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The President of Ukraine accused Russia yesterday of blocking the investigation into the plot to assassinate him with poisonous dioxin. Viktor Yushchenko told The Times that Russia was refusing to cooperate even after he had raised the issue directly with President Putin.
Asked whether he believed there was state involvement in the attempt to murder him, Mr Yushchenko replied: “This was not a private act.” Russia was the only country that had refused to provide Ukrainian investigators with samples of dioxin produced in its laboratories for analysis. Its Prosecutor-General had also ignored requests to extradite Ukrainian suspects who had fled to Russia.
“Three laboratories in the world were producing dioxin of this formula. It is very easy to determine the origin of the substance; there is nothing magical about it,” Mr Yushchenko said, his face still bearing scars caused by the poison. “Two laboratories provided samples but not the Russian side. This of course limits the possibilities of the investigation process.”
The President had to fight for his life three years ago after being struck down at the height of his presidential election campaign against Viktor Yanukovych in 2004. Mr Putin openly supported Mr Yanukovych, who is now Ukraine’s Prime Minister, against his pro-Western rival.
Mr Yushchenko was rushed to a clinic in Austria where specialists found 6,000 times the normal amount of dioxin in his body. He fought on, his face transformed by heavy pockmarks, and was swept to power in the Orange Revolution after public protests overturned a rigged election result in favour of Mr Yanukovych.
Mr Yushchenko, 53, said that the official investigation into his poisoning was almost complete. He added: “The role of all of the individuals that might be involved in this case is already determined. The investigation knows who, when, where, which substance was used.
“There are three key people who are now in Russia. Ukraine has filed a request with the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office about returning these people to Ukraine for the investigation.
“I personally talked to the Russian President about it. Unfortunately, there is no response to this issue whatsoever from the Russian side.” Asked directly whether Russia was responsible, he replied: “If I respond to that question, then the investigation will have nothing to do. We need to question the people who had direct involvement in the case.” Mr Yushchenko has said that he first felt ill after a dinner with Ihor Smeshko, then head of Ukraine’s security service, and his deputy Volodymr Satsiuk.
The method of poisoning led to speculation about the involvement of the Kremlin, which was determined to keep Ukraine within Russia’s sphere of influence by getting Mr Yanukovych into power. Russia denied any role in the incident. Mr Satsiuk and an assistant fled to Russia after the Orange Revolution. Both have said that they had nothing to do with poisoning the President, while Mr Smeshko has insisted that Ukraine’s secret service was not involved.
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Seems like a great timing to consolidate anti-russian support (half the country, the second half is the opposite) for a very unpopular president two weeks before the elections. Is this the last card he can play? Whatever happened in 2004, Yuschenko did more to discredit himself than this poisoning or anyone else. God bless Ukraine and its people who are immune to never ending political turmoil! What is it about russia and ukraine that there are no parties or candidates for the next elections that these countries deserve?
I doubt that the russian government was involved but am sure anyone (ukrainian, russian, tadzhik etc.) could have bought enough dioxin in Russia or Ukraine if they wanted to. Free market...
Lena, Moscow, Russia
I understand that not everything is going brillaintly in the Ukraine since the Orange revolution {this is my view anyway from the UK from what I read}.
However, the point is did Russia try and poison another enemy?
In the UK, we have the posioning of a man with a hard-to-obtain, nuclear substance and again all evidence would seem to point to Russia.
When is Russia and Putin going to be held accountable for all this?
To be honest I feel very sorry the Russian people. At a time of unprecendented wealth in Russia, it is being concentrated in the hands of the few and your Govt are taking steps to retreat from the world, kill their enemies and move Russia back to the cold war.
What is so wrong with the rest of the World that Putin feels he has to work against us instead of with us, which is to the detriment of his own people.
Allan S, London,
Of course, today Russia's ambassador to Ukraine is shocked, absolutely shocked, that the President is accusing Russia of not cooperating with the investigation. They are stalling just as in the Litvinenko case while talking as if the rest of the world were stupid and ready to believe their lame excuses. However, when Putin gets a bee in his bonnet about throwing somebody in jail he fires off a letter to London demanding an immediate extradition, because how dare anybody give refuge to a crime suspect.
Mayra Quirindongo, Washington DC,
Unfortunately he criminal elements of our world have no regard for justice, democracy or who suffers. Hopefully the world will unite to an era where criminal wealth diminishes at the same rate of criminal activity.
Have a NIce Day
Michael, Australia, Home
Thank Christ I don't live near the Soviet Un....er I mean the democracy now called the Russian Federation that does not kill its opponents abroad and curtail basic freedoms at home.
Kevin Reimers, Oakland, CA
The possibility that the evidence of poisoning will ever be released, even if evidence was supplied to Ukraine, is remote, given that Yanakovitch's men run the state prosecutor's office. They have continually stalled the investigation. Even this week they announced that they will not make any announcements until a further three matters have been investigated and they have 'joined all the dots'. i e wait.
Also, 'Why hasn't Ex-President Kuchma even been questioned over the death and then beheading of journalist Georgy Gongadze ?'- given that Kuchma is heard discussing the murder on tape that is available to the present President. (If he will gaurantee safety for the witness holding it). Could it be there was some sort of deal relating to a peaceful handng over of power to Yuschenko in return for immiunity for Kuchma. Otherwise - Why haven't we heard the contents of the tape yet?
Don't look for decisive action from Yuschenko he has let his people down, just so he can remain President
Riley, Kyiv, Ukraine
Perhaps it actually a little too conveniant for Yushchenko that the Russian are refusing to co-operate and that Western journalists swallow most information and carry on repeating it without checking it or asking any awkward questions. Who exactly were the "specialists in Austria"? A laboratory in Holland specialising in contamination of food? A cryocryptic doctor, an aneathetist and radiographer in Vienna (the last one anyhow maintained there was no evidence of poisoning). Who was it who claimed that Yushchenko's life was in danger and from what exactly? And what does 6000 times the normal dose mean? How much of the stuff do we normally have? The date given for the dinner is 5th Sept. He was "rushed" to hosptial 5 days later. Given the resources available on the internet a journalist doesn't even have to leave his swivel chair to find plenty of information which at least might lead them to ask some questions about this story. There's even the discharge report from the hospital!
sceptical, london,
Well done, Mr. President! Once again the elections are approaching you have splashed a bunch of dirt on your neighbours to draw attention to you! By the way, where have you been with your sensational disclosure for three years?!
Baby Vitalich, Moscow,
Well done, Mr. President! At last you have openly said what has been talked about here in undertones for about three years now.
Vitaliy Babych, Ukraine
Vitaliy Babych, Kyiv,
God sees ALL, and He will make a way for Yushchenko to prove who attempted to kill him. God will continue to bless Yushchenko and there is nothing any human can do about it. Justice will prevail.
Anita Moore, atlanta, ga