Kwaśniewski returns to Kiev

Former President Aleksander Kwaśniewski visited Ukraine last week and discussed the situation in the country with the leading figures of the current political crisis - President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, as well as influential politician Yulia Tymoshenko.

The former President underlined that the situation in the country is difficult, but compromise is possible. "I'm glad that the President and Prime Minister are in contact," he said. Kwaśniewski said that Yushchenko had told him about a proposal to solve the conflict, which started when he dissolved parliament on April 2.

The visit brought back memories of Kwaśniewski's previous involvement in Ukrainian politics. In 2004, during Ukraine's "Orange Revolution," he played a key role as a mediator between the government and the opposition led by Yushchenko, helping the two sides reach an agreement. This time, however, Kwaśniewski underlined that he was in Ukraine not as mediator, but as "the country's good old friend."

The former President's visit to Ukraine wasn't met with enthusiasm by the current head of state. President Lech Kaczyński stressed that Kwaśniewski wasn't there as his proxy and that he knew nothing about the visit. "From what I know, the Ukrainians claim that they should solve their problems themselves," Kaczyński said.

However, the Foreign Ministry expressed support for Kwaśniewski's undertaking. "Whoever can contribute to solving the problem in Ukraine, is serving a good purpose," Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Fotyga said.