Ukraine: The Impact of Elections on Energy Negotiations

Negotiations over natural gas rates have intensified between Ukraine and Russia in recent months, with both countries seeking leverage from new energy projects and partnerships. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich's Oct. 22 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow comes less than a week before Ukrainian parliamentary elections, but the negotiations will remain contentious regardless of which party wins the election. For Ukraine, the issue is a matter of national strategic interests; capitulating to Russia's demands would entail Kiev surrendering some aspects of its national sovereignty. Kiev's ability to resist Moscow, then, depends as much on economics as it does domestic politics.