Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

This must be the first time in my life that I agree with a Communist!

Piotr Symonenko said on 9 August during the height of the Georgian-Russian conflict that he thought there was a need to institute criminal charges over the illegal transfer of weapons to Georgia.

I agree.

President Viktor Yushchenko should order the prosecutor's office to immediately launch criminal proceedings against former President Leonid Kuchma and former Prime Ministers Anatoliy Kinakh and Viktor Yanukovych.

Both of them were in power in 2002 when Ukraine exported anti-aircraft defense systems to Georgia. Georgia allocated $12 million for their purchase from Ukraine and they would be stationed on the Georgian-Russian border. Kinakh admitted to the existence of the arms deal with Georgia on 10 October 2002.

For those interested they can read my October 2002 article entitled 'Is Ukraine Arming Georgia Against Russia?' (www.rferl.org).

Ukraine and Georgia have cooperated militarily since 1996; that is under Kuchma and President Eduard Shevardnadze and over a decade before Yushchenko and Mikhail Saakashvili came to power. Ukraine trained Georgian officers and and including officers trained to use the anti-aircraft systems.