You're reading: Symonenko: Relations between Kyiv, Moscow to get more complicated after Putin’s victory

The leader of the Communist Party of Ukraine, Petro Symonenko, has forecast that relations between Ukraine and Russia will become more complicated as soon as Vladimir Putin comes to office as Russian president.

"I think that after [Putin’s] inauguration and accession to office, Russia will take more pragmatic position in its relations with Ukraine," Symonenko said during a press conference on Monday.

"This means that we will again experience problems, because Ukraine is sitting on two chairs between the EU and Russia," he said.

According to Symonenko, Ukrainian citizens and businesses will be affected by this.

"And this means that the problems of unemployment, the level of salaries, and the formation of the budget will sharpen," the communist leader said.

Symonenko added that relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation will be "in a frozen condition" before the parliamentary elections, as Russia will have to deal with power management.

The politician also forecast that the presence of Russian capital in Ukraine would increase. In particular, according to him, the Russian capital has "taken part in the seizure of property in Ukraine, which refers, first of all, to oblenergos (regional energy supply companies), and this issue is related to Ukraine’s energy security."

According to Symonenko, Russian capital will also take part in the privatization of the railways, coal mining enterprises, and Odesa Port Plant.