[Ohio UZO News] Ukraine: FT (2); NYT; RFE/RL

[Deychak, Orest]

Financial Times


www.ft.com


Yanukovich sworn in as Ukraine president


By Roman Olearchyk in Kiev 

Published: February 25 2010 12:41 

Victor Yanukovich vowed to steer Ukraine on a course between Russia and
the west as he was sworn in as Ukraine's president on Thursday.

"Ukraine will choose such a foreign policy that will allow the state to
get the maximum results from the development of equal and mutually
advantageous relations with Russia, the European Union, the US and other
governments," he said at the inauguration ceremony in the country's
parliament. 

He went on to describe his vision of Ukraine as a "neutral European
state".

The inauguration completes Mr Yanukovich's remarkable political comeback
more than five years after the Orange Revolution overturned a
fraud-marred presidential vote in his favour.

Backed by some of Ukraine's wealthiest business oligarchs, the
59-year-old former mechanic takes over the strategically important
country of 46m that borders the EU and where Russia and the west have
jostled for influence.

Relations with Moscow soured under his predecessor Viktor Yushchenko,
who pushed for Kiev to join Nato. To the satisfaction of Moscow, which
strongly opposes Nato's eastward expansion, Mr Yanukovich has pledged to
keep Ukraine out of any military bloc. 

However, the new president's first foreign trip will be to Brussels on
Monday, days ahead of a visit to Moscow. 

Mr Yanukovich's immediate task will be to calm Ukraine's political
infighting and stabilise the ailing economy, which saw gross domestic
product plunge 15 per cent last year.

Despite a controversial background, which includes two stints in jail
for petty crimes during his youth, Mr. Yanukovich's victory,
<http://www.ft.com/indepth/ukraine-elections> in an election dubbed
largely democratic, has been well-received by both Russia and the west.
His inauguration was attended by senior officials from Brussels, Russia
and former Soviet republics.

Mr Yanukovich's political career seemed doomed after he lost the the
2004 presidential contest as the Moscow-backed candidate. Six years on,
he capitalised on bitter rivalries between the Orange Revolution leaders
and narrowly beat Yulia Tymoshenko, prime minister, in a February 7
run-off vote.

Despite winning the presidency, Mr Yanukovich has yet to consolidate
enough political power in Kiev to push through his agenda.  In the near
term, he will seek to oust Ms Tymoshenko as prime minister, a position
that holds more authority over domestic affairs than the presidency.

Backed by a fragile parliamentary majority, she continues to cling to
power and accuses Mr Yanukovich of pandering to Moscow's interests by
pursuing "anti-Ukrainian and anti-European policies."

Mr Yanukovich threatens to retaliate by calling snap parliamentary
elections. Doing so could help him form a loyal governing coalition in
the long term, but it could jeopardise short-term efforts to pull
Ukraine out of recession.

The most controversial of Mr Yanukovich's alleged plans include
prolonging the stay of Russia's Black Sea fleet at a Ukrainian port.
Another controversial plan could give Russia, Europe and Ukrainian
businessmen loyal to him a management stake in Ukraine's strategic
natural gas pipeline via a consortium. Granting Russian official state
language status would be welcome in the heartland of his support in
eastern Ukraine, but it would alienate western Ukraine, which speaks
Ukrainian.

Meanwhile, Brussels has urged Kiev to put an end to political infighting
and stabilise its economy by resuming cooperation with the International
Monetary Fund. The IMF froze a $16.4bn bail-out package late last year
due to lack of political consensus and reforms. Should Mr Yanukovich get
caught up in bitter rivalries with opponents, as Mr Yushchenko did
throughout his presidency, his ability to govern will suffer.


Financial Times


Editorial


 Viktor's choices


Published: February 24 2010 

Viktor Yanukovich, who is due to be inaugurated on Thursday as Ukraine's
new president, is getting his priorities right by picking Brussels for
his first foreign trip.

But next week's brief visit will not make a policy. Mr Yanukovich will
have his work cut out convincing the European Union he is really
committed to co-operation.

The burly ex-bureaucrat takes power after a bruising election in which
he beat the leaders of the Orange Revolution - Viktor Yushchenko,
outgoing president, and Yulia Tymoshenko, prime minister. Mr Yanukovich
first made international headlines for his unsavoury role in the 2004
election when his campaign was widely condemned as fraudulent. In most
European states he would rightly have been wiped from political life.
Many Ukrainians see his election now as a national humiliation.

So Mr Yanukovich has much to prove, starting with his democratic
credentials. He must also revive a stalled International Monetary Fund
rescue vital to bringing Ukraine out of financial crisis.

In foreign policy, he should clarify his intentions. Mr Yushchenko was
unusual among Ukrainian leaders in openly backing rapid integration with
the west. Mr Yanukovich is returning to the Kiev norm of balancing the
west with Russia. 

Mr Yanukovich is more comfortable in Moscow than in Brussels. But he is
not naively pro-Russian. Ukraine's business oligarchs, his big backers,
would hate to have the Kremlin breathing down their necks, like their
Russian counterparts. But they do want favours from Moscow, notably
cheap gas.

The EU must give Mr Yanukovich time to explain his plans. For example,
he has pledged to join a Russia-led customs union as well as continuing
talks with Brussels on a free trade agreement. But it is unclear if
these aims are compatible. He wants to bring Russia and the EU into a
consortium to help run Ukraine's vital gas pipelines. But on what terms?
A genuine partnership that would stabilise the crisis-prone trade is one
thing. A sell-out to Gazprom and/or shady businessmen quite another.

Ukraine missed chances after 2004 to accelerate integration with the EU.
With Russia now stronger and the EU pre-occupied with other issues, a
new rush to the west is not feasible. Balancing Russia and the west is a
reasonable choice. But Mr Yanukovich must not forget most Ukrainians see
their future in EU integration. Any short-term deal done with Moscow
must not harm the long-term prospects. The EU should tell him so.

The New York Times 

www.nytimes.com

 

For His First Trip, Ukraine's New Leader Turns to Europe Before Russia 

By CLIFFORD J. LEVY 

24 February 2010

Late Edition - Final

10

MOSCOW -- President-elect Viktor F. Yanukovich of Ukraine, who tried
during the campaign to shed his reputation as an obedient Kremlin ally,
intends to make his first foreign trip after taking office to Brussels,
not Moscow, officials said on Tuesday.

Mr. Yanukovich, whose inauguration is on Thursday, is scheduled to visit
the headquarters of the European Union next Monday for meetings with
senior officials. He is to hold talks with the president of the European
Council, Herman Van Rompuy; the president of the European Commission,
Jose Manuel Barroso; and others.

Later in the week, he is likely to go to Moscow to see President Dmitri
A. Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin.

Mr. Yanukovich's decision to travel to Brussels seems intended to send a
message to the country that he is serious about bolstering relations
with Europe and that he will not be beholden to Russia. It may also help
in his effort to appeal to voters who supported his opponent, Prime
Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko.

Ms. Tymoshenko's base is in western Ukraine, where people tend to yearn
for closer ties to Europe and reject Russian influence. Mr. Yanukovich
won the Feb. 7 election by 3.5 percentage points by rolling up large
margins in eastern Ukraine, which is more oriented toward Moscow.

The Kremlin offered no reaction on Tuesday to Mr. Yanukovich's decision
to go to Brussels first. Under the departing Ukrainian president, Viktor
A. Yushchenko, relations with Russia were very tense, and Russian
officials seem pleased about just not having to deal with him.

Ms. Tymoshenko, who dropped her legal challenge over the election on
Saturday, is refusing to step down as prime minister, and Mr. Yanukovich
is seeking to assemble a coalition in Parliament to dismiss her. His
move to woo the West may improve his chances of garnering support from
deputies who may otherwise vote for her.

Europe has long been worried about political instability in Ukraine,
which has a large manufacturing economy and serves as a conduit for
Russian natural gas.

In an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal last week, Mr.
Yanukovich wrote that he wanted Ukraine to be a bridge between Russia
and the West.

''A Yanukovich presidency is committed to the integration of European
values in Ukraine,'' he said, later adding, ''We are a nation with a
European identity, but we have historic, cultural and economic ties to
Russia as well.'

 

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

'Features <http://www.rferl.org/archive/Features/latest/651/651.html>  

Unloved But Unbowed, Ukraine's Viktor Yushchenko Leaves Office

http://www.rferl.org/content/Unloved_But_Unbowed_Ukraines_Viktor_Yushche
nko_Leaves_Office/1967436.html

 

 

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