Komsomolskaya Pravda: “The calloused hand of Moscow – Vladimir Putin”
By Larisa Kaftan
Russian, Ukrainian Prime Ministers agree on gas prices
"Some swindler took the plane"
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko had to fly to Moscow for talks on gas prices with Vladimir Putin aboard an eight-seat Cessna aircraft because President Viktor Yushchenko had taken her plane.
It looked as though Tymoshenko had arrived straight from the beauty parlour that could not possibly have fit inside the tiny Cessna. Tymoshenko's baby-doll sleeveless dress over a high-school style white blouse was probably intended to underscore her touchingly defenceless nature. She was also wearing shoes with high 12-cm heels and a massive diamante belt.
After the talks, both Prime Ministers chatted with journalists who focused on Yushchenko's decision to take Tymoshenko's plane. A Ukrainian journalist asked them what they thought about "Yushchenko flying away in our plane."
"Did you say ‘yours'? Do you own a plane?" Putin inquired in a surprised voice because Kremlin pool journalists are probably less affluent. "Some swindler took the plane," Putin said.
"It is a crime when Russian and Ukrainian nations are pitted against each other," Putin told journalists.
But the Ukrainian journalists did not give up so easily. The plane incident resurfaced at the end of the news conference. Putin seemed embarrassed to be part of such petty squabbles.
"You sound like kids whose toys were taken away," Putin said, shrugging his shoulders.
Tymoshenko explained away the incident by problems facing the young Ukrainian democracy. "We will introduce tumultuous Ukrainian politics to Russia," she said. Putin grinned, hinting that Moscow needed nothing of the kind.
Putin, who had an even more serious grudge against Yushchenko, said Ukrainian weapons, delivered to Georgia during the August conflict in South Ossetia, were used to kill Russian soldiers.
"There is no greater crime before the Ukrainian and Russian nations than weapons deliveries to the conflict zone. Several years ago, it seemed impossible that Russian and Ukrainians would start fighting each other," Putin said.
He said Russia would offer special treatment for those responsible. "Why did they have to do this? Did they do this for the sake of the Ukrainian nation? What do the people of Ukraine have to do with these irresponsible politics and crime pitting the Russian and Ukrainian nations against each other," Putin said.
Tymoshenko received another trump card against Yushchenko.
Journalists accompanying Tymoshenko wanted to know what Putin thought about Ukraine's secret service charges of Tymoshenko conspiring with Moscow and about the "hand of Moscow" in general.
"This is both funny and comic. I was a Soviet, rather than Ukrainian, secret service officer. They are accusing the guest of trying to poison Yushchenko. This is ludicrous. And as far as the hand of Moscow is concerned, Moscow has a calloused hand, and this is the hand of the hardworking Russian nation," Putin said.
The heated conversation also touched upon the main issue, gas prices. Both Prime Ministers agreed that Moscow would gradually raise gas prices in the next three years and would charge market prices after that. Right now, Ukraine pays 50% of current market gas prices.
Putin and Tymoshenko also signed a gas cooperation memorandum.
A rosy-cheeked and glittery-eyed Ms Tymoshenko looked pleased because she had achieved her goals. She stayed in Moscow until late that evening while waiting for President Dmitry Medvedev to arrive from St Petersburg, and discussed the gas issue and Ukrainian politics with him, too.
It appears that Tymoshenko will return a winner despite Yushchenko's intrigues because she has persuaded Moscow to raise gas prices stage by stage and therefore has received an important trump card for subsequent political clashes.
