Sevastopol is a Ukraine's Gibraltar – premier Azarov

15.10.2010 Russia has no impact on Ukraine's policy; Kiev is absolutely independent in making decisions, said Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov appearing Thursday at the conference arranged by European Parliament's Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in Brussels.

Currently ruling team headed by the president Yanukovich is traditionally considered pro-Russian, especially as opposed to anti-Russian stance of the ex-president Yushchenko. Yanukovich declares the intention to get rid of negative inheritance of his predecessor, but does not refuse strategic partnership with the US and EU.

As for Ukrainian opposition, current authorities pursue an anti-Ukrainian policy in the interests of Moscow.

"Neither Russian president nor prime minister have never called or meet Ukrainian counterparts to say what we should do. Never. Ukraine make all decisions absolutely at its own discretion", reports Ukrainian news agency UNIAN citing Azarov.

According to him, the relations between Ukraine and Russia are based on mutual respect.

He also confuted the popular belief that the presence of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol till 2042 is an influence on Ukrainian policy.

"It is hard to imagine what kind of an influence does this naval base have on our policy. Evanescent, negligible…unless it exists at all. A good example is Gibraltar (British overseas territory in southern Spain); does it have any impact on Spain's policy? I guess, the Russian base in Sevastopol exerts the similar influence", Azarov concluded.