Ukraine: Yushchenko Trades Power for a Prime Minister

To get his prime minister nominee confirmed by Parliament, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko had to make concessions to the country's pro-Russian opposition that weaken his presidency. This creates an opportunity for Moscow to partly restore its influence in Ukraine. Meanwhile, other major internal political forces — including recently ousted Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko — could still affect Ukrainian politics, suggesting that any party's current gains will be short-lived, and with new alliances likely to form soon. The Ukrainian crisis is likely to continue through the spring 2006 parliamentary elections.