The deal between Moscow and Kiev on extending...
The agreement, signed on Wednesday, extends the lease on the Russian base in the port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017, and may be further extended by another five years.
"When they announce with great aplomb that a relatively low gas price has been achieved in exchange for military occupation, I cannot possibly welcome such agreements either as a citizen or as a politician," Yushchenko said.
In a dramatic sign of the new government in Kiev"s realignment with Moscow, the two sides agreed on Wednesday to extend the lease on the base in exchange for a 30% cut in gas prices for Ukraine. The documents were signed following negotiations between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yanukovych.
Yushchenko said the new agreement encroaches "on the most sacred thing - sovereignty and independence."
He urged all opposition and patriotic forces to unite in the face of the threat to Ukraine"s sovereignty.