Russia concerned at Ukraine's "unfriendly" policy

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned on Thursday that Kiev's "unfriendly" attitude to Moscow, its NATO ambitions and its pro-Georgian stance in the recent South Ossetian conflict threatened existing friendship agreements.

Relations between Russia and ex-Soviet Ukraine have been strained since the 2004 Orange Revolution brought Kremlin critics to power and have deteriorated further in recent months.

"Recently the Ukrainian authorities have had policies that we can only assess as unfriendly towards Russia," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website www.mid.ru.

It points out the two countries are due to present their views on updating a 1997 agreement by the start of October, 2008, but questions many policies of President Viktor Yushchenko, including his push to lead his country towards NATO membership.

This ambition "contradicts the spirit of the 1997 agreement and the security interests of Russia," states the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Under the terms of this existing agreement, Russia also leases the Black Sea naval port of Sevastapol from Ukraine, though this will expire in 2017, unless updated.

The statement also singles out Kiev's stance during the conflict in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia as another reason for the deterioration in relations.

"We heard no words of regret or sympathy in connection with the death of civilians in Tskhinvali. On the contrary, the Ukrainian president tried to pin the blame for the bloodshed on Russia," it states.

"By supplying heavy military hardware to the Georgian army the Ukrainian side partially bears the responsibility for the bloodshed."

The statement also accuses Kiev of violating the rights of its Russian-speaking minority, banning Russian politicians from entering the country and taking an "anti-Russian spirit to our common history."

(Reporting by Conor Sweeney; Editing by Matthew Jones)