Yushchenko Names Kremlin Antagonist As PM

[Sleepless In NY]

Yushchenko Names Kremlin Antagonist As PM

Mon Jan 24, 9:28 PM ET
By MARA D. BELLABY, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW - Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko named his fiery, populist ally as prime minister Monday during a visit to Moscow, a move that upstaged his fence-mending meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites).




Yushchenko and Putin emerged from nearly three hours of talks looking more stern and reserved than when they began. Although Russia wants Ukraine to move forward on an economic plan to further unite the two neighbors, Yushchenko says any such plan must meet Kiev's national interests and not close it off to other markets, such as Europe.

Following their meeting, Putin and Yushchenko tried to emphasize the positive, with Putin thanking Yushchenko for his "constructive approach."


But during their meeting, Yushchenko's office announced in Kiev that Yulia Tymoshenko, 44, would be the next prime minister — a troubling choice for Russia.


Tymoshenko, a firebrand opposition leader, was a key driving force behind a wave of opposition protests dubbed the "Orange Revolution" that paved the way for Yushchenko's victory in a fiercely contested presidential race. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&e=5&u=/ap/ukraine_president

[FlemingsGhost]

1. This whole Ukraine facade stinks to high hell.

I simply don't understand the Yushchenko love-fest here at DU.

[Joz]

3. Cause we wish Kerry was like him.

I think mostly because it's a great story of overcoming an extremely corrupt system and taking back a stolen election, because he stood up against the election that was stolen from him, because he survived the poisoning and their attempts to kill him, he survived, beat them, and took back what was rightfully his, what they worked so hard to deprive him of. And it's actually going to change the country and future of all the people there. It's something that just feels so good.

And I think a lot of us wish Kerry would have lashed out against our own stolen election, like Yushchenko did. I think a lot of us look up to Yushchenko and wish all of our candidates would have such strength, passion, courage, and will.

[FlemingsGhost]

5. See post #4 (n/t)

Flem

[lanlady]

8. great answer!

Yushchenko's a courageous man. Some folks here at DU can't accept that he is what he is. He is not a tool of the CIA or the Bush family.

[makhno]

11. Not a tool of the US govt?

I guess the US simply liked his independence when they decided to pump millions of dollars into the Ukrainian election. The student organizations, election monitors and those warm orange tents didn't come without strings attached.

[TankLV]

15. Because you don't understand the Ukrainians thrist for freedom

from the russian yoke and love of their culture.

If you love freedom and democracy, you'd understand.

[cire4]

2. Ask the tens of thousands of young liberal Ukranians who....

lived in tents for 5 weeks in sub-zero temperatures. Then you'll understand the appeal that Yushchenko has. The guy is a liberal democratic reformer who has already made leaps and bounds in terms of changing the corrupt status-quo that existed in that country. His pledge for Ukranian membership in the EU shows that he's committed to democratic change. Perhaps in 10 years, Ukraine will follow in the paths of Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic as an eastern european success story.

[FlemingsGhost]

4. You might find this interesting:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CRG412A.html

[sandnsea]

6. Just a question

Is the US or western interests always worse than the alternative?

From the article in the OP:

"She also pledged to review privatization deals that allowed rich coal and steel magnates from the east to accumulate considerable wealth in the years following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

"They skimmed off the best cream of Ukrainian industry. ... All factories that were more or less profitable were divided between them," she told AP.

Yushchenko also said the government would review all questionable privatization deals, but would protect legitimate investments. He said the Kryvoryzhstal steel mill, which was sold to allies of Ukraine's previous leadership, was "stolen, not privatized."

[makhno]

10. Hahaha

Review those privatization deals that didn't benefit her already? The woman's a scumbag along the lines of the Russian "privatizers". Her appointment as PM is simply Yushchenko's nod to the local oligarchy that helped him to power. There were two other candidates, both of whom had credentials far surpassing Timoshenko's - or at least credentials that didn't involve corruption at the head of a national oil monopoly.

This isn't Castro and Che we're talking about here, folks, it's time to wake up.

[sandnsea]

12. Which wasn't my question

Is the US or western interests always worse than the alternative?

[makhno]

13. It's a false dichotomy

A truly popular government representing the interests of the Ukrainian people is what we should be supporting, not a puppet regime installed by Washington or Moscow. That would be a true alternative. The two choices given the Ukrainian people were much the same in their predictably negative impact on the country's future.

[sandnsea]

14. No it's not

Is it ever possible that the choice of the US is better than what's already in place in a country? Isn't there a difference between horrible and not the best? Does a leader have to be perfectly socialist to get your support? Does not being perfectly socialist automatically make someone corrupt?

[Joz]

7. Don't really buy it

Don't really buy it because... for this conspiracy to be true it alleges that:

a.) Well first a disclaimer: The russian-backed side has already lost an extremely high amount of credibility with their poisoning and attempting to kill Yushchenko, way before the elections.

b.) The exit polls had to be faked, fine, then what of the record-turnouts of election monitors internationally for the runoff election (dec.26th) who said that it went smooth?

c.) Surely such an allegation would be popular notion among the Yanukovych supporters, why aren't they in the streets over this? Especially if they are really the majority. Or maybe you can point me to some articles saying they are (Because if this IS the case and this conspiracy is true, then certainly our media wouldn't cover it).

There's just simply not enough evidence, I'm sorry.

I haven't read all the articles at that site so my apologies if the answers are contained there - I'm sleepy so goodnight!

[sybylla]

9. What cajones!

I hope he lives long enough to do some good.