Word: yushchenko
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...West as a ballot rigger, a Moscow stooge and a Soviet-style apparatchik. It was claims of massive vote rigging that brought thousands of Ukrainians into the streets of Kiev in 2004. The protests, dubbed the Orange Revolution, overturned Yanukovych's tainted victory and vaulted Viktor Yushchenko into the presidency. (See 10 political sequels, including Yanukovych's comeback...
...Yushchenko and his on-again, off-again Prime Minister Tymoshenko, a former gas tycoon, fell out and failed to effectively tackle Ukraine's rampant corruption as they had promised. When the economy contracted by a massive 15% last year, Tymoshenko's fate was probably sealed. Frustration and disillusionment kept millions of their supporters at home in this month's second round of voting, especially in the pro-Orange West. Yanukovych's core voters in the East and South turned out in force to cast their ballots for his simple message of change...
...Since his humiliation in 2004, the incoming President has recast himself as a moderate who sees integration with Europe as a path to higher living standards and wants close but not slavish relations with Moscow. Observers say that after 2004, Yanukovych's understanding of democracy evolved. "In 2007, when Yushchenko wanted to dissolve parliament, [then Prime Minister] Yanukovych's first reaction was to call Javier Solana and ask for mediation," says Olha Shumylo, director of the International Center for Policy Studies in Kiev. "This shows he sees the E.U. as an anchor of democracy...
Whichever path Yanukovych takes, there is little doubt that the unambiguously pro-Western policies of Yushchenko will come to an end. The new President has outlined a vision of a neutral Ukraine and, citing low domestic support, will not push for membership in NATO, although he has said continued cooperation would be "beneficial." But this doesn't necessarily signal a complete end of orange, as many commentators have predicted. After all, the protests five years ago were first and foremost about the people's right to choose their leader. "I think Ukrainians will be embarrassed about their choice," lamented...
Russia has been the regional master for centuries and there are few signs that it is ready to stop interfering. After unsuccessfully backing Yanukovych in the 2004 election, the Kremlin repeatedly slammed Yushchenko for his attempts to join NATO and his support of Georgia during its 2008 war with Russia. Twice Moscow has turned off the gas to Ukraine amid payment disputes, as it repeatedly tried to throw a wrench in Ukraine's Western integration...