Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian presidential candidate favored to win the election, was featured in the Wall Street Journal yesterday: Ex-Ukraine Leader Angles for a Return.
Ukrainian presidential front-runner Viktor Yanukovych says that after five years under a pro-Western leader, his country needs to rebuild strong ties with Russia and ease up on pursuit of membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
"I have never denied the influence of the Russian factor in Ukrainian politics. We should always have taken it into account," said Mr. Yanukovych in his first interview with Western media since he kicked off his campaign a month ago.
In an October survey by the Razumkov Center in Kiev, Mr. Yanukovych lead with 29% support for the Jan. 17 vote. President Viktor Yushchenko trails in low single digits, while his rival and former Orange Revolution ally, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, is polling in second place at 20%. No candidate is expected to gain the 50% needed to triumph in the first round, and Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Yanukovych are expected to proceed to a February runoff.
In the 2004 election, Mr. Yanukovych, backed by Moscow, was initially declared the winner, until the so-called Orange Revolution, which brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets in Kiev to protest alleged vote-rigging. Mr. Yushchenko, who won the revote ordered by the Supreme Court, has had a strained relationship with Ukraine's eastern neighbor.
Mr. Yanukovych's resurgence comes on the back of the government's failure to push through promised overhauls, in part a consequence of infighting between the president and prime minister, who have failed to agree on an anticrisis program.
Ukraine's gross domestic product contracted 18% in the first half of the year, damaging the rating of Ms. Tymoshenko, who as prime minister is responsible for the economy. Ms. Tymoshenko's campaign emphasizes her industriousness in fighting the crisis, in spite of what she claims are blocking tactics by Mr. Yanukovych and Mr. Yushchenko. Her main campaign message reads, "She is working."
[...]
Mr. Yanukovych made clear that he would seek to improve ties with Russia, calling for "well-balanced" relations with the European Union and Russia, given Ukraine's strong economic ties with both neighbors.
He also said he wants to build "beneficial" relations with NATO, but not seek membership until the majority of Ukrainians are in favor. Surveys show that currently isn't the case....
