Ukraine's ex-president, Leonid Kuchma, blamed the country's current authorities on Wednesday for straining ties with its traditional ally, Russia.
"The lion's share of responsibility for the deteriorating relations with Russia lies on the Ukrainian leadership," Kuchma told reporters. "Everything the current leaders have done was as a snub to Russia. Such policies have caused Ukraine a lot of damage, and it has not become closer to the West."
Relations between the two ex-Soviet neighbors have soured in recent years, as Ukraine's leaders swept to power by the 2004 pro-Western "orange revolution" protests, have sought to join NATO and the European Union, and more recently supported Georgia in Russia's war with the Caucasus state.
The two have also been embroiled in bitter natural gas pricing and debt disputes that affected consumers in Europe.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev cited "unfriendly" policies pursued by his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, when he delayed sending Russia's new ambassador, Mikhail Zurabov, to the country in August.
Kuchma, Ukraine's second president in 1994-2005 after it became independent following the Soviet breakup, said Kiev's policies have undermined the country's international image. "Ukraine has lost all its weight in the world," he said.
He also criticized the January 2009 gas deals with Russia, under which the two states switched to free market prices for gas supplies and transit fees as of 2010, abandoning a long-time discounted pricing practice.
Kuchma called the deals, which ended a gas row that led to disruptions in supplies to the EU amid freezing temperatures, "enslaving." "Russians can at any time tighten the noose around Ukraine's neck," he said.
Ukraine, a nation of 46 million, will have a runoff presidential election on Sunday. The two main candidates, current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, are both considered more Russia-friendly than Yushchenko.
As president, Kuchma oversaw a rapid economic growth in Ukraine and an improvement in ties with Russia, but his presidency was marred by corruption scandals.
DNEPROPETROVSK, February 3 (RIA Novosti)
