KIEV, May 5 - Ukraine should take “national interests” into consideration while studying Russia’s latest proposal to merge Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrayiny, President Viktor Yanukovych said Wednesday.

If the government decides to go ahead in discussions over the merger, Ukraine will also invite the European Union as a third party in the talks, Yanukovych said.

“Ukraine’s answer will come after we calculate everything from the point of view of our national interests,” Yanukovych said.

“If the decision is approved to conduct the talks on the issue suggested by the prime minister of Russia, at a certain stage we have to invite to the talks the EU as the main consumer of gas,” Yanukovych said.

Yanukovych responded to mounting criticism from opposition groups in Ukraine concerned that the merger between Gazprom and Naftogaz would be a major blow against the national interests.

The developments underscore the sensitive issue after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last week has suddenly suggested merging assets of Gazprom and Naftogaz.

The issue is extremely sensitive as Ukraine’s natural gas assets, including gas pipelines carrying Russian gas for exports to the European Union, are considered strategic assets and their privatization is prohibited by law.

The opposition groups have been calling for massive street protests and have been creating national resistance movements to prevent the merger.

Viktor Yushchenko, a former president of Ukraine, said the merger would not threaten Ukraine’s independence, but will also be a major threat to the European Union.

“Putin’s proposal means creation of Gazprom similar to the one of the Cold War, when oil and gas has been used [by the Soviet Union] as a tool of pressure on the entire Europe,” Yushchenko said in a statement.

“Such imperialistic project contradicts Ukraine’s national interests,” Yushchenko said. “This is the way towards resuming corruption and dictatorship of the monopoly on the Ukrainian as well as on the European energy markets.”

Ukraine may control 6% stake in the combined company after the merger, according to AGI, a Russian energy agency. The combined company will have a market capitalization of $260 billion with annual sales of $119 billion, AGI reported.

Ukrainian opposition parties, already outraged by the recent agreement in which Yanukovych has agreed to extend stationing of Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea by 25 years in exchange for lower gas prices, pledged to fight the merger plans.

“This could be taken as a joke, but in front of our eyes is being carried out a massive plan to liquidate the independent state of Ukraine,” Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister and the leader of the largest opposition group, said in a statement.

“They started with Crimea,” Tymoshenko said. “They later declared creation of the so-called joint ventures on the basis of vitally important, strategic assets that are in state ownership.”

“This is not simply joining forces as partners,” Tymoshenko said. “This is a total acquisition of Ukraine by Russia.”

Tymoshenko said the merger would “dissolve” Ukraine in the “vast territory” of Russia.

Tymoshenko called on her supporters to show up for a massive rally in front of Parliament building on May 11 to put pressure on the government to stop the merger talks.

“The time is running out, we have to act immediately,” Tymoshenko said in a statement. “Only all-national resistance can stop this.” (tl/ez)