Ukraine is more likely to balance between east and west than rush back to Moscow. There are even some in Ukraine who think that Yanukovych could be a ‘Ukrainian Nixon'. Like Nixon in China, because he is more reassuring to Russia and to Ukraine's Russian-speaking population, he could actually take Ukraine further towards Europe in the long run than Yushchenko ever managed.
Andrew Wilson discussing the possibilities under a Yanukovych presidency. I'm always wary about making analogies, but the Yanukovych/Nixon analogy is plausible. However, as Wilson notes the current president's government and cabinet looks more like Kuchma 2004
Unfortunately, Yanukovych, like Kwasniewski, is surrounded by too many representatives of the old guard, men who held power under president Leonid Kuchma (1994-2004) or were prominent during Yanukovych's brief return as prime minister in 2006-07.Yanukovych is still focused on power consolidation, not in policy shifts that benefit Ukraine. I suppose a gas deal revision would be one indicator on the kind of government to expect from him, serious about change or just more rent-seeking.
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