Earlier this week, Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky announced that he had offered 10 CDs of the Melnychenko recordings to Viktor Yushchenko. Now, the Parliament has denied Berezovsky an entry visa:

KIEV, April 22 (Itar-Tass) – The Supreme Rada (parliament) of Ukraine has refused to support the request of MP Alexander Volkov to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on issuing an entry visa to political refugee Platon Yelenin (Boris Berezovsky), who has been invited to Ukraine by a group of MPs. Only 19 MPs voted in support for the request, while the needed number of votes is 226.

I have this this image of Berezovsky and Yushchenko tossing around a bundle of CDs as if it was a flaming cat. "Here! Here! Take them! I brought them for you!" screams Berezovsky. And Yushchenko, bobbing and weaving, holding his hands close to his chest, wails "I don’t want them! Take them back! TAKE THEM BAAAAACK!"

Meanwhile, another billionaire, this time a Ukrainian supporter of Kuchma, looks as if he has flown the coop:

In a replay of the oligarch defections from Russia, Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov is said to have left Ukraine to hide out until political winds return in his favor. Akhmetov supported the losing presidential candidate in Ukraine’s fall election and the new politicos, President Victor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Julia Timoshenko, are cleaning up the prior administration’s shenanigans, including reversing the controversial privatization of steel mill Kryvorizhstal, which Akhmetov and Victor Pinchuk grabbed for a mere $800 million from bidders like London-based Mittal Steel (nyse: MT – news – people ) and Pittsburgh-based United States Steel (nyse: X – news – people ) who were willing to pay $2.7 billion. Earlier this month, Akhmetov’s business associate Boris Kolesnikov was arrested for allegedly plotting the assassination of former shopping center owners. Kolesnikov says the charges are politically motivated and denies any wrong-doing. Enough to send Akhmetov packing? Akhmetov’s soccer club, Shakhtar, issued a statement discounting the rumors of Akhmetov’s defection, writing that: “At the moment the President of the Club is on a business trip abroad. Claims that the Club management are out of touch with the President are absolutely unfounded. Mr. Akhmetov is communicating with the Club Management and the Team Coach by phone.” No word on where Akhmetov is or what business he is conducting but a statement issued by his company, System Capital Management, indicates he is expected back for an April 26 shareholder meeting.

Pinchuk, by the way is Leonid Kuchma’s son-in-law.

In a surprise, the court that nullified the Kryvorizhstal sale has reversed its own ruling. After Yushchenko’s election he called the sale a theft and pledged to return the steel mill to government ownership for re-privatization. In February the court ruled to halt the sale. The Kyiv economic court will make the final ruling on the matter but as of now, the sale of a major industry is in a state of limbo.

Yushchenko is attending the GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova) summit in Chisinau, Modova. The leaders of Lithuania and Romania are also attending. Moldovan President Voronin said in a statement that the alliance would look more to the west:

"Moldova has adopted a number of documents within the framework of this organization which boost the development of democracy," the president said. According to the official, the fact that besides the heads of the member states, the presidents of Lithuania and Romania are taking part in the summit once again proves that the organization has bright prospects. Uzbekistan, a suspended member of GUUAM, is represented by its Ambassador to Moldova.

"We hope to increase
the efficiency of GUUAM’s cooperation with the US and the European Union," the Moldovan president remarked.

The Georgian Foreign Minister said that the alliance would consider admitting Russia, saying, "There is no point in guessing whether GUUAM will become an alternative to the CIS Äed- Commonwealth of Independent States, dominated by RussiaÅ. The CIS already has no prospects." That’s gotta hurt.

Georgia President Saakashvili called for Russian troops to leave his country, say that troops can only be stationed with a nation’s consent.

Azerbaijani President Aliyev made a commitment to resolving problems with autonomous regions through democratic means.

Just another red-letter day for Vladimir Putin.

Cross posted on Bloggledygook.