Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine"s president-elect...
Ukraine"s possible participation in the Customs Union was criticized on Tuesday by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Yanukovych"s rival in the February 7 presidential runoff, at a meeting with members of parliament from the Our Ukraine party of outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko, Kommersant said.
Tymoshenko said the Party of Regions leader had already agreed with Russia on signing documents on Ukraine"s accession to the Customs Union with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, the paper said.
Tymoshenko said the agreement with Russia would offer Ukraine a 20-30% discount in the price of natural gas supplied to the ex-Soviet republic, the paper reported, citing Anatoly Hrytsenko, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament"s national security and defense committee.
However, Ukraine"s possible bid for its entry into the Customs Union is likely to complicate Russia"s position at talks on energy issues inside the union, the paper said.