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First Foreign Trip Takes Ukraine's New President To Brussels

By Dagmar Breitenbach

European integration is high on the agenda of Ukraine's foreign policy, the country's new president said in Brussels. Yanukovych surprised observers by picking Brussels and not Moscow for his first international trip. READ MORE

Yanukovych Faces Uphill Struggle for Control of Ukraine, Despite Victory in Presidential Election

As expected, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has won the February 7 presidential election runoff. Unlike in 2004, when Yanukovych lost a controversial poll to Viktor Yushchenko and his supporters were accused of large-scale election fraud, this time international observers said the election was free and fair. However, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has not recognized her defeat. If Yanukovych fails to form a new coalition in parliament on the spur of the moment in order to oust Tymoshenko from the government, Ukraine will face several months of uncertainty and probably early parliamentary polls. READ MORE

Spain's EU Presidency Greeted With Skepticism

By Soeren Kern

Spain's six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, which began on Jan. 1, 2010, is off to a bumpy start. With the Lisbon Treaty now in effect, the traditional role of the EU rotating presidency has been downgraded. Responsibility for many issues which were once the domain of the rotating presidency now falls to the newly named permanent EU president, Herman Van Rompuy, and EU foreign minister, Catherine Ashton -- who together are supposed to comprise the new "public face" of the EU. READ MORE

The European Parliament Cares About “Eastern Partnership”

By Aleksey Medvetskij

Diplomatic Adviser Arnold Pranckevicius dwells on priorities of the new staff of the European Parliament. READ MORE

Ex-Polish Prime Minister Buzek To Head EU Parliament

The European Parliament has elected former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek as its new president, making him the first politician from the former communist bloc to hold one of the European Union's top posts. READ MORE