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President Viktor Yushchenko Ukrainian Presidential Press Service President Victor Yushchenko on Tuesday accused Russia of seeking to destabilize Ukraine by encouraging separatists on the volatile Crimean peninsula, but vowed that the Kremlin would not succeed.

President Viktor Yushchenko has accused Russia of seeking to destabilize Ukraine by encouraging separatists on the volatile Crimean peninsula, but vowed that the Kremlin would not succeed.

Yushchenko said in an interview with The Associated Press: "I will not be an idealist who says that there are not intentions to cause internal instability in this or that region of Ukraine."

He said "for some of our partners instability in Ukraine is like bread with butter."

He vowed that Russia would not do to Ukraine like he said it did with Georgia. Russia fought a short war last month with Georgia, invading the country, routing its military and occupying large swaths of its territory. Moscow has also recognized two breakaway Georgian regions as independent nations.