No plans to review gas prices for Ukraine - Putin | World | RIA Novosti

No plans to review gas prices for Ukraine - Putin | World | RIA Novosti

No plans to review gas prices for Ukraine - Putin

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday dismissed reports that Russia and Ukraine agreed to discuss and possibly review the gas pricing formula.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said earlier on Wednesday after a meeting with Putin that they had agreed to discuss the possibility of revising the gas pricing formula that ties the gas price to oil prices, which have been steadily rising.
"We reached no agreement on a price formula revision. Our position is that we have a contract, this contract is in force and it must be implemented," Putin said.
Russia was open for discussions on controversial points in the pricing formula and was ready to examine them, Putin said.
"We are ready to thoroughly look through our agreements once again, and, if they indeed contain clauses that influence the price formula accuracy, then we are ready to examine them," the Russian premier added.

Ukraine's PGO rejects reports about possible questioning of Putin - Ukrainian news. Interfax-Ukraine

Ukraine's PGO rejects reports about possible questioning of Putin - Ukrainian news. Interfax-Ukraine

Ukraine's PGO rejects reports about possible questioning of Putin

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has rejected reports that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin may be questioned as part of a criminal case against former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on the conclusion of the gas contracts in 2009.
"The electronic media posted the report of the press service of Yulia Tymoshenko, with reference to lawyer Bohdan Ferents, that the investigator for particularly important cases of the General Prosecutor's Office had assured him that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will be interrogated soon, because without this it would be impossible to send the case at court."
"The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine categorically states that the promulgated information is absolutely untrue," the Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The investigator made no statements on this matter, the press service said.
The PGO believes that such statements are interference in the pretrial investigation and are aimed at discrediting the investigator in this criminal case.

Putin Seeks to Cajole Ukraine - WSJ.com

Putin Seeks to Cajole Ukraine

By JAMES MARSON

KIEV—Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrives in Kiev Tuesday to try to persuade Ukraine's leaders to ditch plans to sign a free-trade agreement with the European Union and instead join a Russia-led customs union.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has resisted pressure from Russia, and in particular Mr. Putin, to pull Ukraine into its bloc through cajoling and economic offers.
But Russia last week upped the pressure in its attempts to trump months-long EU talks by saying it could offer Ukraine an annual $8 billion discount on gas supplies, setting the stage for a tug-of-war between Brussels and Moscow for Ukraine's allegiance.Ukraine's choice is about more than trade: It is seen as crucial in deciding the geopolitical path of this former Soviet republic of 45 million, wedged between Russia and Europe.

Leaked Cables Show U.S. Was Wrong On Ukraine's Yanukovych - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2011

Leaked Cables Show U.S. Was Wrong On Ukraine's Yanukovych - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2011

Leaked Cables Show U.S. Was Wrong On Ukraine's Yanukovych

Diplomatic cables leaked from the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine show the embassy believed prior to the 2010 presidential election that Viktor Yanukovych (left) had changed and that he was a better option than Yulia Tymoshenko.

March 31, 2011

By Taras Kuzio

The U.S. Embassy cables from Ukraine leaked recently by the website WikiLeaks prompt two observations.


The first is that the embassy believed Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych had changed from what he was during the 2004 election, when he sought to come to power through election fraud. The second is that U.S. officials believed Yulia Tymoshenko was not a better option than Yanukovych in the 2010 presidential election. One cable quotes former President Leonid Kuchma as saying the 2010 election was one of "choosing between bad and very bad" -- with Tymoshenko allegedly being the latter.

Ukrainian National Telecommunications Operator Ukrtelecom Sold to an Austrian Investment Company -- KYIV, Ukraine, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/

 Ukrtelecom Sold to an Austrian Investment Company

KYIV, Ukraine, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukraine's State Property fund (SPF) has signed an agreement to sell the largest state-owned telecommunications operator Ukrtelecom to ESU LLC, a Ukrainian subsidiary of Austrian EPIC Concern. 92.79 percent of the telecommunications giant was sold for approximately USD 1.3 billion.

Kyiv Post. Independence. Community. Trust - Business - General - Ukrtelecom message: Closed to investment?

Ukrtelecom message: Closed to investment?

Today at 00:54 | Vlad Lavrov Critics say Ukrtelecom was sold for far less than its worth.
President Viktor Yanukovych’s commitment to holding transparent privatizations is being challenged anew after government sold one of its remaining gems – the nation’s fixed-line telephone monopoly – in a deal derided as uncompetitive
“We sold the last state asset that could have potentially attracted a major strategic investor in a blatantly non-transparent way,” said Oleksandr Bondar, a lawmaker and former head of Ukraine’s state privatization agency, of the government’s sale of Ukrtelecom this month.

Viktor Yanukovych: A man of the oligarchs

Kyiv Post. Independence. Community. Trust - Opinion - OP-ED - Viktor Yanukovych: A man of the oligarchs

Yesterday at 23:34 | Olga Shumylo-Tapiola

Olga Shumylo-Tapiola writes: Some are advocating a "wait-and-see" approach, for fear of alienating Ukraine and pushing it closer to Russia.
When he took office on Feb. 25, 2010, President Viktor Yanukovych declared that Ukraine’s high standing in international ratings of democracy and political freedoms would be carefully nurtured. Moreover, he promised to deliver the stability and reforms that many in Ukraine and the West had long awaited.

Kyiv Post. Independence. Community. Trust - Opinion - OP-ED - US, EU need to work together to promote West’s interests in nation

US, EU need to work together to promote West’s interests in nation

Yesterday at 23:04 | Alyona Getmanchuk

Alyona Getmanchuk writes: The West has more clout with Yanukovych than it thinks; it just needs to use its leverage.
These days, I often hear the opinion that the European Union should take Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine under its patronage since the United States has its hands full all over the world. This opinion is even expressed informally by U.S. government representatives.
But the European Union and the U.S. will have much more effective ways to influence Ukraine, if they act not separately as Europe and the USA, but together, representing the West as a whole. Both Washington and Brussels have opportunities.

The Prague Post - News - Region: Putin vs. Ukraine

Region: Putin vs. Ukraine

Latest WikiLeaks cables show Russian prime minister thinks little of neighbor's leaders

Posted: March 16, 2011

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ISIFA Photo

According to leaked U.S. Embassy communiques, Putin, right, has a low opinion of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, as well as disdain for his predecessor.

By Peter Byrne

For the Kyiv Post

Online whistleblower WikiLeaks released another U.S. diplomatic cable that shows what little respect Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has for Ukraine and its leaders.

The Revolution Betrayed by Yuliya Tymoshenko - Project Syndicate

The Revolution Betrayed

ByYuliya Tymoshenko

2011-02-04

KYIV – From snowy Kyiv, I have watched the successful revolutions in Cairo and Tunis with joy and admiration. Egyptians and Tunisians are right to be proud of their desire to peacefully overthrow despotic governments. But, as someone who led a peaceful revolution, I hope that pride is tempered by pragmatism, because a change of regime is only the first step in establishing a democracy backed by the rule of law. Indeed, as my country, Ukraine, is now demonstrating, after revolutionary euphoria fades and normality returns, democratic revolutions can be betrayed and reversed.

Turning Ukraine Into A ‘Nation Without Identity’ - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2011

Turning Ukraine Into A ‘Nation Without Identity’ - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2011

Turning Ukraine Into A ‘Nation Without Identity’

Reference to the Orange Revolution is just one of the casualties in a newly revised Ukrainian history book aimed at fifth-graders.

February 25, 2011

By Alexa Chopivsky

"One Ukraine, One History" -- reads the text of billboards splashed across downtown Kyiv last month.

But just what does that history encompass? Less than a year into office, the government of President Viktor Yanukovych revised fifth-grade history textbooks to delete certain key events from Ukrainian history, including the 2004-05 Orange Revolution.

Moldova's new centre-right coalition mirrors old one

Jan 19, 2011
Chisinau/Kiev - A centre-right ruling coalition was formally announced in Moldova on Wednesday that keeps the country's top jobs unchanged.
The three-party group will put forward Democratic Party head Marian Lupu for the post of president, while Liberal Party boss Mihai Gimpu will be nominated as parliament speaker, the Infotag news agency reported.

УНIАН - Харків - Українську бібліотеку в Москві знову обшукали, директора побили

УНIАН - Харків - Українську бібліотеку в Москві знову обшукали, директора побили

[17.01.2011 09:15]

Українську бібліотеку в Москві знову обшукали, директора побили

Харків. 17 січня. УНІАН. У Бібліотеці української літератури (БУЛ) у Москві пройшов третій обшук, вилучено сервер, директора побив співробітник міліції.

Про це власному кореспонденту УНІАН у Росії повідомила сама директор бібліотеки Наталія ШАРІНА.

«Обшук проводили ті ж співробітники 11-го відділу МВС по боротьбі з екстремізмом. Минулого разу було вилучено системні блоки співробітників, зараз вилучили 4 блоки сервера, який обслуговує бібліотеку», - сказала Н.ШАРІНА.

EUobserver / Lukashenko to go back on EU visa ban list

EUobserver / Lukashenko to go back on EU visa ban list

Lukashenko to go back on EU visa ban list

Lukashenka (far left) at a summit of post-Soviet countries in Moscow: the Belarusian leader is the only one on the EU's persona non grata list (Photo: kremlin.ru)

ANDREW RETTMAN

04.01.2011 @ 09:27 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has said that Belarusian leader Aleksander Lukashenko will be put back on an EU visa ban list along with dozens of officials responsible for post-election beatings and arrests.

Ukraine Launches Criminal Investigation Of Former PM Tymoshenko - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2010

Ukraine Launches Criminal Investigation Of Former PM Tymoshenko - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2010

Ukraine Launches Criminal Investigation Of Former PM Tymoshenko

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko talks to the media as she arrives at the state prosecutor's office in Kyiv on December 15

December 15, 2010

By RFE/RL

Ukraine’s former prime minister and current opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko has been accused by the government of embezzling state funds and ordered not to leave the country while the investigation continues.

The Prosecutor-General’s Office announced December 15 that it is investigating Tymoshenko for misspending funds received by the government for the sale of carbon credits. The government earned some $425 million from the sale.

Kyiv Post. Independence. Community. Trust - Politics - Batkivschyna calls Tymoshenko case political

Accusations brought against ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko aim to distract public attention from national problems, Tymoshenko's Batkivschyna party said.

Batkivschyna calls Tymoshenko case political

Today at 16:24 | Interfax-Ukraine

All the money received by Ukraine under the Kyoto Protocol is still on governmental accounts, and accusations brought against ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko aim to distract public attention from national problems, Tymoshenko's Batkivschyna party said.

Kyiv Post. Independence. Community. Trust - Ukraine - Russia tells Ukraine to join post-Soviet trade bloc

Kyiv Post. Independence. Community. Trust - Ukraine - Russia tells Ukraine to join post-Soviet trade bloc

Russia tells Ukraine to join post-Soviet trade bloc

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and his Kazakh and Belarusian counterparts speak in Astana during a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Community

Today at 14:58 | Reuters

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin encouraged Ukraine on Thursday to join Moscow-driven efforts to integrate the economies of the biggest post-Soviet republics into one trading bloc.

Ukraine has sought closer ties with Russia since the election of Viktor Yanukovich in February 2010, abandoning the goal of joining NATO and extending Russia's lease of a military base on the Black Sea.

Yanukovych: Eu Integration Remains Main Task For Ukrainian Diplomats

Kyiv, December 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – EU integration remains the main task for Ukrainian diplomats, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
     "European integration remains the first and main task of the Ukrainian diplomacy," he said at a meeting with Ukrainian diplomats in Kyiv on Tuesday.
     Yanukovych said that diplomats should focus their efforts on signing an association agreement in the near future. However, he noted that the signing of this document would be historically important for Ukraine and create "a platform for further European integration." The president recalled that an inseparable part of the agreement was the creation of a free trade area and the introduction of a visa-free regime with EU countries.

Yanukovych also said that Ukraine's membership of the European Union could be a guarantee of Ukraine's security.

Юлія Тимошенко: влада Януковича плутає адміністративну реформу з PR-акцією - Юлія Тимошенко. Офіційний сайт.

Юлія Тимошенко: влада Януковича плутає адміністративну реформу з PR-акцією - Юлія Тимошенко. Офіційний сайт.
08 Гру 2010, 16:29

Юлія Тимошенко: влада Януковича плутає адміністративну реформу з PR-акцією

Лідер партії "Батьківщина" Юлія Тимошенко переконана, що влада своїми заявами про необхідність адміністративної реформи намагається приховати свої корупційні дії.
"Аналізуючи сьогодні видатки, стає страшно за країну. Якщо НСК "Олімпійський", лише один об'єкт, дає можливість відмити 2,5 мільярдів гривень, то навіщо говорити про PR-акції зі скорочення адмінвидатків і адмінресурсів? Усе це є лише гучна PR-акція, а справжні видатки, безумовно, йдуть на офшорні рахунки, на тіньові структури, і вони, на жаль, дорівнюють бюджетним обігам", - сказала Юлія Тимошенко на прес-конференції, коментуючи наміри влади провести адміністративну реформу.

In Russian Hands: US Forced to Change Course in Relations with Ukraine - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

In Russian Hands: US Forced to Change Course in Relations with Ukraine - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

In Russian Hands

US Forced to Change Course in Relations with Ukraine

By Uwe Klussmann

AFP

A supporter of Ukraine's Orange Revolution in December 2004. The man who rode the revolution to the presidency, Viktor Yushchenko, has since had to give way to his opponent.

The US wants to lure the Ukrainians toward the West -- but how? The victors of the Orange Revolution have failed, and US diplomatic cables show that dealing with the new president has been far more difficult. The country has become the stage for a proxy conflict with the Kremlin.

When seeking a productive working relationship with an undesired newcomer, it is best to have a pla

Publish Post

EUobserver / EU neighbours are 'mafia states,' US cables indicate

December 6, 2010

Andrew Rettman

EUobserver / EU neighbours are 'mafia states,' US cables indicate

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Belarus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine are already or are swiftly becoming 'mafia states' according to a senior Spanish prosecutor cited in US diplomatic cables.
The appraisal, given by Spanish prosecutor Jose 'Pepe' Grinda Gonzalez to US diplomats in Madrid in February this year, noted: "He considers Belarus, Chechnya and Russia to be virtual 'mafia states' and said that Ukraine is going to be one. For each of those countries, he alleged, one cannot differentiate between the activities of the government and OC [organised crime] groups."

Medvedev (c) arrives in Italy: the cables are an embarrassment to the Kremlin ahead of the EU-Russia summit on 6 December (Photo: kremlin.ru)

Geopolitical Journey, Part 6: Ukraine | STRATFOR

Geopolitical Journey, Part 6: Ukraine | STRATFOR

Geopolitical Journey, Part 6: Ukraine

November 30, 2010 | 0955 GMT

STRATFOR

Editor’s note: This is the sixth installment in a series of special reports that Dr. Friedman will write over the next few weeks as he travels to Turkey, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and Poland. In this series, he will share his observations of the geopolitical imperatives in each country and conclude with reflections on his journey as a whole and options for the United States.

Related Links

• Special Series: Geopolitical Journey with George Friedman

By George Friedman
The name “Ukraine” literally translates as “on the edge.” It is a country on the edge of other countries, sometimes part of one, sometimes part of another and more frequently divided. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was divided between Russia, Poland and the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, it was divided between Russia and Austria-Hungary. And in the 20th century, save for a short period of independence after World War I, it became part of the Soviet Union. Ukraine has been on the edge of empires for centuries.

Ukraine's topless group widens political role | Reuters

Ukraine's topless group widens political role | Reuters

Ukraine's topless group widens political role

By Richard Balmforth

KIEV | Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:44pm EST

(Reuters) - Brazenly provocative, the bare-breasted young women of Femen are becoming an eye-catching -- if unsolicited -- fixture on Ukraine's political scene.

AFP: Ukraine president criticises Russian gas pipeline

AFP: Ukraine president criticises Russian gas pipeline

Ukraine president criticises Russian gas pipeline

By Anya Tsukanova (AFP) – 1 day ago

KIEV — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Friday issued a rare rebuke to the Kremlin by describing as unfriendly a Russian plan to build an ambitious new gas pipeline that would bypass Ukraine's territory.

Yanukovych has worked hard to improve relations between Moscow and Kiev since defeating the leaders of the pro-Western Orange Revolution in presidential elections this year.

Порядок денний асоціації (ПДА) між Україною і ЄС: громадський експертний моніторинг: Experts highlight “very slow” progress in Ukraine’s EU reforms

Порядок денний асоціації (ПДА) між Україною і ЄС: громадський експертний моніторинг: Experts highlight “very slow” progress in Ukraine’s EU reforms

Experts highlight “very slow” progress in Ukraine’s EU reforms

Press-release, Kyiv, November 15th, 2010

Ukraine has implemented only 4 out of over 60 analyzed reform priorities, identified in the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda (AA), the key document regulating EU-Ukraine relations. Trends during the reporting period (July-October, 2010) were marked with both positive measures taken by the public administration to implement AA’s priorities, and stagnation of changes in the “political dialogue” segment, primarily linked to worsening symptoms in the field of respect for human rights and democratic procedures.

YouTube - Проханов VS Фарион на "интере"

YouTube - Проханов VS Фарион на "интере"

Проханов VS Фарион на "интере"

Yanukovych and Oligarchs: a Short or Long-Term Relationship? - The Jamestown Foundation

Yanukovych and Oligarchs: a Short or Long-Term Relationship? - The Jamestown Foundation

Yanukovych and Oligarchs: a Short or Long-Term Relationship?

Ukraine’s October 31 local elections deepened Viktor Yanukovych’s and the Party of Regions grip on power. With parliamentary elections scheduled for September 2012 Yanukovych is on the way to a rapid monopolization of power that has profound consequences for Ukrainian democracy.

EUobserver / EU monitors give mixed report on Ukraine vote

EUobserver / EU monitors give mixed report on Ukraine vote

EU monitors give mixed report on Ukraine vote

ANDREW RETTMAN

Today @ 09:30 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Voting in Ukrainian local elections on Sunday (31 October) looked fair to the two MEPs who went out to monitor the event. But EU institutions are unhappy about irregularities in the run-up to the poll.
"I have seen a lot of elections in the past as an observer for the OSCE and I saw no serious flaws. But elections are not just about election day. It's about the whole picture," Polish MEP Pawel Kowal from the right-wing Law and Justice party told EUobserver by phone from Kiev on Monday.

Lviv in western Ukraine - Ms Tymoshenko won 86% of the vote in the region in this year's presidential vote. But her party was struck off the list for the regional poll (Photo: EUobserver.com)

Putin to Ukraine: No merger, no gas talks - New Europe

Putin to Ukraine: No merger, no gas talks - New Europe

Putin to Ukraine: No merger, no gas talks

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin did not discuss gas issues with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov during his visit to Kiev on 27 October. “Actually, our prime minister (Azarov) made some attempt to raise this (gas) issue, but it was not a success because the idea of Putin is widely known: He wants the merger of (Russian gas monopoly) Gazprom and (Ukraine's energy company) Naftogaz,” a government source in Kiev told New Europe on 28 October on the condition of anonymity. Azarov was quoted as saying by the press on 25 October that he would, during his meeting with Putin, seek a reduction in the price of Russian natural gas sold to Ukraine. Ukrainian energy officials have also called in recent weeks for increases to the transit fee paid by Russia.
Putin mentioned that Russia already made huge concessions to Ukraine regarding the issue of price, the source told New Europe, adding that Russia has clearly stated its conditions. “We tried to persuade them, let’s make a deal, let’s revise the contract conditions, but unfortunately Putin was very firm,” the source added.

EUobserver / Ukraine chief seeks friends in EU capital

EUobserver / Ukraine chief seeks friends in EU capital:

Ukraine chief seeks friends in EU capital

ANDREW RETTMAN

29.10.2010 @ 17:53 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Ukraine's new administration is pulling out the stops to win a better name for itself in the EU capital ahead of Sunday's (31 October) local elections and the EU-Ukraine summit in November.

Rattled by what they see as a stream of hostile articles against President Viktor Yanukovych in the best-respected media in Brussels, such as the Financial Times, the new authorities are putting together a constellation of various supporters.

Yanukovych is a relatively frequent visitor to the EU capital (Photo: consilium.europa.eu)

Public relations consultancy Glocal Communications is helping to organise off-the-record press meetings with high-level members of Mr Yanukovych's circle when they pass through Brussels. The little-known firm is based well-away from the EU district in the city. It has not signed up to the European Commission's lobbyist register and refused to disclose its list of clients when asked by this website.
Meanwhile, PR giant Burston Marsteller is working for Rinat Akhmetov, an energy-and-steel-sector billionaire who is also an MP for the president's Party of the Regions.