http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/11/25/011.html
Thursday, November 25, 2004. Page 3. EU Warns Ukraine, Will Raise Vote With Putin Combined Reports Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters A supporter of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko addressing riot police Wednesday near the presidential administration in Kiev. BRUSSELS -- The European Union ratcheted up pressure on Ukraine on Wednesday to review its presidential election, warning that violence is possible if a solution is not found through dialogue. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the EU would "make our position clear" with President Vladimir Putin at Thursday's EU-Russia summit in The Hague. Barroso warned of "consequences" for the European Union's political and trade relations with Ukraine if the government there does not allow a full review of the election. "There will be consequences, if there is not a serious, objective review," Barroso told reporters. "I hope there will be no consequences." The new EU chief did not specify possible consequences for Ukraine if authorities do not permit a review. But at risk could be around 1 billion euros ($1.31 billion) in development and economic aid and possible visa bans on politicians and officials. "We regret that the Ukrainian authorities have not taken the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to democracy. This could affect our relations in the future," Barroso said. "We hope that in the meantime, a political solution can be found, and we call on restraint from all sides to achieve that goal." Barroso said the EU would raise the election at the EU-Russia summit with Putin, who strongly backed the bid of Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and offered his congratulations Monday even though no winner had been declared. "It is our duty to say we are not satisfied with the way the elections took place in Ukraine ... to avoid a deterioration of the situation and violence [from] occurring," Barroso said. In Berlin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schr?der told parliament that the election showed massive fraud and that Germany's close ties with Russia would not prevent him from criticizing the ballot. "I am firmly convinced, firstly that the Russian president wants to develop a democracy, and wants to do so out of inner conviction. But that doesn't mean that we cannot ... criticize what has happened in the Ukraine," he said. Schr?der also spoke with Putin about the election by telephone, and the two leaders called for Ukraine to resolve the crisis through legal means. At the EU parliament, Liberal group leader Graham Watson said the EU must send Putin a "clear signal" at the summit. "Russia's and President Putin's involvement seems to have gone beyond acceptable relations between neighboring countries," he said. "President Putin should get a clear signal that there is no return to the old days with spheres of interests -- not in Ukraine, not in Belarus, not in southern Caucasus," he said. The Netherlands, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said it will send a special envoy to Kiev to meet Yanukovych, outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn. The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke by telephone Wednesday to coordinate a response to the crisis. Speaking at the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, Solana called for a dialogue between Yanukovych and opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko. "The country is now at the crossroads," Solana said. "We cannot rule out the outbreak of violence." Committee members pushed Solana to go to Ukraine, and suggested that if he did not, the parliament might send its own team and consider pressing EU members to impose sanctions on Ukraine. "We must send a new observer mission to prevent a bloodbath," said Polish Liberal Democrat Grazyna Staniszewska. Ukraine's ambassador to the EU, Roman Shpek, told the committee that the "situation of democracy in Ukraine was not disputed." "We should not create an atmosphere of catastrophe around my country," Shpek said, calling outside intervention "unacceptable" at this time. The crisis should be resolved "through consultations and not by the street," he added. Dutch Socialist Thijs Berman, who was in Ukraine as an election observer, told Shpek: "You should not complain about demonstrators ... when there is not a democratic state." NATO and many EU nations also summoned Ukrainian envoys to hear complaints about the election. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the election must be reviewed to conform with democratic standards. Lech Walesa, the founder of Poland's Solidarity movement, will travel to Ukraine to act as a mediator in the standoff there, his son said Wednesday. Walesa said Tuesday that he received a letter from Yushchenko seeking his help in negotiating a resolution to the crisis. (Reuters, AP) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.uni.cc *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. 3. Lihat arsip sebelumnya, www.ppi-india.da.ru; 4. Posting: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5. 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