Yushchenko names Russian advisor

By Aussiegirl

I hadn't posted this news before because I wasn't really sure how to interpret it. The
Financial Times of London, has this report about the appointment of Putin critic, Boris Nemtsov, to be Yushchenko's advisor on Russia and Russian investment in Ukraine.

Mr. Nemtsov, a liberal activist and opponent of Putin, had vigorously supported Yushchenko during the Orange Revolution. His position will be as an unpaid advisor and he will continue to live in Moscow.

I was a bit uneasy when I heard this news, in the way that I would if I heard that President Bush had appointed a Democrat as a close advisor. Since I live in the United States and don't follow the intricacies of Ukrainian politics that closely it was hard to draw a conclusion as to what might be the motivation. This article seems to have a good analysis of the reasoning behind this appointment.

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. . .His appointment highlights the strong bond between Ukraine's new government and Russia's liberals, who hope to stage a political comeback after failing to win parliamentary representation in the 2003 election.

"Yushchenko's victory in Ukraine was also a victory for Russian liberals," Mr Nemtsov told the Financial Times. However, Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, may not be happy to see one of his most outspoken critics advising the president of a neighbouring country.

The head of Russia's Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the main industrial lobby, said during a visit to Kiev on Monday that it would not be "proper" for Mr Nemtsov to advise Mr Yushchenko on political matters.
Kirill Frolov, a Russian political analyst, said the appointment, and a recent announcement by exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky that he was planning to live in Kiev, confirmed that "Orange Ukraine would become a bridgehead for Vladimir Putin's opponents".

. . . His job, he said, would be to channel Russian investment into Ukraine's economy, something Mr Putin encourages. But the Russian leader may not care for Mr Nemtsov's sales pitch, however.
Mr Nemtsov said: "There is a unique window of opportunity for Russian companies in Ukraine. In Russia, conditions for private business are getting worse and money is running away from the country. But instead of taking their money to Swiss banks or to Cyprus, Russian businessmen can be investing into Ukraine's economy."