Ukraine Coalition Collapses Amid Political Struggle

Tbilisi, Georgia — Ukraine's pro-Western government coalition collapsed yesterday. The Russian invasion of Georgia had triggered a political struggle between President Yushchenko and Prime Minister Tymoshenko over whether the country's destiny lay with the West or Moscow.

Ukraine's members of Parliament now have 30 days to try to form a new coalition or Mr. Yushchenko will have the power to dissolve the parliament, triggering deeply divisive elections next month.

At the heart of the crisis is a bitter battle for power between Mr. Yushchenko and Ms. Tymoshenko that exploded into the open after fighting broke out between Russia and Georgia in August.

The pair, on the same side in the Orange Revolution against Ukraine's undemocratic pro-Moscow regime four years ago, have fallen out after close allies of Mr. Yushchenko accused Ms. Tymoshenko of "high treason and political corruption" for not siding with Georgia.

Ms. Tymoshenko has furiously denied the accusation of betraying her country for Moscow and Mr. Yushchenko's other charge that she was working with the pro-Russian opposition to plan a "coup" against him.