YELTSIN TURNS TO UKRAINE.

Boris Yeltsin told his senior cabinet members that”today, there is one issue–how our relationship with Ukraine will develop,”NTV reported May 16. The Russian president said “we cannot let the problemskeep piling up” in the links between the two countries. Foreign ministerAndrei Kozyrev told Interfax that Yeltsin would not go to Ukraine until theissue of the Black Sea Fleet had been resolved. Adding to the pressure onKiev were a demand by Russian parliamentarians for Moscow to grant Russiancitizenship to Crimean residents and a statement by Russian Prime MinisterChernomyrdin calling on Ukraine to sign an agreement on border controls,Russian radio and television reported May 16. Although the Russian governmentis divided on what to do about the Black Sea fleet and about Crimea,criticism of Kiev is politically useful in Moscow–especially after the warmClinton-Kuchma summit there last week.

Yeltsin Against New Election Law.