Kiev: Several thousand Ukrainians are rallying in front of Parliament to protest a deal allowing Russia to keep its Navy in Ukraine for another 25 years.
Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko told Saturday`s rally that all opposition forces must unite to resist the deal signed earlier this week.
The agreement is the first concrete sign that newly-elected President Viktor Yanukovych will steer Ukraine back into Russia`s orbit, reversing his pro-Western predecessor`s attempts to decrease Moscow`s influence.
Russia rewarded Yanukovych by giving the ex-Soviet republic steep discounts for the natural gas on which its industries depend.
Tymoshenko and other opposition leaders said the deal amounted to ceding control over the nation`s territory.
Bureau Report
