The Anti-Manichaeist

Levko at Foreign Notes shares the perspective of an insider on whether there is a chance of effective cooperation between Yushchenko and Yanukovych(The President and PM of Ukraine who were rival candidates for the presidency before and during the Orange Revolution in 2004.).

“Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovich have only one [realistic] perspective - I started to talk about this after the second round of presidential elections. If the two Victors eventually comprehend that responsibility for the future of Ukraine rests on their shoulders, then they should find compromises and try, for two and a half or three years, to change the situation in the country for the better. Then there will be [good] prospects for both them and at us. If this does not happen, there will be elections for everybody and everything.”

I think this would fit the desire for both stability and change in their country that most Ukrainians want.  It is the sort of thing that will only happen when both leaders put to death their harmful rivalry and agree to care more for their fellow citizens.  Levko is pessimistic, but I think it’s worth praying for, as Ukraine’s peaceful development is of importance for the Former Soviet Union.

dlw