The Orange Revolution shook the former Soviet Union, ushering in a pro-Western government in Ukraine that seemingly stood as a model for the many post-Soviet states seeking to emerge from authoritarianism. The movement broke out after protesters asserted that Mr. Yanukovich had triumphed in the 2004 presidential election overViktor A. Yushchenko only because of widespread fraud. A new election was held, which Mr. Yushchenko won. He had already garnered worldwide attention when he was poisoned by dioxin during the campaign, a crime never solved.
The country has been a focal point of the struggle for influence in post-Soviet space. It has long been divided, with Ukrainian speakers in western regions wanting ties to Europe and Russian speakers in the east and south more sympathetic to Moscow.
Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe, with 46 million people, and serves as a vital transportation point for natural gas from Russia.
In February 2010, Viktor F. Yanukovich narrowly defeated Prime Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko in a presidential runoff election. Ms. Tymoshenko had been one of the heroes of the so-called Orange Revolution. Mr. Yanukovich was the loser in the pro-Western revolution, which erupted when protesters declared that his victory in the 2004 presidential election was tainted by fraud. A new election was organized and Mr. Yanukovich was defeated after his rivals portrayed him as a Kremlin lackey who would govern as an old-style Soviet boss.
Mr. Yanukovich made a comeback in the 2010 presidential campaign, though, pledging that he was a changed man. He said that he would safeguard political and media freedoms and guarantee that Ukraine would have warm relations with both the West and neighboring Russia. But a year and a half after taking office with a vow to pursue close ties to Russia, Mr. Yanukovich was overseeing a broad crackdown on the pro-Western opposition that mirrored the kind of pressure tactics used by his allies in the Kremlin.
Sources:
The New York Times
The country has been a focal point of the struggle for influence in post-Soviet space. It has long been divided, with Ukrainian speakers in western regions wanting ties to Europe and Russian speakers in the east and south more sympathetic to Moscow.
Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe, with 46 million people, and serves as a vital transportation point for natural gas from Russia.
In February 2010, Viktor F. Yanukovich narrowly defeated Prime Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko in a presidential runoff election. Ms. Tymoshenko had been one of the heroes of the so-called Orange Revolution. Mr. Yanukovich was the loser in the pro-Western revolution, which erupted when protesters declared that his victory in the 2004 presidential election was tainted by fraud. A new election was organized and Mr. Yanukovich was defeated after his rivals portrayed him as a Kremlin lackey who would govern as an old-style Soviet boss.
Mr. Yanukovich made a comeback in the 2010 presidential campaign, though, pledging that he was a changed man. He said that he would safeguard political and media freedoms and guarantee that Ukraine would have warm relations with both the West and neighboring Russia. But a year and a half after taking office with a vow to pursue close ties to Russia, Mr. Yanukovich was overseeing a broad crackdown on the pro-Western opposition that mirrored the kind of pressure tactics used by his allies in the Kremlin.
Sources:
The New York Times
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