UKRAINE: The rivals in Ukraine's tense presidential election highlighted their vastly differing views on the country's future path yesterday - one seeking to cement close ties with Russia and the other looking to the West.
Liberal challenger Mr Viktor Yushchenko came out just ahead in the first round late last month, nosing out premier Mr Viktor Yanukovich, who is backed by Ukraine's current leaders and by Moscow. Each scored about 40 per cent.
Ten days before the run-off, Russian President Mr Vladimir Putin weighed heavily on the campaign, agreeing to meet outgoing Ukrainian President Mr Leonid Kuchma, the prime minister's patron. Mr Putin endorsed Mr Yanukovich's policies before the first round.
Mr Kuchma said the meeting would be devoted to economic matters. He expressed regret at the campaign's heated nature and said he hoped Ukrainians would overcome divisions.
The US, which called for clean procedures in a bruising first round jolted by accusations of dirty tricks, said Mr Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, would observe the November 21st run-off.
Mr Yushchenko told reporters he would lead Ukraine on the path taken by ex-communist states now anchored in key Western bodies.
"The system of values pervading European Union states requires efforts from across our country," he said before embarking on a new tour of Ukraine's regions. "This path is not always strewn with roses. But Ukraine's political elite must display the courage, show responsibility and take up the national challenge, as already done by Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and the Czech Republic."
Mr Yanukovich told a conference Ukraine's interests were best protected by membership of the Common Economic Space, a four-country body led by Russia.
"Its ideology corresponds to Ukraine's economic interests," Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted him as saying. "It therefore is less dependent on political events and personalities."
Before the first round, Mr Putin stood next to Mr Yanukovich and Mr Kuchma at a Soviet-style military parade in Kiev and praised the premier's economic record on national television.
Mr Yushchenko described the Kremlin leader's visit then as interference, but pledges to uphold close links with Moscow.
Western states want Ukraine to correct first-round problems, including media bias in favour of the prime minister and incomplete registration lists that prevented more than a million from voting.