You're reading: Political analyst notes importance of restoring high-level dialog between Ukraine and Russia

Head of the Penta Center for Applied Political Studies Volodymyr Fesenko has said that one of the main trends in Ukraine's foreign policy in August 2011 was the restoration of a high-level dialog between Ukraine and Russia and the recognition of the existence of problems in bilateral relations.

"A meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine in Sochi was an important foreign policy event for Ukraine in August. The main importance of this event was the resumption of a high-level dialog between the leaders of the two countries… This meeting also confirmed the existence of serious problems, but some progress in relations has certainly been made," he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.

In his opinion, one of the signs that progress has been made in bilateral relations after the meeting between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi was the resumption of talks on gas issues.

Fesenko also said that the arrest of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was a main domestic policy event for Ukraine in August.

Among the trends in Ukraine’s domestic policy, he noted the strengthening of confrontation between the government and the opposition triggered by Tymoshenko’s arrest, a clash of opinions regarding the trial and arrest of the former prime minister, as well as the lack of a large and active public reaction to her arrest and support for the opposition’s actions.