Ukrainians hit the polls on Sunday to elect a president in a run-off between Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich with analysts warning that political stability remained elusive. Sunday's presidential poll among 37 million registered Ukrainian voters follows a bitter electoral campaign during which opinion surveys were not permitted. Yanukovich won the initial round on 17 January by a ten-percent margin over Tymoshenko. Each candidate, however, has accused the other of trying to rig the vote and analysts warn that after ballot stations close late Sunday their tussle could shift to court wrangles and even street protests. Ukrainians have become largely disillusioned with politics in their country - almost six years after the euphoria of the 2004 Orange Revolution, when the telegenic Tymoshenko helped sweep the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko into the office of president on the promise of reform.
Sunday's presidential poll among 37 million registered Ukrainian voters follows a bitter electoral campaign during which opinion surveys were not permitted.
Yanukovich won the initial round on 17 January by a ten-percent margin over Tymoshenko.
Each candidate, however, has accused the other of trying to rig the vote and analysts warn that after ballot stations close late Sunday their tussle could shift to court wrangles and even street protests.
Ukrainians have become largely disillusioned with politics in their country - almost six years after the euphoria of the 2004 Orange Revolution, when the telegenic Tymoshenko helped sweep the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko into the office of president on the promise of reform.
The outcome of Sunday's Ukrainian run-off vote will likely improve ties between Moscow and Kiev, leaving Poland and the Czech Republic isolated in their fear of Russia. Germany holds the key to easing those concerns. It has become an annual tradition in Europe. Each winter since 2006, Russia has turned off natural gas supplies to Ukraine, which, in turn, has siphoned off gas meant for Western Europe. In each instance, Moscow has blamed the supply cuts on a pricing dispute between Gazprom, the Russian-controlled energy giant, and Ukraine, with Gazprom claiming it is owed millions in unpaid bills. Ukraine has countered that Russia is using energy as a foreign policy tool, to punish Ukraine for aspiring to closer ties with the West. This year, despite lingering disagreements over pricing, politics might have a hand in bringing this tradition to an end. Last month, Ukrainian voters selected Viktor Yanukovych, a candidate who advocates for closer ties with Russia, to face Yulia Tymoshenko in a presidential run-off election on Sunday. Tymoshenko, a leading figure in Ukraine's Orange Revolution in 2004 - the same revolution that removed Yanukovych from office - and who takes a more cautious view toward Russia, is well behind in the polls. If Yanukovych wins, Kiev's relations with Russia will be strengthened. This has begun already - last month, Russia resumed diplomatic ties with Ukraine after a five-year lull. Talk about Russian imperial ambitions, common under former president Viktor Yushchenko, will likely cease. Ukraine's possible shift toward a pro-Russia policy is troubling for Poland and the Czech Republic. Both have pointed to the Ukrainian gas disputes as evidence of Moscow's willingness to use economic resources as a foreign policy tool and of Russia's desire to reestablish its former sphere of influence. Ukraine under Yushchenko was a victim of these ambitions and an ally in lobbying the United States and NATO allies to speak more forcefully against Russia's increasingly strong rhetoric. A Ukraine under Yanukovych, or Tymoshenko, will no longer play this role.
It has become an annual tradition in Europe. Each winter since 2006, Russia has turned off natural gas supplies to Ukraine, which, in turn, has siphoned off gas meant for Western Europe. In each instance, Moscow has blamed the supply cuts on a pricing dispute between Gazprom, the Russian-controlled energy giant, and Ukraine, with Gazprom claiming it is owed millions in unpaid bills. Ukraine has countered that Russia is using energy as a foreign policy tool, to punish Ukraine for aspiring to closer ties with the West.
This year, despite lingering disagreements over pricing, politics might have a hand in bringing this tradition to an end. Last month, Ukrainian voters selected Viktor Yanukovych, a candidate who advocates for closer ties with Russia, to face Yulia Tymoshenko in a presidential run-off election on Sunday. Tymoshenko, a leading figure in Ukraine's Orange Revolution in 2004 - the same revolution that removed Yanukovych from office - and who takes a more cautious view toward Russia, is well behind in the polls.
If Yanukovych wins, Kiev's relations with Russia will be strengthened. This has begun already - last month, Russia resumed diplomatic ties with Ukraine after a five-year lull. Talk about Russian imperial ambitions, common under former president Viktor Yushchenko, will likely cease.
Ukraine's possible shift toward a pro-Russia policy is troubling for Poland and the Czech Republic. Both have pointed to the Ukrainian gas disputes as evidence of Moscow's willingness to use economic resources as a foreign policy tool and of Russia's desire to reestablish its former sphere of influence. Ukraine under Yushchenko was a victim of these ambitions and an ally in lobbying the United States and NATO allies to speak more forcefully against Russia's increasingly strong rhetoric. A Ukraine under Yanukovych, or Tymoshenko, will no longer play this role.
Ukraine under Yushchenko was a victim of these ambitions
Oh, really, how?
Ukraine's shift east leaves Poles, Czechs alone in fear of Russia | World | Deutsche Welle | 05.02.2010
US President Barack Obama has also seemingly abdicated the United States' role of Eastern European champion.
Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine's opposition leader, has narrowly won the presidential election against Yulia Tymoshenko, the prime minister, exit polls said.The National Exit Poll, a consortium partly funded byWestern embassies, said Yanukovich had secured48.7 per cent of Sunday's vote against Tymoshenko's 45.5 per cent. Another exit poll by ICTV said Yanukovich won 49.8 per cent of the vote against Tymoshenko's 45.2 per cent.The victory by Yanukovich, if confirmed by official results, marks a remarkable comeback by the 59-year-old ex-mechanic who was disgraced in 2004 by the "Orange Revolution" mass street protests which Tymoshenko led.
Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine's opposition leader, has narrowly won the presidential election against Yulia Tymoshenko, the prime minister, exit polls said.The National Exit Poll, a consortium partly funded byWestern embassies, said Yanukovich had secured48.7 per cent of Sunday's vote against Tymoshenko's 45.5 per cent.
Another exit poll by ICTV said Yanukovich won 49.8 per cent of the vote against Tymoshenko's 45.2 per cent.The victory by Yanukovich, if confirmed by official results, marks a remarkable comeback by the 59-year-old ex-mechanic who was disgraced in 2004 by the "Orange Revolution" mass street protests which Tymoshenko led.
