KUCHMA HITS RUSSIA ON HEGEMONY.

With New York as the backdrop, Leonid Kuchma spoke out forcefully on October 25 against Russian policies toward Ukraine and, in particular, Boris Yeltsin’s decree of September 14 outlining the reassertion of Russian supremacy in the near abroad. "Ukraine wants to be equal partners with Russia," Kuchma said, "but not on the basis of [Yeltsin’s] strategy." (13) Most worrying to Kiev are "forces in Russia who just refuse to understand that Ukraine is a sovereign state." On that note, Kuchma departed Wednesday for Latin America, concluding his visit to the US for the UN celebration. Throughout his stay in the US, Kuchma called on world leaders to be more realistic about the problems faced by post-Soviet states, and not to waver in their support for the struggling democracies.

New Ukrainian Currency Delayed Again.