Ukrainian Government Moves Closer to Russia

Putin offered the Ukrainian government money and cheaper gas yesterday, buying Ukrainian President Yanudovych more time to ignore the peoples' protests over recent weeks, something we've brought to your attention.

KIEV, Ukraine—Russia lavished Ukraine with a bailout package worth at least $20 billion Tuesday, trumping the West in a Cold War-tinged struggle that keeps the former Soviet republic in Moscow's orbit.

The pact, one of the richest ever offered by Russia to another country, came just weeks after Kiev turned its back on a trade deal with the EU that Moscow had strongly opposed...

It appears to be substantially larger and the terms less restrictive than the aid the West had been offering to entice Ukraine to sign the EU's trade-and-political accord. Russian officials said the first $3 billion in credits could be released within days.

"Ukraine's trade with Russia makes it impossible for us to act in any other way," Mr. Yanukovych said, referring to the deep economic links between the two countries. "There is no alternative to this."

Vitaly Klitschko, leader of the opposition (and former heavyweight boxer) replied:

"He has given up Ukraine's national interests, given up independence and prospects for a better life for every Ukrainian," an opposition leader, Vitali Klitschko, told crowds on Kiev's Independence Square.

Will ever-colder winter temperatures eventually cause the demonstrations in the Maidan to whither? We'll find out. Meanwhile, the tug of war over this huge land continues between Russia and the EU. Whether the Ukrainian people themselves ever benefit from all this remains a question. If politicians behave as they usually do, the answer should be obvious, and Yanukovych does strike me as a typical politician, using words to mask his ultimate desire to preserve and increase his personal power with little or no regard for his people. Will Klitschko prove any different? Will he, on the other hand, emerge as a statesman, a true leader who dedicates his efforts to the common good of his people?