Poland's Walesa Steps Into Ukrainian Crisis
Former Polish President Lech Walesa will go to Ukraine Thursday to help mediate the stand off following the disputed presidential elections.
The PAP news agency reported Walesa, who led the anti-communist Solidarity movement in the 1980s, would spend a day in Ukraine negotiating with outgoing Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
According to official results, Yushchenko lost the presidential elections to hardline pro-Moscow candidate Viktor Yanukovich.
The Ukrainian opposition, however, says the vote was rigged and the United States, the European Union and NATO have all expressed deep concern about the way in which the election was conducted.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of the Ukrainian capital to protest the election result.
Former Czech President Vaclav Havel added his voice Wednesday to those in the international community condemning the elections as unfair. He urged the demonstrators to keep up their protests.