New Political Course of Viktor Yanukovych and Russian Strategic Interests

The strategic purpose of modern Russia, in accordance with priorities defined by the Strategy of national safety of the Russian Federation till 2020 and the Message of the president of the Russian Federation D. Medvedev to the Federal Meeting of the Russian Federation, is “the acquisition of status of the world state by Russia”. With the purpose of external economic policy of the Russian state, in the Basic directions of activity of the government of the Russian Federation we read that there is “creation of terms for achievement of leading positions in the global economy by Russia”.

In accordance with these aims Russian government tries to give tone, content and orientation to Ukrainian-Russian relations.

Meantime the Ukrainian side in the person of the President of Ukraine V. Yanukovych during the meeting in Istanbul on June, 8 with the head of the government of the Russian Federation V. Putin offered to Russians to strengthen Russian collaboration in the energetic sphere through the exchange “of certain assets with Russia in order to create general co-operation so that we could be engaged in lifting oil and gas in Russia… In its turn, Ukraine also wants to see you as a partner in lifting gas and oil on the shelf of the Black Sea”.

These events can hardly be called other than directed on the realization of one of main tasks of the Basic directions – “integration of Eurasian economic space”. In fact the question was about the creation of “mechanism of assistance to production co-operation and mutual investments of the states–participants of the CIS”. However, in practice this mechanism operates in one direction - establishment by the Russian corporations of control above the Ukrainian enterprises.

Similar situation appeared to be with the initiatives from the strengthening of collaboration of Ukraine and Russian Federation in the agrarian sphere. Yes, Conception of long-term social and economic development of the Russian Federation on the period till 2020 sets a goal to “convert Russia to one of main participants of the world agricultural markets of corn, butter, flax and other commodities, in particular, by strengthening positions of the state during the negotiations on liberalization of access to the market of agricultural products and food”.

Practical actions of new Ukrainian government team are actually directed on the transformation of Ukraine to the geopolitical periphery of the Russian civilization world, all strategic resources of which will be used on realization of the strategic task set by the Russian elite – “the acquisition of status of the world state by Russia”. The analysis of actions of the team of V. Yanukovych certifies that today in practice only “Russian part” of the Program of economic reforms for 2010–2014 “Well-to-do society, competitive economy, effective state” is realized. Considerably bigger “European part” of this strategic program now remains not actualized.

To our opinion, this situation needs to be reviewed and corrected in the nearest future in order to remove contradictions between the officially ratified Eurointegration course of the country and the course which actually will be realized by the government. The country can hardly afford to remain for a long time in the state of such vagueness.

Andriy BULVINSKYI