Russia profits by the Ukrainian power struggle

Russia will gain the most from the power struggle between Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko, writes Der Standard newspaper. "The next step in this power struggle comes with the early elections on December 7 - the third in three years. The elections are an indirect consequence of the war in Georgia. While Yushchenko ... condemned the Russian action and stood firmly on the side of the controversial Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Tymoshenko avoided openly criticising Moscow. ... The result is a polarisation that harms the country as a whole - and that heightens Moscow's influence. This is all the sadder as a broad consensus exists among the Ukrainian population, politicians and businesspeople that the future of the country lies with the EU. But with the current political players, the way there is firmly blocked."

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