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States that with Ukraine's decision to seek independence, Russia, too, is poised to become a separate state. Fears of Russia staying authoritarian, collectivist, and imperial; Why these fears may be unsubstantiated; Details.

The editorial focuses on Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that decided as of November 30, 2013 not to sign a trade deal with the European Union. The article notes Russia has been pressuring Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych not to sign the deal and speculates that Mr. Yanukovych is looking to Russia for loans and cheap gas. It also notes Ukrainians demonstrated against Mr. Yanukovych who is up for re-election in 2015.

The author offers opinions on Vladimir Putin's decision to run for Parliament in Russia when his term as President expires in March, 2008. This is presented as another of Putin's maneuvers to create an authoritarian regime which he controls. It is admitted that Putin enjoys much political support, and most Russians approve of his policies. Russia is contrasted with the relatively democratic government of Ukraine. Western support for Ukraine and Russia's other neighbors is urged.

The article discusses how Vladimir Putin's meddling in the Ukraine elections may have hurt his image, but he remains unchallenged in Russia. On the face of it, he seems humiliatingly weak. Vladimir Putin's intervention in Ukraine's election was one of his biggest mistakes as Russia's president. If Victor Yushchenko wins Ukraine's re-vote on December 26th, as seems likely, the waning of Russia's sway in its erstwhile "sphere of influence" will be embarrassingly obvious. At home, the seemingly interminable Yukos saga may be reaching its terminus. Yet the Kremlin's campaign against what was Russia's biggest oil company has been so mishandled that, even as it has dramatised Mr Putin's authority, it has also made him look amateurish and indecisive. Appearances can be misleading, however. Mr Putin's shadow post-Soviet empire may look more tenebrous than ever. Yet in Russia itself, the emperor still has clothes. The argument that Mr Putin will stay on is simple. Having accumulated power so determinedly, he and his entourage are unlikely to give it away.

The article comments on Vladimir Putin and the outlook for a new cold war. The drama playing out in the streets of Ukraine in recent weeks has been gripping in its own terms. But its bigger significance for the West lies in Russia. As the tide moves towards a presidential election victory for the opposition leader, Victor Yushchenko, on December 26th, the efforts of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, to thwart him have looked ever more cack-handed. But they have also depressed those who still hoped that Mr Putin's Russia might move on to a path leading to political liberalism--and that he might prove an ally not a foe of the West. As if Russia's intervention in Ukraine were not enough, the Kremlin's anti-western rhetoric has also risen. In an excess of hypocrisy even by Soviet standards, Mr Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, have accused the West of meddling in Ukraine in order to destabilise the region. That Mr Putin is more of an autocrat than a democrat has been clear ever since he became Russia's president in 2000. The evidence that Mr Putin is more interested in reasserting state control over the economy than in pursuing economic liberalisation are making many pause once again. One of the least appealing features of Mr Putin's Russia has been a rising tide of corruption. Far from being a political and economic reformer who runs an admittedly flawed but still recognisable democracy, Mr Putin has become an obstacle to change who is in charge of an ill-managed autocracy.

This article discusses the Ukrainian government's attempt to hold power in the face of popular dissent. Perched, charioteer-like, on a slow-moving van, Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Timoshenko, two allies of Victor Yushchenko, rode through Kiev on December 1st, proclaiming their triumph to elated supporters. The Rada, Ukraine's parliament, had earlier passed a vote of no confidence in Victor Yanukovich, still (just) prime minister, who by the rigged official count beat Mr Yushchenko in the run-off election for the country's presidency on November 21st. Who actually has the power to set aside the election is a somewhat murky question. But his morale-boosting victories in the Rada contributed to Mr Yushchenko's biggest triumph, which was to keep the crowds who had first gathered on election night out on the snowy streets of central Kiev. Mr Putin's decision to endorse Mr Yanukovich, by visiting Ukraine during the campaign and by rushing Ukraine-friendly legislation through Russia's parliament, always looked odd.

This article presents information on disputes between Russia and Ukraine. On both sides, nationalism is growing. The Ukrainian government has legitimate worries when facing an unstable and vastly more powerful neighbor with which it is economically interdependent. Ukraine could address these worries either by placating Russia or by standing up to it aggressively. A "little brother" complex and a need to establish its national identity has meant that its leaders have chosen to be aggressive. At the same time, the Ukrainians have made a mess of running their economy.

News briefs on world politics are presented. Russian president Vladimir Putin said he would run for Parliament in December, 2007, stepping down before his term expires in March, 2008. Ukraine's election had an inconclusive result, but Yulia Tymoshenko is expected to lead a coalition government. Italy's government announced its 2008 budget, which features lower corporate taxes.