Second Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma (1994-2005) has proposed taking a balanced approach to the decision on Ukraine's accession to the Customs Union.
"I don’t want to make unambiguous proposals or recommendations… Everything should be weighed up, because if nothing in our engineering sector is in demand on the European markets, then it is unnecessary for us. They, quite the contrary, want to supply everything to us. Where will we go if Russia blocks its borders? And it will always pose some obstacles to us, because if we are in a free trade area with the European Union, then things can be sent through Ukraine to Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. So, here it is necessary to look at this from the economic and political point of view," he said on Thursday before another round of questioning at the Prosecutor General’s Office.
He also stressed the priority of the European choice for Ukraine.
"But we shouldn’t go to Europe with an outstretched hand and ask them to accept us. Everybody is tired of this, and the Europeans are tired of this… We have to think very seriously before making a choice," Kuchma said.
He also said that Ukraine would not be able to find a balance "between the hammer and the anvil," as it did during his presidency.
"Russia has currently pumped its muscles so that it is now a very serious player on the international level… So if we say that we will be here and there, this won’t actually happen. They will oblige us to make a choice, but the choice should be completely thought out, without any pressure from any political forces or quick decisions," he said.
