According to reliable polls, Viktor Yanukovych will win the first round of voting, with Yulia Tymoshenko coming in second. However, Yanukovych will not gain an absolute majority, and so the decisive battle will be fought in the runoff on 7 February.
The difficult financial situation forced the Ukrainian group to sell the stake. However, the decision also has symbolic significance; Russian investors have entered the metallurgic sector, which had been defended by the Ukrainian owners more than any other, and have thus strengthened their position on the EU steel markets.
As Turkmenistan diversifies its gas exports, Russia has been pushed into the position of one out of many competitors, China and Iran have strengthened their positions, and the ineffectiveness of the West's efforts to gain access to Turkmen gas has been revealed.
