Thread: Ukraine exit polls report Yanukovych election victory

Exit polls from Ukraine indicate that the pro-Moscow opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has narrowly won the country's presidential election.

They say Mr Yanukovych has a lead of several percentage points over opponent Yulia Tymoshenko, the Prime Minister.

He challenged Mrs Tymoshenko to quit, but she refused to concede.

If confirmed, it would be a remarkable comeback for Mr Yanukovych, who was swept aside five years ago by the peaceful "Orange Revolution".

Under the 59-year-old former mechanic, Ukraine's foreign policy is expected to become more pro-Russian.

The BBC's Richard Galpin in Kiev says a Yanukovych win would be an extraordinary indictment of the pro-Western Orange Revolution leaders' failure to deliver on their promises, which has left people deeply disillusioned.

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BBC News - Ukraine exit polls report Yanukovych election victory

This just keeps getting better and better...

Originally Posted by The_Penguin

BBC News - Ukraine exit polls report Yanukovych election victory

This just keeps getting better and better...

I read an article earlier that suggested Yulia may contest the outcome.


You have to post a picture of her, it's almost mandatory, Penguin.

She has to be the most attractive head of state in over a thousand years

Not a very good one but attractive none the less ( I can even get over the hair)

Hopefully Ukrainian leadership will realize that antagonizing Russia, a country for which the Ukraine is very dependant on economically is not a good idea. At least untill it can reshape and reorient its economy away from being so dependant on Russia

Originally Posted by Lord Tammerlain

She has to be the most attractive head of state in over a thousand years

Not a very good one but attractive none the less ( I can even get over the hair)

Hopefully Ukrainian leadership will realize that antagonizing Russia, a country for which the Ukraine is very dependant on economically is not a good idea. At least untill it can reshape and reorient its economy away from being so dependant on Russia

ITA, Lord T, re: her beauty. She is a stunner !

I don't know much (anything) about her governance tho. Only bits of headlines are sticking with me.

A terrible outcome.

Originally Posted by Lord Tammerlain

Realistically nothing

The Ukraine does not mean much to the west. It main economic importance is that it is the transit route for the majority of Russian natural gas to Europe.

That's the most visible reason.

Yes, you could ignore it. However, this is a strategically placed nation and very necessary for things such as supporting troops in Afghanistan (fly-over rights.)

It's not so much that Ukraine doesn't matter for the EU (the Baltic states are pretty much worthless in the grand scheme of things), but that the EU is morbidly afraid of conflict with Moscow and just wants to keep the gas flowing. It's cheaper to keep the taps open than to move away from gas a source of energy and potentially *gasp* stand for some of the reasons that so many EU politicians actually talk about.

Originally Posted by Lord Tammerlain

It does not have competitive heavy industry, its only real comparative advantage would be in agriculture ( Ukraine should be a very good exporter of wheat and other such crops). No high tech to speak of

Sure it does. Steel and weapons are some of the biggest exports.

Originally Posted by Lord Tammerlain

The only importance the Ukraine has for the west is to be a thorn in Russia's side.

Originally Posted by Lord Tammerlain

She has to be the most attractive head of state in over a thousand years

Not a very good one but attractive none the less ( I can even get over the hair)

Hopefully Ukrainian leadership will realize that antagonizing Russia, a country for which the Ukraine is very dependant on economically is not a good idea. At least untill it can reshape and reorient its economy away from being so dependant on Russia

Just about anything that you do as an independent nation pisses off Russia:
* Ukrainian being the only language.
* Black Sea fleet moving out of Crimea.
* Recognition of the Holodomor for what it was, a concerted effort of wiping out Ukraine's culture and population so as to make colonization easier.
* Actually controlling the gas transit routes and not just taking orders from Gazprom.