You could have easily forgotten about the elections in Ukraine from last March. I wouldn't blame you -- there has been not much news while four of the five factions that won seats wrestled with which coalition would be formed. In the end, it's the same coalition that started the Orange Revolution government in 2005. This has been a see-saw battle between former prime minister Yulya Tymoshenko, President Viktor Yushchenko, and presidential election loser Viktor Yanukovich, whose party won the most seats in the new parliament. At one point it appeared Yushchenko and Yanukovych would bury the horilka and create a unity government that would keep Tymoshenko in opposition. But I think in the end that thought was too horrible for Yushchenko, even though he still is stung by the collapse of the Tymoshenko government last summer and the bitter words she exchanged with him at the time.

Already back in the saddle, Tymoshenko says the stinky gas deal signed between the government and Russia's Gasprom will be reviewed. LEvko has details. Vladimir Socor notes that Turkmenistan's turning of the tables on that deal may in fact help scuttle the deal.