New Ukrainian leader looks for a fresh start in Moscow

Acknowledging a huge tragedy, Ukrainian journalist Viktor Pirozhenko is critical about how his country's former authorities perceived it.

He wrote several articles doubting former president Yushchenko’s policies, which brought him to the attention of Ukraine’s security services.

Pirozhenko calls a huge Holodomor monument erected in the center of Kiev a multi-million dollar mistake.

“This perception of the famine was meant to motivate nationalists,” explained Pirozhenko. “It’s negative aspect was used as a weapon to point the finger at Moscow. It was caused by the Kremlin's policies way back then, and it concerned the whole of Soviet Union.”

But former president Yushenko “claimed that it was a direct genocide against Ukrainians and spent millions on building monuments like this and smaller ones across the country.”

Yushenko's views on events of the past caused mixed opinions, not only in his country but internationally as well. His glorification of 1940s insurgent leader Stepan Bandera, seen as a Nazi collaborator by many, was strongly criticized by both Russia and the European Union.

Now Yanukovich, who overtook the presidency in Ukraine, is on a mission to repair that damage – a task which will not be easy, experts say, as he embarks on his first trip as Ukrainian president to Moscow.

“Practically in all spheres involving ties between Russia and Ukraine now, there are huge problems,” noted Vladimir Kornilov, a political analyst from the Institute of CIS Countries. “This is a tough legacy which Yanukovich has inherited from Yushenko. And it’s hard to expect a major breakthrough from his first visit to Russia.”

Kornilov predicted that Yanukovich “might share his views on how to develop economic ties and gas cooperation. But he will hardly be able to achieve anything big.”

Yanukovich has traditionally been seen as a pro-Russian politician in his country for his views on closer ties with Moscow. But despite voicing his intention to rebuild ties with Russia and the CIS, the new Ukrainian leader’s first official visit was to Brussels. And even though that trip seemed merely one for handshakes, experts now say Yanukovich will seek to adopt a policy of balance between Russia and the EU.

“Yanukovich will not be an easy negotiator. He's often been called a pro-Russian politician, but in reality he's a pro-Ukrainian politician,” suggested the Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, Nikolay Zharikhin. “And he will try hard to protect the interests of his country. But given that both sides now understand the basics of these interests, improving ties between Kiev and Moscow will dominate the agenda.”

Yanukovich flies to Moscow just 48 hours after he celebrated another big domestic victory by ousting from power former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

The question is whether the new Ukrainian leader will be as successful in the international arena and will be able to open a new page in Russian-Ukrainian history.

In his very first address to the nation as the country's president, Yanukovich said his main mission was a change in both domestic and foreign policies. Experts are now speculating about which is harder – resuscitating an ailing economy or strengthening ties with Russia and the EU. But one thing is guaranteed for Viktor Yanukovich: when he comes to Moscow for the first time after five years of frozen relationships, he will be met with open arms.

RT