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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Kuchma, Putin oppose "quick re-run" of Ukrainian vote |
| 2004-12-02 |
| Edited for brevity. Outgoing Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma won Vladimir Putin's backing Thursday against calls for a quick re-run of the last round of the disputed presidential election the opposition is certain it would win. The move by the Russian president underlines the Kremlin's nervousness that if Ukraine's opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko took power he would weaken traditional links with Moscow and push Ukraine deeper into the West's embrace. Alleging the election was rigged, the opposition demands an early repeat of the Nov. 21 run-off vote between Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovich, who was backed by both Kuchma and Putin. Kuchma is trying to force a completely new election from scratch, a longer process which could favor his candidate. He flew to Russia Thursday. "A repeat of the run-off vote may fail to work," Putin told Kuchma at an airport meeting outside Moscow. In a fresh sign of the strain the crisis is placing on relations between Russia and the West, President Bush made a clear jab at Moscow's involvement, saying outsiders should not meddle in any new election. "I think any election, if there is one, ought to be free from any foreign influence. These elections ought to be open and fair," Bush told a reporter who had asked his views on a potential election and the prospect of Russian influence. |
| Posted by:Dar |
| #9 The Poles obviously agree with you, Dar. They want a good, wide buffer between them and the big friendly bear... |
| Posted by: Shaiter Spoluper1654 2004-12-02 11:47:02 PM |
| #8 lex--Just got home and have to chip in my 2¢--I can't agree with your premise. The Ukraine is of vital importance to us--not necessarily by its own merits, but by what the Ukraine would mean to a resurgent, nationalistic Russia looking to re-establish some of the glory days and power of the Soviet Union. It is of the utmost importance that we support the Ukraine in its struggle to become an independent nation and not let it revert to a Russian vassal state. The Ukraine would be the keystone in the "RUBK" ("Rubik") conglomerate that would lead to the Cold War starting all over again. |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-12-02 11:15:11 PM |
| #7 This isn't a contest between the US and Russia. It's a contest between the whole democratic free world and Russian imperialism, as fought out by the people of Ukraine. Ukraine is of next to no significance to us. Well, if that's the case I find it unfortunate. Ukraine is a nation of 50 million. That's bigger than Iraq and Afghanistan combined. And it breaking away from Russia may be the death-knell of the Soviet Union that never truly occurred in the early 1990s -- it may however occur now. No, it's not currently part of the specific war that the *USA* is fighting. That doesn't mean however that it's not part of the greater war between the powers of Western civilisation and its enemies. This is a clash between a couple of kleptocratic clans, one of which seems to be a bit less illiberal than the other. yawn Vaguely *communistic* of you, to make out of this merely a conflict between rich elites and thus belittle the whole point of the democratic process-- it's the same argument used by people that belittle the *American* democracy. Whatever his flaws, Yushchenko is the democratically elected president of Ukraine. An inability to take that post because of fraud or force, therefore represents a defeat for democracy and the enslavement of the whole Ukrainian people. *Regardless* of whether Yushchenko is a good choice or not, he is the choice the Ukrainians made. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-12-02 6:13:57 PM |
| #6 lex, This election is a very important part of Putin's program to reassemble a leaner, meaner Soviet Union consisting or Russia, Ukraine, Byelorus and part of Kazahkstan. If Ukranians frustrate Putin, it will be a major defeat. While neither candidate is likely to push Washington off his pedestal, who wins an their feality to Moscow is more important than the Venezuelan election. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-12-02 5:43:18 PM |
| #5 The US devoted the same level of attention and pro-democracy resources to Ukraine as it did to those other earth-shattering events, the elections in Georgia, Belarus and Serbia. This is a clash between a couple of kleptocratic clans, one of which seems to be a bit less illiberal than the other. yawn |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-02 5:27:52 PM |
| #4 tee hee, aris. You're missing the point. This isn't a contest between the US and Russia. Ukraine is of next to no significance to us. This elections is less important to us than the Venezuelan election was last year, and cannot even compare in significance ot the Afghan and Iraqi elections. That Reuters and the other MSM morons choose to play this up only underscores how little they grasp about Ukraine and about the priorities and perspectives of the Bush administration and the US. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-02 5:25:54 PM |
| #3 Lex, I agree with you that this article is partial in favour of Bush by calling his words a clear jab towards Russia. Reuters should quit the pro-Bush propaganda. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-12-02 5:13:19 PM |
| #2 Obnoxious MSM shits. Look at this spin: In a fresh sign of the strain the crisis is placing on relations between Russia and the West, President Bush made a clear jab at Moscow’s involvement, saying outsiders should not meddle in any new election. "I think any election, if there is one, ought to be free from any foreign influence. These elections ought to be open and fair," Isn't it more appropriate to preface the Bush quote with something like, "Demonstrating the same commitment to democracy that the US showed in neighboring Georgia's 'rose revolution' last year", or perhaps just quote Bush without the bullshit? Smash these jokers. Source and report our own stories. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-02 3:50:39 PM |
| #1 Popcorn? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-12-02 3:14:24 PM |