Election could step up Russia's influence

The victory of pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych in the Ukrainian presidential elections could strengthen Russia's influence in the region, writes the daily Diário de Notícias: "Yanukovych's victory ushers in a new period of instability for Ukraine, and that cannot be a matter of indifference for the rest of Europe. This enormous European country (larger than France or Spain) with a population of 46 million is in a position to unsettle the balance of power in the entire region. ... Moscow has already seen three of its former republics join Nato: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania."

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