Contents

Searching for ways of rapprochement between Ukraine and Russia (my personal opinion) ……………………………………………………….. 3

Problems and prospects of co-operation between Ukraine and Russia in the assessments of Ukrainian citizens ………………………………….. –

A new quality of co-operation between Russia and Ukraine (from Russian side (thought of Aleksai Salmin)) …………......………………….… -

SEARCHING FOR WAYS OF RAPPROCHEMENT BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA (MY PERSONAL OPINION)

Today, Ukrainian-Russian relations are living through delicate and, as it seems to me, not the best of times. I would like to express my personal opinion.

No matter how many nice words about the “everlasting strategic partnership" are declared, how many meetings at the official top level were held. The fact is that our countries, contrary to the will of brotherly people and to the detriment of national interests, are drifting apart from each other increasingly faster.

In my opinion, this is happening not because the relations between Ukraine and Russia as independent states took a different turn after the collapse of the USSR. And not because Ukraine proclaimed and increasingly ardently follows a policy of so-called European and Euro-Atlantic integration. This direction can be the subject of discussion. But, the Russian Federation, is also intensifying its partnership and co-operation relations with the EU and NATO. I am convinced that should our efforts be co-ordinated, both countries would benefit.

Unfortunately, there's much evidence about the efforts of certain political forces which define the foreign policy of our country towards a growing distancing of Ukraine from Russia and other former Soviet republics.

However, it was also this way under the presidency of Leonid Kuchma. One of the nearest advisors, Professor Anatoliy Halchynskiy, once stated to the Ukrainian press: "In due course Khmelnitskiy, Mazepa, and Skoropadskiy sought a compromise with Moscow to rescue Ukrainian Cossack power. Mazepa even was a friend of Peter the Great, so that, as V. Lipnytskiy writes, "under the guise of this friendship the hetman authority and seniority, and the Ukrainian statehood, for that matter, could be strengthened". And further on: "Our present egoists cannot understand Leonid Kuchma's policy aimed at achieving the same goal of "securing Ukraine with the union with Moscow against Moscow's interference with Ukrainian domestic affairs".

Some sincerity in relations with the "strategic partner"!

Today, the new Ukrainian authorities seem to be willing to take on the role of Poland and turn Ukraine into a leading force on uniting East European nations, willingly or unwillingly, against Russia.

Moreover, the intention of exporting the "colour revolution" to other post-Soviet countries has been declared.

Was not Boris Nemtsov named an advisor to the Ukrainian President to gain some experience on how to bring [the Orange revolution] into Russia? I do not know what is the basis of the working agreement between Rogozin's "Rodina" and the Ukrainian socialists, who have jumped ship to the right-wing liberal and nationalist coalition headed by Viktor Yushchenko, but it is rather telling.

The reaction in our country and in the world caused with the recent events, specifically, the attacks against Belarus and Cuba contained in the joint declaration of American and Ukrainian presidents, was quite understandable. [I should also mention] the Vilnius meeting, which marked Ukraine's transition to the so-called intensified dialogue with NATO as another step towards executing the Action Plan on membership in the Alliance; amending in this connection Ukraine's military doctrine; the readiness declared by Ukraine's President to support the American programme of the ballistic missile defence system, which is obviously anti-Russian; at last, the expanded GUAM Summit in Chisinau, Moldova the purof which, as domestic and foreign politicians and political analysts note, consisted (contrary to the declara-tions of its participants of the creation of an alternative to the CIS as an interstate structure opposed to Russia, where Ukraine would play the lead role.

Some members of the Ukrainian government already declared that the CIS should cease to exist. However, the recent statements by President Vladimir Putin could be an indication that the Russian side has come to terms with it.

The West is closely watching and properly assessing this. I offer readers a characteristic statement by an American analyst and publicist Justin Raimondo. In his article named "Yushchenko's Gambit" he writes: "Ukraine, said the president, would have to measure up to NATO's 'democratic' standards". "Democracy?" the author asks. And answers: "Democracy — it's all about Ukraine upgrading its weapons systems to meet NATO standards. And to do that they'll have to do business with American weapons manufacturers, who will be more than happy to help". As Congress and this administration shower the Ukrainians with foreign aid, that money will come back to the States in the form of payment for revamped and modernised weaponry [...] NATO troops stationed minutes from Moscow will be a dagger pointed at Putin's throat, and this is what interests the ideologues of American supremacism".

By all