Woofer

Who Will Win the Economic Battle for Ukraine?

It's good to see Ukraine getting the attention that its strategic position warrants. But the article vastly oversimplifies the political situation. Describing Tymoschenko as "very much pro-Russia" is simply false. With presidential elections coming up, three major figures are jockeying for position: Tymoschenko, Yuschenko and Viktor Yanukovitch, the former president whom Yuschenko defeated and who heads up the Party of the Regions.

It is Yanukovich who is "very much pro-Russia". Tymoschenko and Yuschenko were in fact allies during the Orange Revolution but their personal ambitions have now made them rivals. Tymoschenko is currently trying to position herself between Yuschenko and Yanukovitch as a centrist with the pragmatic ability to work with both the Eastern and Western camps. Although there is an element of opportunism to her position, there is an essential logic as well. Ukraine's survival depends on maintaining at least a working relationship with Russia, and the Russian-speaking Eastern Ukrainians woulds never accept a 100% pro-Western policy.

With Yuschenko as president and Tymoschenko as prime minister, the current Ukrainian economic collapse is exacerbated by their standoff because it results in political paralysis at a moment of crisis. Stalemate wasn't such a bad thing when the economy was doing well, but now it's a tragedy. And it reinforces Ukrainian cynicism about the capacity of a democratic government to manage public affairs.

By the way, a good English-language source of current news about Ukraine is the Kyiv Post online edition.