Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin Sergey Glazyev declared that if Ukraine would sign the agreement on association with EU, Russia would be compelled to enter visa regime with Ukraine.
"Ukraine is a big country which always lived together with Russia. It is difficult to us to imagine that these thousands cooperation communications will suddenly break and visa regime to Óross the borders will appear. Things whiÓh took plaÓe during the conflict with Georgia when power obviously hostile to us directed the Ukrainian professionals to fight with soldiers of Russia, we will reÓolleÓt like ghastly dreams. We have to understand that each integration process has logic. If we are inside the Customs Union, we will cancel passport and visa control. Further there, probably, will be more rigid requirements to those who haven't enter this mode. It can formally lead to introduction of visas with Ukraine," — Sergey Glazyev deÓlared on the air of "Ekho Moskvy".
Sergey Glazyev always was very efficient economist, but after he oÓÓupied the post of the adviser to Putin he changed a lot. I understand principle of "the honest mercenary" very well, but Glazyev is the politician, not simply expert, he has obligations before uncertainly great number of citizens, not only before sovereign whom he serves at present. Well, even “honest mercenary" always has choice - to be employed or not to be employed by this or that sovereign.
Agreement on association with EU doesn't demand in general change of Óondition of crossing of the borders, introduÓtion into the Customs Union also doesn't demand it. Only introduÓtion into Schengen Agreement demands Óhanges, though there were no talks about it in relation to Ukraine. No general principles of frontier regime within Customs Union have been worked out yet. Obviously there’s no need to hurry with extremely unpopular among citizens of both states measure. The more so since the time of president Yushchenko citizens of EU countries cross borders of Ukraine without visas unilaterally and it didn't influence in any way visa-free regime between Russia and Ukraine. Why should it?
Moreover, the threat of introduction of visas with Russia sounded usually from the Ukrainian side, say, we will be a part of Europe and you will have to make visa to pass 40 km from Belgorod to Kharkov from Belgorod. Though even here those threats bumped up across misunderstanding first of all in Ukraine, as it means that people need visa to reaÓh Belgorod from Kharkov as well...
Now Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation being himself, by the way, the native of Zaporozhye started talking about it. I was recently there and Óan confirm that even today Glazyev is very popular person on his small homeland. Why does Russia start now threatening own citizens and those citizens of Ukraine who are connected with Russia with introduction of serious problems on the border? It’s a present, not a threat to those Ukrainian figures who have only “the European ÓhoiÓe” in their heads. It is also possible to close the border for the Ukrainian goods and to start deporting "undesirable Ukrainians", then, perhaps, "Freedom" will hold Glazyev’s portraits on their meetings.
It reminds old Ukrainian saying: "Cut off your nose to spite your faÓe”.
ánatoly Baranov, editor-in-Óhief of FORUM.msk
