europe, we don't like Nazi sympathisers either.
@Maple leaf there is NO paradox at all. Ukraine is returning to her natural state of balance between East & West. Yushchenko was not pro EU but pro USA and pro NATO and for anything anti-Russian in general. "Bandera" was even slap in the face of Europe and showing pro NAZI character of this anti-Russian coalition force behind his back spreading from Baltic's to USA. Yushchenko was not even pro Ukraine but instead he was hurting his country interests just for pleasure to attack Russia! Good luck to Ukraine and if this doesn't work splitting of country will be inevitable!
jako777, Yanukovych received a much more preferential treatment in Russian media. He was seen as Vladimir Putin's protege. "Ukraine looks East", "Ukraine again in Moscow's sphere of influence" etc. But... Yanukovych first foreign visit was to Brussels to visit European Union officials. During the visit Yanukovych stated that there would be no change to Ukraine's status as a member of the NATO outreach program. "Ukraine's integration with the EU remains our strategic aim". So he respects and likes Russia but he is not Ukrainian Lukashenko.This is paradox. ''Yushchenko was not pro EU but pro USA and pro NATO " Pro EU almost everytime = pro Nato. 21/ 27 EU members are Nato members. Only small Cyprus, Malta and neutral Finland, Austra, Sweden, Ireland are outside Nato but they are in European Union Rapid Reaction Force (EURRF cooperates with Nato). "... and showing pro NAZI character of this anti-Russian coalition force behind his back spreading from Baltic's to USA." Watch your language. Russia : neo-nazi terrorism, hate crimes - killings, Russian National Unity, Pamyat...+ number of Russian neo-Nazis is estimated at around 85,000 (almost half of the world's nazis).This is real problem - there is nazism.
Paradoxically, Yanukovich is more pro-European than Yushchenko(S.Bandera admirer).