Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

A supporter of Ukrainian opposition leader and presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych, is seen during a massive rally, in front of Central Election Commission, in Kyiv on Feb. 8, 2010. (AP) Every revolution sparks a counterrevolution. The French revolution in 1789 was followed by Napoleon and the restoration of the monarchy. After the Russian revolution, the czar's forces regrouped and fought a bloody civil war.

Sunday's election of Viktor Yanukovych as president of Ukraine does not represent the counterrevolution -- or at least not yet. For those who don't remember, Yanukovych was the bad guy of the 2004 Orange Revolution. An ex-thug and former communist with a criminal record, he ran for president that year with the overt backing of the Russian government and tried to steal the election. After weeks of street protests he backed down and eventually allowed the actual winner, Viktor Yushchenko, to come to power. It was post-Soviet Ukraine's first truly democratic election.

Fast-forward to 2010, and many things look different: Yushchenko was a bitter disappointment to his countrymen. The recession hit Ukraine hard, and many difficult decisions were not made. The Ukrainian government still has not gotten around to privatizing land or removing Soviet-era subsidies from the budget. Tensions between the western and eastern halves of the country have not decreased. As things got tougher, politicians began squabbling among themselves, making reform impossible; the value of the currency has fallen by half. Read the entire article here.