UKRAINE UPDATE: At first I thought that this sounded like good news:

But in a conciliatory gesture, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has strongly backed Ukraine’s prime minister, said Tuesday that he could work with an administration headed by Yushchenko, a former prime minister and head of the Central Bank.

“We have worked with him already and the cooperation was not bad,” Putin said during a visit to Germany. “If he wins, I don’t see any problems.”

But then I read this:

If you are looking for a guide to the future of Russia, you need only listen to the words of President Putin. Listen carefully — and then take it for granted that the exact opposite will happen.

Uh oh.