Recently, deputy chief of the Presidential Secretariat Andriy Kyslynsky accused PM Yulia Tymoshenko of pussyfooting on the Russian invasion of Georgia and lobbying for Russia’s use of the Odesa-Brody pipeline.
He also alleged that Tymoshenko has held secret meetings with pro-Russian power brokers and associates of former President Kuchma on board luxury yachts off Sardinia. It was there that, according to the Presidential Secretariat, she traded Ukraine’s vital interests for the Kremlin’s support, which includes a $1B slush fund for her presidential campaign in 2010.
Watch Tymoshenko’s response.
Such statements by small-time officials do not warrant commentary but, to be honest, they warrant the services of a…well, a good carpenter to have the plaque at the Presidential Secretariat replaced with one that would read "Ward Number Six." Never in my whole life have I been to Sardinia, neither now nor before, and…[giggles]…if the Presidential Secretariat doubts that, they can ask the sardines that swim around Sardinia…[giggles]…and I think that even the sardines will testify that…and they can tell categorically that the Prime Minister hasn’t been there.
Whether honest or not, her answer sounds like a canned joke, doesn’t it?
Even if Tymoshenko did not have secret relations on that island Sardinia, her widely-publicized tandem with Kuchma’s henchman Medvedchuk, a friend of President Medvedev, makes the connection all the more dangerous. In the legendary “Candyman” (2004) video, starring Kuchma, Yanukovych, Medvedchuk and guest-starring Putin and Medvedev, you can find Medvedchuk on Medvedev’s right side.
According to Obozrevatel, which ran a detailed story on Tymoshenko’s vacation, EU intelligence agencies track vessel movement via satellite and share their data with the SBU. That’s how, Obozrevatel says, Tymoshenko’s presence on board luxury yachts that belong to Shufrych and Medvedchuk.
Among the people Tymoshenko met with, Obozrevatel names Dmytro Firtash of RosUkrEnergo, Serhiy Lyovochkin of the Party of Regions, as well as “unidentified Russians that could be prominent entrepreneurs and politicians.”
So what’s in it for Ukraine? Now that President Medvedev-Putin has rubber-stamped the Duma’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Crimea could be next on his list. The weaker Ukraine gets, the stronger the temptation to apply the same scenario becomes.
With this cautionary tale in mind, theories regarding "Tymoshenko's treason" range between two possibilities. On the one hand, the Presidential Secretariat may simply be playing the Russian card — in an attempt to resuscitate Yushchenko’s approval ratings. But on the other hand, having an Octopussy run for president would hardly be a bon voyage for Ukraine.
It’s important that Ukrainian politicians and presidential hopefuls unite against the threat of Russian irredentism and remain on the right side.
Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/93505.html
5 comments:
So, it seems that we may have a bit of dissemblance going on here. She might not have been in Sardinia, which technically may be true. So has the question been asked by journalists - were you on yachts together with the listed individuals, and, if so, what did you discuss?
Yushchenko, through his surrogates, has issued shrill, histrionic accusations all over the place lately, including the bizarre episode with Zhvania ("it was Zhvania, godfather to my children, who poisoned me"), and "treason" against Tymoshenko.
Zerkalo Nedeli has an article listed 5 of 7 charges relating to "treason" that have been submitted somewhere, against Tymoshenko. But if you read the "charges," they sound more like policy and political differences.
As far as I can see, Yushchenko is looking for a miracle to prop up another presidential re-election bid. But tossing about histrionic, shrieking accusations left and right is no way to do it - unless they're true.
And - Yushchenko would not have had to resort to shrill accusations had he followed through on the Orange Revolution. He had the majority of the people in the palm of his hand, he had their trust, their loyalty, their hopes, hearts, souls and minds. Instead, he blew it, and to this date, he has not explained in any coherent fashion what he was trying to do when he made the deal with the Kuchmists from the Party of Regions, the pro-rooshans who once again want totalitarian rashan government in Ukraine.
Yushchenko is right to support Georgia and seek entry to NATO, in the face of the thug kleptocrats in the Kremlin. But he would have been in much better position - had he simply followed through on the Orange Revolution.
Now he's got to rely on all those beggars who sold their votes to Chernovetsky (supported by Yushchenko) in the mayoral election in Kyiv, and all the other Ukrainians who will sell their soul to the first comer for $100 - or in the case of the Party of Regions, a few hundred million, plus an additional amount going to rasha.
Totally ridiculous!
If you are going to accuse someone of treason, better have the proof or else shut-up.
She did the right thing by making a joke of it!
What Yushchenko has done (not done) for 4 years should be treasonous!
Hello Taras and everybody:
I am Abel, a guy from Barcelona, who wanted to ask a favour in case somebody of you could help me.
In October I am moving to Kiev for some months with intention to live with my girl, to study Russian more seriously(have studied it in Barcelona during 2 years), and to work, principle like professor of Spanish language. About this, would please me that if any of you knew any kind of information of centers, universities or schools of languages in Kiev, etc, which could help me, i would be very thanked for it. My email is: originaltrueno@hotmail.com
Thanks in advance,
Abel
The world is made up of spheres of influence. No small country is really sovereign. At least Russia is straight forward about it's power. You think the US cares about your freedom and democracy? Don't you know Pinochet? Suharto? The west is becoming more tyrannical by the day. Russia isn't actually any worse. It has energy security and cultural ties to Ukraine. The US is crafty. They're practiced at making the people think they're free while they take away our rights day by day and suck our blood through loan interest & engineered inflation. As long as Europe relies on the US for security, those are your options, Russia or America. Maybe Tymoshenko should be praised as a patriot. No big power has ever had a clean record, Don't be naive that the west offers freedom or any better deal.
Lee, I have no illusions about the West. Still, I do see the West as the better deal compared to the East. I take my cues from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Baltics. So far, I haven’t seen any defectors. And btw, I don’t see Ukraine as being a very small country.
¡Hola Abel!
If you plan to spend a few months in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, I hope you will study Ukrainian!
You might be interested in contacting the following universities: National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv National Linguistic University, Kyiv National Economic University, the National Technical University of Ukraine, the National Aviation University, and Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. For Ukrainian/Russian courses, try this.
¡Bienvenido a Kyiv!
Anonymous, I agree about Yushchenko, but I have to keep an “open mind” on every one of them. Better safe than sorry.
Elmer, let’s see how this story evolves. Two SBU operatives blew the whistle today claiming that the Presidential Secretariat has dragged the organization into a witch-hunt against Tymoshenko. Naturally, the top brass at the SBU denied the allegation.
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