We do not celebrate Independence Day, we celebrate Russia’s Day: a holyday. Our independence must not be questioned, nobody does. Fifteen years ago now, we lived in a sovereign State, quite a short time for a country like ours. A border separates us from Ukraine, but we are together like good neighbors, like bride and groom. That’s how we must think.
We must learn to live together and resolve our problems. We are eternal partners, just as Yushchenko said. May nobody doubt about it. A strong Ukraine is vital. The change of government that took place here has proved that we must understand each other better. This is a process that, if objective, won’t be painful. Sometimes we quarrel and sometimes we are all right. We want changes but only if they are well-oriented.

Viktor S. Chernomyrdin
Source
Izvestia (Russia)
Daily with a circulation of 430 000 copies founded in 1917, like the Pravda.

"ОТ КОГО ЗАВИСИТ РОССИЯ", by Viktor
Chernomyrdin, Izvestia, June 10, 2005.