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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Ukraine: A Tour of the Biggest Stumbling Blocks Ahead


Feb 26, 2014 02:00 am | Steven Pifer
Things change fast. Just a few days ago, Ukraine teetered on the brink of violent chaos. Thousands of demonstrators faced off against riot police in pitched battles in central Kyiv that left scores dead and hundreds injured. Now, calm is returning to the capital, President Yanukovych has fled, and the pro-European opposition has taken charge.
Putting Ukraine on a successful trajectory will require hard work and political sensitivity. Success is far from guaranteed. The new government, which is expected to be in place by the end of the week, will face serious challenges.
The first challenge is managing the politics among the leaders. Vitaliy Klitschko, Arseniy Yatseniuk and Oleh Tyanibok presented a united opposition front over the past three months of crisis. They joined this past weekend to support the appointment of Olexander Turchynov as chairman of the Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) and acting president.
They need to continue to work together as the Rada elects a prime minister and a new cabinet takes shape. Yulia Tymoshenko returned to Kyiv from prison on February 22, adding yet another player to the mix.
The inability in 2005 of President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Tymoshenko to work together was a big reason why the 2004 Orange Revolution failed. In-fighting now could likewise derail things—and a looming May 25 presidential election may generate splits.
read more http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/ukraine-tour-the-biggest-stumbling-blocks-ahead-9955

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