Ukranian president lashes out at PM

KIEV, Ukraine, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has again accused Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko of "betraying national interests" by seeking to cooperate with Russia.

Yushchenko made his comments at a meeting of the Our Ukraine party of which he is an honorary chairman, ITAR-TASS reported Sunday.

"What the prime minister is doing is treachery as national interests are replaced with personal ones," Yushchenko was quoted as saying.

Timoshenko has been accused of betraying his country by courting cooperation with Russia in exchange for its support in the next presidential election, the Russian news service reported.

"The incumbent prime minister's activities betray high treason and political corruption," said Andrei Kislinsky, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential secretariat.

"The tactic of silence chosen by the government is vicious in this situation because high treason does not fall into the category of law offenses that can be forgotten by society."