Ukraine's president said on Saturday he would not attend Moscow events to mark the 60th anniversary of victory over the Nazis, a move that may add to Russian irritation over a boycott by some east European leaders. President Viktor Yushchenko said he could not fly to the Russian capital when similar ceremonies marking the defeat of Nazi Germany were scheduled to take place in Kiev. "As we cannot postpone commemorations which will take place in Ukraine on May 9, including a parade and other events, I would feel most uncomfortable if war veterans are gathering here and I am on a reviewing stand elsewhere," he told reporters. "I think the Russian president, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and our other colleagues can easily understand that." The May 9 commemorations have already opened up a split among east European nations, reflecting Cold War legacies. The presidents of Baltic nations Estonia and Lithuania have said they will stay away on grounds that the end of the war marked the start of five decades of Soviet occupation. The president of Latvia, the third Baltic state, is attending as is Poland's president, Aleksander Kwasniewski, despite the misgivings of the Polish media and some politicians. --More 1811 Local Time 1511 GMT
