Yanukovych Says Single Economic Space Solution to Gas Crisis; Other Stuff

1) In case you were wondering, as I was, how the Party of Regions would tie resolution of the gas crisis to its (pro-)Moscow stance

I put the "pro" in parantheses above because this is a stance beyond "pro-Moscow;" it is a stance for the "Belarusynization" of Ukraine, to put it in a term Kuzio used some years ago when Kuchma took his decisive turn toward greater authoritarianism and reliance on Russia.

From RFE/RL newsline:

UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION LEADER SEES ECONOMIC SPACE AS SOLUTION TO GASPROBLEM. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, head ofthe opposition Party of Regions, told journalists in Donetsk on 6February that the creation of a Single Economic Space with Belarus,Kazakhstan, and Russia is "the only realistic way for resolving thegas crisis," the "Ukrayinska pravda" website(http://www.pravda.com.ua/) reported. According to Yanukovych, thatconclusion was reached during recent talks between his party and thepro-Kremlin Unified Russia. "Our countries should have a singleenergy policy," Yanukovych noted. "Russia is vigorously integratingwith the European economic space, and it is very important forUkraine not to let this process bypass our state." JM

2) The following link to RFE has two things:

A) Article UKRAINE: TERMS OF NEW GAS DEAL UNCLEAR

B) To the right of the page you can find a link and listen to the panel discussion about the gas crisis that was held by RFE on January 19