SCHLESWIG, Germany, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- President Vladimir Putin said Russia can work with Viktor Yushchenko if he becomes president of Ukraine -- even though the Kremlin supported his rival.
"I am acquainted with Mr. Yushchenko. Just like the incumbent Ukrainian prime minister, Mr. Yanukovych, he worked in this capacity and was chairman of the Ukrainian government," Putin told a news conference Tuesday during a two-day visit to Germany, Interfax reported.
"He and I didn't cooperate too badly, and he, just as Mr. Yanukovych, is a member of the team of the incumbent president, Leonid Kuchma. So I can't see any problems," Putin said.
The Kremlin has been seen as openly supporting Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who has spoken in favor of closer Ukrainian-Russian ties, including having Russian as an official second language.
The Nov. 21 presidential runoff, which gave a narrow margin of victory to Yanukovych, was ruled invalid by the Ukrainian Supreme Court, which scheduled a new election for Dec. 26. Recent polls suggest that Yushchenko, who is seen as being pro-Western, is likely to win Sunday's election.
