Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is trying to stir up tensions in Russian-Ukrainian ties ahead of upcoming elections, a Russian MP said Wednesday.
Alexei Ostrovsky, head of the Russian lower house's committee on CIS affairs, was speaking the day after Ukrainian authorities prevented two Russian scientists from entering the country to take part in an international conference on youth policy in Ukraine and Russia.
"I believe President Yushchenko deliberately aggravates Russia-Ukraine interstate relations by using such instruments as restricting entry to Russian nationals," Ostrovsky said.
"I think that through this Yushchenko....hopes to attract votes from nationalists in Ukraine's central and western areas," he added.
Ostrovsky said he knows the two scientists, Vladimir Frolov and Yelena Meskova, well.
"They have never spoken in offensive terms about Ukraine as a sovereign state," he said.
He called them "active missionaries involved in promoting humanitarian ties."
Ostrovsky said Russia should refrain from taking retaliatory steps.
"Russia should in no case make similar reciprocal steps... [it needs] to display wisdom and wait until the morning of January 18, when, evidently, this president will no longer be in power," he said.
A total of 18 candidates have been registered to run in Ukrainian presidential elections on January 17.
West-leaning Yushchenko, who was brought to power as a result of the 2004 "Orange revolution," is struggling to reach double figures in opinion polls.
Polls point to Viktor Yanukovych, the president's opponent in the controversial 2004 race, as the leading contender, along with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, an ally-turned-rival of the incumbent president.
MOSCOW, November 25 (RIA Novosti)
