Putin, Yushchenko discuss Ukrainian political crisis

Moscow, Apr 7 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed the hope that current political crisis in Ukraine will be resolved through a political and constitutional means.

In a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yushchenko, the Russian president focused on the crises in Ukraine which are causing serious concerns about possible negative consequences of this confrontation for the Ukrainian economy and social sphere, as well as for the sustainable development of the Russian-Ukrainian cooperation, the Kremlin press service reported.

The Russian side voiced sincere interest in the soonest normalisation and hope that all power branches in Ukraine will display conscientiousness for the sake of settling the crisis exclusively with political and constitutional methods and constructive dialogue, it stressed.

Meanwhile, pro-Moscow Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych today cancelled his address to participants of a meeting in central Kiev, citing emergency talks that might help resolving the current political crisis in the country.

''These talks could influence the situation that caused us to gather here today,'' an organiser of the meeting told RIA Novosti news agency, without specifying the details of negotiations or naming the concerned parties.

More than 20,000 supporters of the government and the ruling coalition in parliament gathered at the Independence Square in the Ukrainian capital to listen to Yanukovych's address concerning the latest developments in a most serious political crisis in Ukraine since the 2004 'orange revolution'.

After pro-West Yushchenko's refusal on Thursday to withdraw his decrees to dissolve parliament and call early elections, and threats of criminal prosecution for officials defying his order to allocate funds for new elections, Yanukovych said the political crisis gripping the country can still be resolved through dialogue and compromise.

Contrary to the President and his supporters in the Cabinet, who said the current conflict was a domestic affair, Yanukovych refused to rule out requests for help from Russia, its historic ally and Poland.

''As soon as we have made a decision, we will approach the presidents of the neighbouring states, Russia and Poland, and possibly others,'' he said.

UNI