The Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovych put a number of ultimatums in reply to the offer on the introduction into the Customs Union in the course of the last closed negotiations with the president and the prime minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin. In particular, he threatened to send the Black Sea Fleet out of the Crimea and to place the ABM in the Ukrainian territory in reply to high prices for gas, Zerkalo Nedeli".
"You can keep the price for gas but thus to lose Ukraine. You get to choose", - edition referring to its sources cites Yanukovych.
Thus, according to sources, Putin didn't try to press Yanukovych in question of entering if the Customs Union by Ukraine. He only tried to explain that nobody waits for Ukraine in the EU; that the EU will never make the decision going perpendicularly to interests of Russia; that a number of countries is on the guard of interests of Moscow in the European Union; that Russia is ready to change its price for gas if Ukraine will join the Customs Union. High price for gas won't allow the Ukrainian power to realize its ideas directed on increase of salaries and pensions on the threshold of elections. The rating will fall off and Bankovaya will lose power, "Novy Region" transfers.
"Choose - or you make friends with us, or electorate doesn't make choice with you", - weekly journal explains the essence of Putin's arguments.
In its turn, according to the edition, Yanukovych let rigidly enough know that Ukraine doesn't agree on joining of the Customs Union.
- Yanukovych, probably, can't believe that price for gas in rating of priorities of the Russian power is 10 times higher than Ukraine and the Black Sea Fleet together, - editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk. Anatoly Baranov believes. - Fleet is already not a fleet but a flotilla as a part of the North Caucasian military district and it will have no way to go after inevitable capitulation of Syria and Lebanon. And Ukraine after refusal to buy gas transmission network is, among Putin's priorities, even lower, than fleet. While refusal to enter the Customs Union is Yanukovych's mistake as it real demands nothing special from Ukraine and gives notable benefits. Certainly, one could be afraid of strengthening of role of Russia in the Ukrainian policy but they in the Kremlin understand not well, actually, where and what to strengthen, thus all fears here - simply empty efforts. Putin is rights in relation to electorate, as Putin's rating in Ukraine is essentially higher, than in Russia and for a while he is in Yanukovych's active. Though with change of orientation Yanukovych will lose it and it's not clear whether he will get anything in exchange. I don't like Putin but he is more preferable to Yanukovych.
