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Moscow hints to Kiev on its preparedness to cooperate under certain conditions

ZAMYATINA Tamara 
Seriously speaking, Putin went on to say, he would respect the choice of the Ukrainian people

MOSCOW, May 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Asked at last week’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum if he would be prepared to cooperate with Petro Poroshenko, should the latter be elected Ukraine’s new president, Vladimir Putin replied that firstly, he would like to see Ukraine pay $3.5 billion for the supplied natural gas. The remark triggered giggles in the audience. But seriously speaking, Putin went on to say, he would respect the choice of the Ukrainian people.

In reply, Poroshenko remarked a short while afterwards that Ukraine’ new leadership would be unable to do without negotiations with Russia. “There will be no chance of discussing security in our region in earnest without Russia. We shall find a format and, certainly, there will be a meeting with Putin,” Poroshenko said, adding that he did not rule out mediation by the United States and the European Union.

The expert believes that Moscow’s previous conditions for dialogue with the authorities in Kiev, in particular, over the federalization of Ukraine and declaration of Russian as a second state language have now been pushed into the background.

“Moscow has pronounced some words of respect for a future choice of the Ukrainian people. But words of respect are still very far from congratulations of the presidential election winner or evidence of recognizing the elections fully legitimate. Moscow thereby addresses Kiev with a clear message to the effect that for establishing cooperation with Russia, Ukraine should get back to a civilized policy in relation to its own citizens and economic partners,” Boris Makarenko, deputy director of the Political Technologies Center, told ITAR-TASS.

 

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