Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych accused the United States on Monday of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs, claiming the Americans have financed his opponent's presidential campaign. Yanukovych, in an interview with The Associated Press, said the "interference" can be described as Western pressure intended to exert the will of the Americans on this country of 48 million.
| How insidious! Guess we're not allowed to talk about democracy any more. |
"The United States' meddling into Ukraine's internal affairs is obvious," he said. "It is appearing as the financing of Yushchenko's campaign." The Bush administration has spent more than $65 million in the past two years to aid political organizations in Ukraine. U.S. officials say the activities don't amount to interference in Ukraine's election but are part of the $1 billion the State Department spends each year trying to build democracy worldwide. No American funds were sent directly to Ukrainian political parties, U.S. officials say. "The financing is unacceptable," Yanukovych said.
Yanukovych said he "stands for democratic values propagated in the United States and for trade and cultural ties." He also distanced himself from the Kremlin, saying: "I've never used any help from any politicians but Ukrainian ones." "Russia remains Ukraine's strategic partner," he said, even as he stressed that political alliances "between Yanukovych and Russia do not exist."
| And all that money and aid from Putin? |
|