Over 80% of Ukrainians approve of Russia

[bin.dare]

MOSCOW. Jan 4 (Interfax) - The overwhelming majority of Ukrainian citizens said they have a positive attitude to Russia, while one-half of Ukrainians expressed regret about the disintegration of the Soviet Union, according to a poll.

A public opinion survey conducted by Yury Levada's analytical center late in 2004 has shown that 46% of respondents have "a generally good" attitude to Russia, 37% describe their attitude to Russia as "very good" and a mere 12% disapprove of it.

Fifty percent of Ukrainians voiced their regret about the collapse of the Soviet Union, while 39% took the opposite view.

Seventy-five percent of those polled described current relations between the two nations as "normal, friendly and good-neighborly", 13% called them "tepid," 8% characterized them as "strained," and 1% described them as "hostile."

(more)
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/doc/HotNews.html#64678

[NNN0LHI]

1. This doesn't jive with the recent election results in Ukraine

:shrug:

[bin.dare]

2. why do you say that ?

[NNN0LHI]

3. The pro-Russian guy lost to the pro-West guy n/t

[Robbien]

4. This poll was funded by Russian money, exit polls were funded by US money

The Ukraine people are being used as tools by both sides.

I see Yuschenko has been spending the last week with the Georgian President Saakashvili. Saakashvili who has just privatized the biggest source of funds for the country of Georgia, the Georgian Shipping Country. I also noticed that yet another Georgian news site was taken off the web. Almost all news sites now are dominated by Saakashvili's government.

Soon we will hear less and less from the Ukraine people when Yuschenko follows the Georgian strategy.

[bin.dare]

5. I expect the Ukraine to go down the same road as Georgia ...

... do you have a source for the Georgia funds info?

[Robbien]

6. The information from Georgia is sketchy because

There are now only two English news sites still open on the web.

Stories on the sale of the Georgian Shipping Company are:
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=8627
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/0772_december_29_2004/economy_0772.htm

[robcon]

7. Do you have a problem with privatizing that company?

I don't understand the negativity you apparently expressed about privatizing a shipping company. I think all 'shipping companies' should be privatized, but I don't know that company in particular.

Is it more than a shipping company?

[Robbien]

8. Yes because the privatization is to a foreign company

Shipping profits is a huge source of revenue to the Georgian government. Once the company is sold, profits will belong to another country.

Georgia said the one time sale proceeds will mainly go to defense and energy (and updating the Georgian state mansion).

There will be a big whole in the source of government funds. Somehow that hole will need to be covered by other sources, which usually means higher taxes.