Deputy Speaker of the State Duma from the Yabloko faction Vladimir Lukin thinks that the leadership of Yugoslavia changed its position regarding the extradition of the former President of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic to the international tribunal in the Hague under the "pressure of circumstance".

In an interview with journalists on Tuesday June 26, 2001, Lukin expressed his opinion that the motives of the "decision to hand over Miloshevic are easy to understand - Yugoslavia badly needs money, and no other country apart form the United States will give them this money." However, stressed Lukin, he personally thinks that the position taken by the leadership of Yugoslavia towards Milosevic at the beginning was more correct.

Lukin recollected that the President of Yugoslavia Voislav Kostunica had previously declared that Slobodan Miloshevic, if the right conditions existed, would be judged in Yugoslavia. "I think that Kostunica was right then: the Milosevic case should be examined in Yugoslavia, and if there are claims in an international context, he can be judged by an international court only after serving his term in Yugoslavia," continued Lukin.

He also expressed his regret that the situation around the ex-President of Yugoslavia is considerably "politicised". Lukin also negatively assessed US actions that "has been taking an increasingly strange position in international legal disputes."

Based on Interfax reports.