We should welcome the improvement in relations between the neighbouring countries. Russia has a right to object to being encircled by NATO, but must respect Ukraine as a sovereign state.

The President of Ukraine recognizes the need for loans and trade. This is a situation that can benefit Ukraine and Russia. Joint industrial projects, a soft loan, new payments for the Russian bases. All Russian political leaders need to show is generosity towards the Ukraine in its crisis. It will seal their friendship for a hundred years.

Good news...You are not only friends but a related family members for 100 of years and much longer than that....Ukraine place is in close ties with Russia by all means! Victor Yanukovich will bring change for better for all Ukrainian people (Ukrainians and Russians) ...Good luck and all the best! Thanke you!

The demise of the political fortunes of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution is due in part to the smart play by Russia and Prime Minister Putin in particular. When Ukraine played with its transit status of Russia gas to Europe in order to embarrass Russia, their American puppet masters did not take into account Russia's resolute stand to turn off the flow of gas not two days but three weeks. This is was a hard lesson for leaders of the Orange Revolution and also a good lesson for the Ukrainian population that if they accept to be used as a conduit for U.S geopolitical agenda against Russia, then they cannot do it at the expanse of access to cheap Russian gas. Despite all the crocodile tears from the Washington that "Russia was using gas a political weapon", the Russians stood firm. This is was the real turning point for the end of the popularity of the Orange Revolution. The primary reason why Yulia Timpshenko came close second to Viktor Yanukovich in the presidential election is because of her pragmatic approach to Ukraine's relationship with Russian. But she is a drama queen and it looks that now Yanukovich can start a new pragmatic relationship both with the West and with Russia.So, in examining Ukrainian political drama we cannot under estimate Russia’s patient smart play. What happened to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine is also indicative of the ad hoc and unfocused U.S hit and run destabilizing foreign policy model. The U.S was not able to help Ukraine’s economically but used the country as a staging post in its program of neo-liberal mark reforms and military expansion. Both are shortsighted and that is the same formula has failed in Georgia and has failed to take hold in Iran. Now, Bulgaria and other East European nations willing to be used as conduit for U.S military expansion directed against Russia should also think long and hard of their long term economic interests and alienating Russia is not their best interest.

This is good news for Russia, this is good news for Ukraine, and this is even good news for the West. It removes, or at least cripples, a counter productive antagonism between Ukraine and Russia that produced tension between Russia and the West and which destabilized the flow of energy through Ukraine to Western Europe. Besides a bulwark against an imagined threat, namely a Russian offensive, and a potential small contingent of troops for Afghanistan, I don't see what the West has to lose from this. Ukraine is a troubled country. Hopefully Yanukovich will help channel his country's passions in a direction more to its benefit than irrelevant divisive arguments with Russia over history.

So THAT what the west`s propaganda about "unfair elections" was about, ha ha ha! Looks like in the future the USA-led circus of endless slander against Russia will be picking up momentum talking about Cremlin`s "horrible" influence over poor, small countries that "don`t know better". And if it translates to Soros and his ilk being thrown out as the saboteurs that they are, then I do hope the door hits them on the way out :-)

Finally Ukraine now begins it's new Dawn in foreign relation's with Russia which seems to got on a positive start and yes there is a lot of work to do to rebuild relation's with Russia and also to extend the Black Sea military lease that come's to an end in 2017 this is a great start. Russia and Ukraine now have a chance to build a Pan-European security treaty to become more neutral and Judge affairs in Europe accordingly. Russia has always been a loyal and humble ally toward Ukraine yes they have always had differences but now they both can now build a more stable relation's that was horribly stalled by the "Orange Revolution". "Russia and Ukraine" do us all proud.

The Ukrainians from the western part of the country have traditionally been pro-west and anti-Russian (anti-orthodox). A majority of them have even willingly participated in squads of Nacy-Germany during WWII. Many of these Ukrainians committed terrible crimes against humanity, murdering millions of orthodox Russians and Jews. Now they have experienced a defeat, clear and complete. But they might recover in the future and the new Ukrainian leadership must take care these pro-west elements in Ukrainian society never ever to get the control in the country again. Ukraine has always been the core of the Russian identity and let us hope that it will continue to be so for centuries. Thank you, Ukraine! Thank you Mr Yanukovich!

This is the best good news in decades ! Best wishis and goor luck to you Russia and Ukraine !

NATO can't muster more than a few thousand troops to fight in Afghanistan, and some people think that they want to mess with Russia! That's funny. The USA is broke and wars are VERY expensive. The UK just finished paying the US back for WW II. The NATO countries probably hope Ukraine gets rich, so that they don't have to lend them any money. The only people that the American people wish any ill, are those who come over here and murder defenseless civilians. And you can bet money that we will fight them for as long as the USA exists. No sacrifice for THAT purpose is too great.

Continuing on Katrina's comments. (I like you comments, Katrina) The regime change in the Ukraine has enormous geo-strategic significance. Most post-USSR countries who have adopted a virulent anti-Russian stance to gain favors with the bankrupt US are now having second thoughts. Those who are familiar with the incapacity of the United States to help any country out of underdevelopment knew exactly what the outcome would be. But many people in Eastern Europe (add Georgia) expected bonanza from the ilk of Soros. Well, now they know better, at least the Ukrainian people do. Its fate is tied inextricably to the generous heart of Russia. This is true to the extent that Russia agreed to yield sovereignty of Crimea over to Ukraine while countries were part of the Soviet Union. Thus Ukraine belongs to Russia and Russia belongs to Ukraine. The sooner the people of Ukraine become aware of this truth, the better for them and for the world. Now, the Ukrainian people must jump over another hurdle that was exploited by the Western powers to divide Ukraine into two antagonistic sections: anti_Russian and pro-Russian. Divide and rule strategy that Western powers have used for centuries to subjugate other countries politically and economically. Whatever the basis was for this fault-line (religion, ideology, political orientation, etc.) it is imperative for Ukraine's future that the people dump the huge divide into the dustbin of history and forge a united and indivisible nation in their country. This would be the highest political achievement for the Ukrainians. It will set their future on the right track.

There are no friends in politics, just the users and the used. Generally, one party gets the shaft and the other party gets the GOLD MINE.

I hope no Ukrainian will read those comments about Russian friendship - holodomor all the way :)

A Russian-Ukrainian friendship is friendship that can be ended didn't ever start. By the way Mr Yanukovich is a pragmatist.

The funny thing about Ukraine; while half hate Russia and half love Russia, they nearly all hate Poland. Maybe Ukraine can be neutral with regard east and west. But why be boring, they can always go north, with east and west not stopping them:-)

armen08 Thank you for your kind remarks. Forums like this are good for creating space for genuine exchange of ideas. It is imperative that Russia do not wait until its surrounded by U.S missiles and U.S puppet regimes. I saw in other blog at RT on business that Russia is no upgrading its seafaring infrastructure which is lessen Russia’s reliance on Estonian sea port to ship Russian goods to Europe via Estonia. This will have serious economic and geo-political implications for Estonia. Russia should have made this and similar moves against country which show overt or subtle anti-Russian feelings. However, Russian should show more mercy to countries which show warm and friendly relationship with Russia. This is basic to international relations.

Russia should not let a few paranoid people dominate their thought process. Russia and America need to pull together for the interests of their citizens. Our people have a lot more in common than Russia has with the paranoid bloggers.

amegos Do these U.S/Russia common interests you speak of about include illegal military aggressions or the running of illegal prison camps, extra ordinary renditions, normalised use or torture? Russia is not paranoid. It is funny how U.S backers can never resist belittling Russia. The U.S ruling elite has shown its true colours in the last 20 years. Russia has no good reason to fall into American neocon trap even if it's delivered with Obama’s fake smile or by malevolent if deceptively frail looking Ms. Albright. Russia should in fact act quickly to back up its defenses.

Oh Katrina...Katrina...please stop with your BS.. You stated "It is funny how U.S backers can never resist belittling Russia"...lol Every comment you have made in this blog, you have belittle the US, the EU, the West or NATO.... WE....Ukrainians can rule oursevleves....We do NOT need Russia or the US to help us police our own country and citizens. This has nothing to do with Russia backing up its defenses.....actually with Russia having gone to France to build its defenses, I guess Russia does need the West to help them "back up its defenses"...lol