The swearing in ceremony of Ukrainian new head of state, Victor Yanukovich has taken place at the Rada - the Ukrainian parliament after receiving the blessing of the Russian Patriarch Kirill, who travelled to Kiev at the invitation of Yanukovich.
It is expected that significant changes will happen in Kiev, in heeding the aspirations of politicians and the citizens alike, as evidenced by the results of the recent presidential election in the country. Within five years, the Victor Yushchenko-led government so mismanaged the nation that it was borrowing money for the day to day running of the country; production dropped by 50 per cent in certain industrial sectors, half of the country's enterprises either stopped work completely or operated by fits and starts. Ukraine's credit rating has been brought down six times in the last 3 years. Nikolai Azarov, one of the leaders of the Party of the Regions claims that the several billion dollars of foreign loans have been spirited away by unknown officials.
Mikhail Pogrebinsky, Director of the Kiev Center for political studies believes that Victor Yanukovych and his team will have to take extraordinary measures to buck the present unhealthy situation in Ukraine.
The domestic and foreign policies of Ukraine will witness changes in the new dispensation, said Pogrebinsky, adding "I do not however support revolutionary changes in all areas since the new authorities in Kiev have limited opportunities", said Pogrebinsky. The most significant changes will happen in foreign policy, because for five years Yushchenko and his team pursued an irrational foreign policy, characterized not by the protection of the national interests of Ukraine, but by a desire to artificially create problems in Russian-Ukrainian ties.
Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy Director of the Institute of the CIS shares the opinion of the Ukrainian political analyst.
Yushchenko's strategy of keeping Russia at an arm's length while moving closer to Europe was a flawed one. He distanced Kiev from Russia but failed to get it into Europe. Victor Yanukovich should get a thorough bearing of events in the world, especially concerning the level of relationships between the world leading powers in order to have the right understanding of how to build the new Ukrainian foreign and domestic policies, said Vladimir.
Alexander Vlasov, Director General of the Center for the study of post-Soviet territories says that Ukrainian new leaders have ahead of them the difficult task of establishing civilized relationships with Russia.
One thing is clear: the distorted picture of two countries, which are sworn enemies determined to do each other in, a picture that Victor Yushchenko had laboured hard to paint of Russia and Ukraine, is disappearing, or should disappear. Both countries should strive to re-establish their historical friendly bonds in the interests of Russians and Ukrainians, said Vlasov.
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