In Ukraine, a Resignation Indicates a Shift in Power

On Feb. 10, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accepted the resignation of the country's prosecutor-general, Vitaliy Yarema, and replaced him with Yarema's deputy, Viktor Shokin, who has served in the prosecutor-general's office under several different administrations. Yarema's resignation, which came under heavy political pressure, indicates that Dnipropetrovsk Gov. Igor Kolomoisky, an oligarch who frequently disagreed with Yarema, is gaining influence within the Western-oriented coalition government in Kiev. The shakeup in the prosecutor-general's office also highlights the challenges involved in making significant reforms in Ukraine. As power moves from one faction to another, the changes could threaten the ruling coalition's cohesion.