Putin Defends Support for Yanukovych at EU Summit

Friday, November 26, 2004. Page 1.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/11/26/003.html
By Steve Gutterman
The Associated Press
Fred Ernst / AP


THE HAGUE -- President Vladimir Putin defended his support for the officially declared winner of Ukraine's disputed election Thursday, but agreed with European Union leaders that a "peaceful approach" is needed to solve the political crisis.

It was clear from the initial count that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych had won the vote, said Putin, who has been under fire from the West for congratulating the government's candidate before the official results were announced -- ignoring widespread claims of fraud.

With the EU and the United States rejecting those results, Putin pointedly warned foreign countries against interfering. "These elections do not need any affirmation from outside," he said.

Putin, speaking after a half-day Russia-EU summit that was overshadowed by the tension in Ukraine -- a country both see as strategically important -- reiterated Russian suggestions that Western protests against the election result could worsen the crisis.

"We have no moral right to push a big European state to any kind of massive disorder," he said. He called the elections "a matter for the Ukrainian people" and said all protests must be taken to court and resolved under the law -- not in the streets.


Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, whose country holds the EU presidency, said he and Putin urged Ukraine's leaders to find a nonviolent way out of the standoff. "We do agree that the peaceful approach to setting up a legitimate government is essential," he told reporters. "Any objections to the electoral process must be looked into."

Balkenende repeated Western concerns that chaos in Ukraine could destabilize Europe. Both Russia and the EU "are keen to see a stable, democratic country that is enjoying well-being, and therefore we need to ensure that what is done affects the will of the voters."

But he said Russia and the EU differ on the "approach routes" for resolving the crisis and rejected Russian accusations of Western interference, saying Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma had requested observers. "Any objections to the electoral process must be looked into and mistakes must be rectified," Balkenende said. "The elections did not meet international standards, and therefore the European Union is unable to accept its results."

Putin congratulated Yanukovych again on Thursday, after Ukraine's election commission declared him the winner, saying in a telegram that his election would help "bring the Russian-Ukraine strategic partnership to a new level" and bring the two nations' people closer.

The summit was Putin's first meeting with new European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, who warned on Wednesday of "consequences" for Ukraine unless it conducts a "complete review of the electoral process.'

Also at the summit, Moscow and Brussels failed to complete a new partnership agreement that would tighten ties between Russia and the EU, which are becoming increasingly interdependent economically.

"There is still a great deal to be done,' although progress was made at the summit, Balkenende said with Putin at his side. Both sides said they were confident a final agreement will be reached next May.

Putin said Russia-EU relations are strong and described the talks as very productive. He said Russia's extension of an existing agreement to the new EU members from the former Soviet sphere of influence and its recent ratification of the Kyoto Protocol "once again confirm our strategic choice in favor of a common Europe -- a Europe without dividing lines, stable and thriving."

The goal of the planned new partnership is to boost ties in four areas: the economy; freedom, security and justice; external security; and research, education and culture. Balkenende said the sides could not agree on how to craft closer cooperation on security issues, an area that touches on Russia's relations with Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and the Caucasus republics. The EU wants to reach out to its eastern neighbors with economic and political assistance, while Moscow is wary of a clash between an expanding Europe and its own sphere of influence.