25.04.09

The ongoing arguments between Moscow and Kiev about modernizing Ukraine's gas transport system have confirmed that the deep crisis in bilateral relations affects all areas, without exception. In this interview, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko attempts to explain the reasons.

Question: In your time as president, Kiev and Moscow have been unable to establish normal relations. Who is to blame?

Viktor Yushchenko: Moscow may say that Ukraine is one of Russia's special interest zones - but that kind of terminology isn't accepted in Ukraine. There's not enough pragmatism in our bilateral relations. Clearly, relations are deeply politicized. Trade and economic relations are our strongest link.

Question: But Moscow and Kiev quarrel over gas every year.

Viktor Yushchenko: Gas isn't the biggest problem. A free trade agreement was signed way back in 1993. Ukraine ratified it soon afterward. Russia has yet to do so.

Question: What about the Black Sea Fleet's presence in the Crimea? According to the agreement, it will be based there until 2017 - but Kiev keeps telling Moscow to start preparing the Russian Navy for withdrawal. Why the rush?

Viktor Yushchenko: We are not satisfied with that agreement - it doesn't offer Ukraine any advantages - essentially, no rent or compensation for the Crimea's losses. But we do have that agreement to 2017 and we must observe the letter and spirit of it. However, our Constitution does not allow Ukraine to host any other country's military bases. The only exception, to 2017, is Russia's Black Sea Fleet. And the Fleet can't be withdrawn in one year, or two years, or even five years. So we're not aiming to scuttle the current agreement - we're only seeking to warn our Russian partners.

Question: During the war in South Ossetia last August, you visited Tbilisi and expressed support for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Do you still think he was in the right?

Viktor Yushchenko: Our assessment of those events was based on the territorial integrity of Georgia. There are no arguments that could justify violating those principles and dividing a sovereign state.

Question: Your intentions to join NATO are annoying Moscow. Why do you need to do this?

Viktor Yushchenko: It's a matter of principle. We need to realize the importance of a security system in establishing an independent state. Ukrainians have declared independence six times in the past 90 years.

Question: Do you think Ukraine might lose its independence unless it joins NATO?

Viktor Yushchenko: Five of those independence attempts failed. That was due to external factors. I don't want us to lose our independence a sixth time. No country in Europe - with the exception of Russia - has decided to pursue a self-sufficient security policy. All have agreed that the only way to guarantee their own security is through a collective security model.

Question: And when might Ukraine become a NATO member?

Viktor Yushchenko: That won't be determined by a directive. We started out with 12% public support for joining NATO. Now we have 33% in favor. Developments over the past four years indicate that support for NATO membership is growing in Ukraine, and the number of opponents is falling. Am I satisfied with this rate of change? No. A change of government in Ukraine would be a setback, but not a fatal one. We would certainly return to this idea five years down the track, or seven years, realizing that we lost something that was on our threshold.

Question: Let's get back to the gas issue. You have repeatedly criticized the Russian gas supply and transit contracts signed in early January - you say they ought to be revised. Why aren't you doing that?

Viktor Yushchenko: Because it's up to the government. One person has already taken personal responsibility for the content of those contracts: Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who issued the directives, determined pricing, and so on. But how can we say that a transit rate of $1.70 makes our gas transport system stable? It's a loss-making rate.

Question: The Ukrainian government is seeking alternative credit sources. It has asked Russia for a $5 billion loan. Do you support this initiative?

Viktor Yushchenko: Let me note that Ukraine's budget for 2009 is out of balance by around 40 billion hryvnias ($5 billion), with about 30 billion more as a hidden deficit. The only way to solve this deficit problem is via international financial institutions. Neither Russia nor Saudi Arabia can help us here. As soon as Ukraine complies with IMF requirements, finds the resources to cover the budget deficit, and receives funding, we will be able to take an interest in other credit programs.

Question: An international conference on modernizing Ukraine's gas transport system took place in Brussels on March 23. Did you expect its declaration to draw such a harsh reaction from Russia?

Viktor Yushchenko: No. The reaction is inappropriate. It's just because many in Russia have the impression that Ukraine's gas transport system is something they can claim to control.

Question: Might Russia end up getting the Brussels agreements revised?

Viktor Yushchenko: No, since modernizing our gas transport system is a vital issue for the EU as well as Ukraine. The events of early January 2009 shocked Europe. Hardly anyone in the EU had believed that gas supplies could be cut off in mid-winter. And this wasn't done by Ukraine. All these events have prompted the EU to establish new arrangements for the gas market.

Question: You used to reject the idea of simultaneous early elections for the president and the parliament. Now you support it. What changed?

Viktor Yushchenko: Our parliament is a continual source of crisis. For me, however, a parliamentary election is not a goal in itself. The priority is to avoid repeating old mistakes in the new parliament. I have proposed an incentive for an early parliamentary election, in the form of an early presidential election. On one condition: the elections should use a new principle. Such elections could make the parliament more stable.

Question: If simultaneous elections go ahead, which election would you be running in?

Viktor Yushchenko: Both, probably.

Question: Are you familiar with the approval ratings of various politicians? (Yushchenko's approval rating is estimated at between 3.5% and 9%.)

Viktor Yushchenko: I know that I have several million people behind me - people who share my values. And if I make any other decision, these people would interpret that as weakness, betrayal, or giving up. I'm not aiming to be popular. Regardless of whether the nation understands me, I will tell the story of generations of Ukrainians who faced torture and death. That's the mission of the Ukrainian president. I have five children, and I want to be able to say that I'm handing over Ukraine to them in a better condition than I found it.

 - Translated by InterContact

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