Friday, August 14, 2009
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Friday ruled out any improvement in thorny relations with ex-Soviet neighbor Ukraine under its current President Viktor Yushchenko.
In an open letter issued Tuesday, Medvedev accused the Ukrainian leader of pursuing a deliberately anti-Russian course, and said he would delay sending Moscow's new ambassador to Kiev.
"I have already said all I wanted to say," Medvedev told a news conference after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in his Black Sea residence. "If I expand on why I did this, I am afraid it may turn out even tougher."
"I do not see prospects for restoring normal relations under the current leaders," he added.
Yushchenko, who came to power following peaceful pro-Western protests in 2004, has been viewed by Moscow as a hostile figure throughout his rule. He has rejected Medvedev's charges.
Analysts have said that the Kremlin chief's verbal attack was designed to send a clear message to other candidates in Ukraine's January presidential vote, including Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich.
Yushchenko will seek re-election but has little chance of winning, according to polls.
"I hope the new Ukrainian leadership will have many chances of considerably improving relations between Ukraine and Russia," Medvedev said. "Russia is really striving to achieve this, this is a top foreign policy priority for us."
Quarrels between Russia and Ukraine range from gas transit agreements to the future of Moscow's naval base on the Crimean peninsula.
(Reporting by Denis Dyomkin; writing by Oleg Shchedrov; Editing by Jon Boyle)
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