Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

1. “Unlike many countries of the world, Ukraine today lives a calm financial and economic life.”

– Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, discussing Ukraine’s economic situation on Oct. 18, not long before the hryvnia slid to 10 to the dollar from its summer high of 4.6 to the dollar.

2“[President Victor] Yushchenko needs to face the truth. Today he still has a right to care about the rights of bats. It’s seems to me, that bats and bees are those whom Yushchenko can still influence.”

– Nestor Shufrich, ex-Minister of Emergency Affairs on Dec. 16.

3“The main principle for Ukrainian politicians is to squeeze hard. To squeeze until there is nothing left. And if there is nothing left to squeeze, then squeeze more. All the same, something can be squeezed out.”

– Arseniy Yatsenyuk, former Verkhovna Rada speaker, on Oct. 1.

4 “The government has been in power for one year piling up debts, excuse me, but like a bitch gets lice.”

– President Victor Yushchenko addressing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko during a live TV show on Nov. 3.

5“I am not a fan of the president, frankly speaking, because I know much more than you do.”

– Tymoshenko on May 30.

6“Until the head of Georgiy Gongadze is found, Ukraine will remain the ‘headless rider.’ It seems to me that there is simply not enough courage, professionalism and independence to name those who ordered this murder.”

– Ukrainian Ombudsman Nina Karpacheva said, referring to the unsolved 2000 murder of Gongadze, on Sept. 23.

7 “Problem is that it’s impossible to carry the premier out of the Cabinet.”

– Yushchenko on Tymoshenko, on Dec. 18.

8Ukraine “needs neither actors nor fashion shows. It needs managers capable of not only talking, but acting.”

– Ex-Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych, referring to Yulia Tymoshenko’s wardrobe during a televised debate, on Oct. 13.

9“For the prime minister, the spirit of a coalition agreement itself is worth less than the paper on which it is written.”

– Yushchenko reacting to Tymoshenko’s characterization of his bloc’s lobbying as “arm-twisting,” on Oct. 3.

10 “If we sent all three instigators of this disorder – Yushchenko, Tymoshenko and Yanukovich – somewhere deep in the ocean or into outer space, the situation in Ukraine would have resolved very fast.” – Oleh Tyanybok, Verkhovna Rada former deputy, nationalist party Svoboda leaderon Dec. 10.