As part of the six new classified U.S. State Department cables that the WikiLeaks whistleblower site released on March 6 regarding the January 2009 Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis was an interesting tidbit about how Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin allegedly views Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovcyh. Apparently, he is not seen in high regard, according to the cable in quoting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko.
The cable reads that Gryshchenko, who was deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and ambassador to Russia in January 2009, told U.S. Ambassador William Taylor that “the gas crisis had further soured the already poor climate of bilateral relations. He confessed to be having a "hard time." in Moscow. "No one" in the government of Russia "wants to listen to the Ukrainian side of things." Gryshchenko said that the Kremlin wants a "regency" – someone in power in Kyiv who is totally subservient. He noted that Putin "hates" then President Viktor Yushchenko and has a low personal regard for Yanukovych, but apparently sees Tymoshenko as someone, perhaps not that he can trust, but with whom he can deal. He observed that everyone in government seemed to be part of the "security brotherhood." People are afraid to tell jokes; it is "back to the USSR."
The full cable can be read here.
