--- Leigh Meyers <leighcmeyers at yahoo.com> quoted: What is his current state of health, in the middle of a high-stakes tussle for power that has pitted the West against Russia?
--- Whether Yushch. was poisoned or not (BTW, one of the parlamentary deputies who said the poisoning allegation was a load of crap had a landmine placed outside his home. Hmm.) I really, really think that the extent to which this is a "the West" versus Russia matter is quite overhyped. This is a contest between western and eastern Ukrainian oligarchic business clans appealing to Moscow, Brusels, Warsaw and Washington fpr short-term tactical purposes and/or playing ethnic cards.
No matter who is president of Ukraine, the country's foreign policy will no doubt be one of balancing foreign great powers off against each other in order to increase Kiev's standing. Ukraine cannot adopt a "pro-Western" foreign policy becaise it cannot afford to. 40% of Ukraine's trade is with Russia. 80% of Ukraine's energy comes from Russia. Ukrainian migrant workers in Russia sending money home are a major source of revenue for Kiev. The EU does not want Ukraine as a member. Joining NATO would be murderous for the Ukrainian economy, which is militarized. I could go on.
It will be a repeat of Saakashvili -- lots of nationalist and pro-Western rhetoric but almost nothing of substance. Actually Saakashvili has been much more pro-Moscow that Shev. was on the subject of Chechnya.
===== Nu, zayats, pogodi!
__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo