The move, provoked by Tarasyuk's letter to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine asking to indefinitely postpone the visit to the U.S. of a Ukrainian delegation led by Yanukovych scheduled for December 3-7, is the latest development in an ongoing power struggle in the country's leadership, between Western-leaning pro-presidential forces and the pro-Russian governing coalition.
Yanukovych told a cabinet meeting, "I deeply regret, Borys Ivanovich [Tarasyuk], that for three months we have failed to find mutual understanding in our common work."
Tarasyuk, a strong advocate of NATO accession appointed by President Viktor Yushchenko under a power-sharing deal with the Yanukovych-led coalition in parliament, said in turn that the Ukrainian cabinet should have submitted directives on the Ukrainian delegation's visit to the U.S. for approval to the president's secretariat by November 22, and that this was not done.
Tarasyuk's dismissal has also been sought by Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko, an ally of the premier.
The first deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential secretariat, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said the visit will take place as scheduled and that Yushchenko will approve directives submitted by Yanukovych.
"The issue has been resolved," he told journalists.
