KIEV, April 5 ??“ Ukraine will probably tap Boeing and Airbus, the world??™s two biggest aircraft makers, to buy out Russia in a military transport plane project, Economy Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said Wednesday.

The plan comes as Russia indicated it would withdraw from Antonov An-70 project amid concerns that Ukraine had been seeking to join NATO, an alliance that Russia views as a military threat.

???We see that Russia??™s position is very negative,??? Anatoliy Kinakh, the top security advisor to President Viktor Yushchenko, said Wednesday. ???The situation is that we have to seek partners so that we don??™t lose the plane.???

The development underscores a growing split between Russia and Ukraine as Kiev has been seeking a pro-Western course since January 2005, while Moscow has been taking steps to retaliate.

???It is unwise to deal with the plane now, especially within the background of Ukraine's plans to join NATO," Russia??™s Air Force Commander-in-Chief Army General Vladimir Mikhailov told Interfax-Military News Agency.

Russia, whose defense ministry has covered 72% of costs to design the aircraft, said it would now seek to get the money back from Ukraine, while Ukraine would market the plane on its own.

An-70, whose development was ordered by the former Soviet army, was supposed to replace an aging fleet of An-12, which is currently in widespread military and civilian use with operators throughout the CIS.

The most prominent feature of the An-70 is its four counter rotating scimitar propellers designed to offer very high speed combined with low fuel consumption.

Takeoff and landing speeds are also lower thanks to the propellers, while the An-70's ability to fly from relatively short fields means it can operate from 80% of all ClS airstrips, allowing shorter journeys and greater point to point flights.

The aircraft apparently can carry some 300 soldiers, or to airdrop 110 paratroops. It had to be able to lift bulky cargoes, including modern tanks, artillery and other military equipment.

Despite its use of propellers, the An-70 flies at speeds not much below those of turbojets.

Cruise is in the 750-800km/h range, only 50- 100km/h lower than that of rival Ilyushin Il-76, a turbojet that Russia will probably seek to use to replace An-70. However, An-70 consumes less than a half fuel used by Il-76, industry analysts said.

Airbus has been apparently seeking to develop an aircraft with similar features, A400M, and has been even studying An-70 for possible use, but had apparently decided to continue development of its own plane.

Antonov believes that the An-70 will be some 40% cheaper than the European A400M. For 288 aircraft NATO requirement, this may equate to 8-10 billion euros, industry analysts said. (jp/ez)