Ukraine's Queen of Soul demands R-E-S-P-E-C-T from Moscow

By Aussiegirl



The fallout continues in the brouhaha over Yulia Tymoshenko's on again, off again first official visit to Russia since becoming Prime Minister. She has "indefinitely postponed" her visit following Russia's reassertion of an old arrest warrant against her on fraud charges.

In a BBC Radio 4 interview, Ukraine's Iron Lady of the Brass Braids, as I like to call her, says it's a matter of demanding respect, even though officially she is not going because the spring planting season has her busy attending to internal agricultural matters.

Of course she's right. Russia always plays hardball and tries to assert Ukraine's inferior and supplicating status vis a vis its "natural" leader, Mother Russia, to whom all attendant obeisance and honor is to be given at all times. And when its children get uppity, why Mother Russia must show who is boss, and cross her arms and threaten to punish the upstarts.

Never forget, children, Mother Russia can also spank, and spank hard, or have you forgotten the millions dead in the streets and gulags, or did you forget how we meddled in your elections and tried to kill your President with poison?

Read more of Yulia's comments from the BBC News:

Yulia Tymoshenko

"I know the Russian political elite has got used to the Ukraine suffering from an inferiority complex, but I want this to disappear from our relationship.

"I think everyone remembers how certain Russian bureaucrats used to work against the Ukrainian opposition, I think it is hard to drop old habits," she said.

"I want to believe the statement is just the stupidity of one bureaucrat and that it is not the national politics of Russia. If that is the case, then that bureaucrat must correct his stupidity."

The incident has reignited tensions between Moscow and Kiev - already strained since the controversial elections that sparked the Orange Revolution here.

Russia campaigned openly then for the candidate of power, Viktor Yanukovych.
Now Ms Tymoshenko says it is time Russia stopped treating Ukraine as its inferior, and learned some respect.

She called for the two countries to build a long-lasting relationship as equals.

The EU

"The Ukrainian government and the president are working towards EU membership with great enthusiasm and I'm sure it will result in success," she said.

"If nothing changes in the internal workings of the EU then I'm certain that the people of every country in Europe will support us joining the European family."

Ms Tymoshenko said she never doubted for one day that Mr Yushchenko would become president.

"I watched as that faith was justified," she said. "The old bastions of the post-communist regime collapsed before my very eyes. The monsters who had kept Ukraine in a criminal state left the stage."

Head for fashion

Ms Tymoshenko dismissed rumours of a growing divide between the two leaders of the revolution, Mr Yushchenko and herself, as groundless.

"I feel a huge sense of responsibility towards the people, I have to produce results so they don't think they have made a mistake."

She told the BBC she planned to work side-by-side with the president for decades and insisted the two had no serious disagreements.

Ms Tymoshenko also revealed she was aware of some of the other things people on the streets were saying about her.

As well as the orange jumpers and outfits, her braided hair became a trademark feature during the days of protests - a style that has since been copied around the world.

"I just heard the latest joke about my hair: 'Do you know what that is on her head? It's a steering wheel to drive the state'," she said.

"It's just comfy this way and I think it suits me. I'm honoured that models around the world are sporting the same style on catwalks these days, that means Ukraine is not only forming the fashion for politics and democracy but for hairdos too, and I am very proud of that."