A creative compromise yesterday resolved the crisis in Ukraine, at least for the short term. This is a major achievement and a welcome one, which should give its people breathing space to rerun the presidential election on December 26th.
The constitutional package affirms the country's political and territorial integrity - if it is faithfully implemented by the leadership emerging from the new vote, following the extraordinary mass mobilisations since the disputed election on November 21st.
The agreement marks a transition from a presidential system to a parliamentary one in Ukraine. It signals changes in regional autonomy, perhaps in a federal direction. And it substantially alters the electoral laws and replaces the central electoral commission. It is a compromise between the three major figures involved in this drama and the political forces they represent.
The outgoing President Leonid Kuchma saw it in his interest to transform the strong presidential system in return for major concessions on the electoral laws. The resulting compromise has been denounced by the more radical supporters of the opposition leader Mr Viktor Yushchenko, because it will weaken his powers if, as widely expected, he wins the rerun ballot. The parliament will now nominate all members of the government, with the president keeping the right to reject the prime minister, foreign and defence ministers. It remains to be seen whether the victorious president will command a parliamentary majority, or effectively share power with those opposed to him.
Ukraine is a complex society with overlapping affinities towards both western Europe and European Russia. Given this complexity of belonging and identity, much of the talk about the possibility of it disintegrating has been improbable or mistaken - but only so long as its political conflict remains peaceful. Any outbreak of violence would have been disastrous over the last three weeks and would have incalculable consequences if threatened again. The agreement promises to contain such a danger by holding out the prospect of regional autonomy within Ukraine for the richly resourced south-eastern parts of the country which supported Mr Viktor Yanukovich. Voters there will expect to hold on to the pensions and educational benefits he delivered to them.
This agreement also reflects the mediation efforts of the European Union and United States, which have welcomed it, and of Russian leaders, who are far more grudging about it. Their involvement has been constructive in spite of the evident tensions between them. Hopefully it will remain so.