Quotable notes

"I think that the future of Europe is currently one of the most topical and urgent issues in the world. And President [Leonid Kuchma], following his withdrawal from office, will be one of the leading experts in this issue. This is one of the possible spheres of his activities after his withdrawal. True, to become a full-fledged member of the global club of top-class experts, he lacks just one thing: a command of the English language.

"I think that [Kuchma's] experience and knowledge will continue to do Ukraine a service, and I hope that this knowledge will be of use for Ukraine's rapprochement with Europe. ... I will most likely distress some of your readers, but my opinion is that the Kuchma era will not end on November 22 [when Kuchma concludes his second presidential term]."

- Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk, President Kuchma's son-in-law, in an interview in the July 17-23 issue of Zerkalo Nedeli, as cited by RFE/RL Belarus and Ukraine Report.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, August 1, 2004, No. 31, Vol. LXXII

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