Putin calls Saakashvili’s appointment in Ukraine ‘spit in Ukrainian people’

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin called the appointment of Mikheil Saakashvili to position of Odessa’s governor a "spit in the Ukrainian people."

"Now, export of political figures is popular — they are actively working in another former republic of the Soviet Union — in independent Ukraine. As we can see, those people have not changed their styles. In my opinion, it is just a spit in face of the Ukrainian people," he told a news conference. "Putting Ukraine under the outside governance seemed insufficient to them. They chose to delegate such, so to say, political figures. I believe, Saakashvili was refused a working visa to the US. And they chose to direct him to Ukraine — to manage there. And thus, he is functioning actively there."

"What was Ukraine told: we shall not be only managing you, but we shall also send over people from more civilized countries, neighbouring or across the ocean, to manage you. We shall give key positions to them — the finances, the economy and so forth. The thing is — you [the Ukrainian people] are unable to do this. Look, others can, but you cannot. Of 45 million people they cannot find 5-10 honest, effective managers. It is simply a spit in face of the Ukrainian people," the Russian president said.