Focus on Ukraine, September 21-27, 2009
VR deputies failed to reach an agreement to unblock the work of the parliament at a meeting of the Conciliatory Council. Once an understanding is reached, VR Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said the bill submitted by the Party of Regions on raising social standards and alternative bills will be the first to be considered in the parliament. As a reminder, there are five bills on raising social standards currently under consideration.
He said the Party of Regions is for the parliament discussing issues concerning the budget. At the same time, Yanukovych continues to insist on an increase in minimum pensions and wages.
Ukraine’s head-of-state also reminded that Ukraine and the U.S. signed the documents titled Roadmap for 2009-2010 and Ukraine is interested in “high-status relations” and strategic replenishment.
If Ukraine does not join
the European model of security, it will have a “complicated
future”, said President Viktor Yushchenko said in
an interview with Bloomberg prior to his visit to the U.S.,
expressing his concern that Europe is not heeding Ukraine’s desire
to join NATO.
At the same time, the president
objected to the fact that difficulties in relations with Russia are
due to Ukraine’s position and that Russia should assume
responsibility for the situation that has unfolded.
Yushchenko also called upon Russia to not interfere in
Ukrainian affairs on the eve of the elections.
President Yushchenko stated that the gas agreements with Russia may be revised at any time. He said the gas agreement with Russia violates market principles, thus giving Russia the edge over Ukraine. The president blames the government for signing such an agreement and expressed his doubts that the agreement fosters the stability of gas supply to Europe.
He said the average price of US $210/cu. m. for imported gas factored into the 2010 Budget is unrealistic. As a reminder, today Naftogaz Ukrainy is paying US $198/cu. m. for Russian gas.
The party members did not support the proposal to vote on this issue by a show of hands, in response proposing a vote by card.
Leader of the faction Ivan Kyrylenko pointed out that his political force is in favor of raising social standards, but this should only be done after all the necessary economic calculations are done and submitted.
The Party of Regions is preparing the advance of Viktor Yushchenko to the second round of elections as the only candidate that Viktor Yanukovych can beat. Leader of the Communist Party of Ukraine Petro Symonenko expressed this thought in an interview with the Vechirni Visti (Evening News) newspaper.
The reason for this decision was that the leadership of the NRU allied itself with the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.
The Party of Regions is holding the parliamentary rostrum, presidium and government loge under siege. Leaders of the party’s faction attempted to reach a compromise with the VR speaker at the conciliatory council, but failed.
Rasmussen assured that the decision of the Bucharest Summit remains in force and the position of NATO remains unchanged – the doors of the Alliance remain open to both Ukraine and Georgia.
The work of the parliament
remains at a standstill as its deputies failed to
reach an agreement to unblock the legislature.Before
voting for the bill on raising social standards, the members of the
YTB proposed seeking a source of financing.
Leader of the Party of Regions Viktor Yanukovych said his
party agrees with the method of voting for the bill and demands
that it be done using the card system.
VR Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn announced that there are enough votes in parliament in favor of raising social standards. He feels that the Party of Regions continues to deliberately block the work of the parliament because the party’s members are not prepared to approve this bill.
Some members of the Party of Regions abandoned the party. They are mainly representatives of business that also are opposed to an increase in social standards. They feel their enterprises will not be able to carry such a financial burden.
President Viktor
Yushchenko said in his address at a session of the UN General
Assembly in New York that Ukraine is counting on the support of the
United Nations on the issue of strengthening security guarantees to
non-nuclear states.
Ukraine’s head of state also stressed that Ukraine welcomes
the steps the U.S. and Russia are taking to signing a new agreement
that will replace the old agreement between the USSR and the U.S.,
which expires this year.
President Viktor Yushchenko stated after his meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in New York that NATO cooperation with Russia and other countries will not damage the prospects of Ukraine’s integration into NATO.
The deputies of the Ukrainian parliament once again failed to reach an agreement on unblocking the work of the country’s main legislative body.
VR Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn punished the deputies by not signing off on the transfer of their salaries for September.
Ukraine’s first president
Leonid Kravchuk left the SDPU (u). Kravchuk said he made
such a decision because he disagrees with the formation of the bloc
of leftist forces in which the SDPU (u) decided to unite with the
Communist Party, the Spravedlyvist and the Union of Leftist Forces
to run together in upcoming presidential elections. Kravchuk said
this goes against his principles.
- May 19, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, May 12 – 18, 2008 - May 26, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, May 19-25, 2008 - June 2, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, May 26-June 1, 2008 - June 9, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 2-8, 2008 - June 16, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 9-15, 2008 - June 23, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 16-22, 2008 - June 30, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 23-29, 2008 - July 7, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 30-July 6, 2008 - July 14, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, July 7-13, 2008 - July 21, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, July 14-20, 2008
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