Russian President Medvedev attacks on Ukraine’s president, accusing him of “anti-Russian” behaviour

Russia x Ukraine – Tensions continue

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko has forged close links with the EU, US and Nato since coming to power in 2004. He is expected to run for re-election in Ukraine in January.

In the videoblog, Mr Medvedev commented on a letter he had sent to Mr Yushchenko recently, which he said was “no routine matter”. He accused Mr Yushchenko of having supplied Ukrainian weapons to the Georgian forces who “killed civilians and Russian peacekeepers in Tskhinvali” during the South Ossetia conflict a year ago.

He also accused Mr Yushchenko of bypassing Russia in Ukrainian energy deals with the EU “concerning deliveries of our Russian gas” and the administration of driving the Russian language out of Ukrainian media, education and culture, and of trying to rewrite history.

Diplomatic relations had already soured before Mr Medvedev’s attack on Mr Yushchenko.

Moscow’s previous ambassador to Kiev was recalled in June. On Monday a councillor at the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow, Ihor Berezkin, left Russia in line with a demand from the Russian authorities.Last month Ukraine expelled a Russian diplomat.