Ukraine was not the Western media’s favorite son till the tumultuous developments hit the country. Before that it normally used to hit the radar screen in connection with some sports events. It’s different now as the opponents of President Victor Yanukovych are still occupying the administrative buildings in Kiev while his supporters have started a meeting in the heart of the city to last as long as it does, no time limits. 

Twenty years ago Zbigniew Brzezinski defined the main goal of the West’s Ukrainian policy – to separate Ukraine from Russia at all costs. Today it is clear the definition is still acute as it was back then. The words of former Chancellor of Austria Alfred Guzenbauer come to mind. He said the association agreement was destined to prevent Russia from «laying its hands» on Ukraine. (1) Brussels was the first foreign stop of newly elected President Victor Yanukovych, the integration with Europe was declared the national priority for the government of the country. The ensuing Kiev’s weekly accounts about the progress on the way of concluding the association agreement with European Union seemed to be moving even to Stefan Fule, the EU’s commissioner for enlargement. But to no avail. At some definite moment Berlin took a special position: it all of a sudden became obsessed with the need to provide medical aid to Yulia Timoshenko. They say this humanitarian action matched a political calculation. Anyway, hospitality is practiced and the doors of hospitals are open for political opposition acting in the interests of the West. It has become kind of a calling card for German foreign policy. Germany is very democratic: it treats everyone equally making no distinction for ranks, be it Libyan militants who toppled Gaddafi or those who belong to Syrian anti-government forces. No way could Germans miss the chance to restore the health of Yulia Timoshenko or make her enjoy freedom as the potentially strong candidate opposing Victor Yanukovych at the 1915 presidential election. The plan stymied and the question popped up – if not Yanukovych, then who is it going to be? Who’ll be the West’s favorite son in the fight for the top position in the country? 

Today the answer is known. 

In Vilnius Angela Merkel told the incumbent Ukraine’s President without interpreter in English, «We expected more». As media reported, the German Chancellor answered no to Yanukovych as he approached her with the request to help him get a loan from the International Monetary Fund. The German media immediately started to compare the Ukrainian President with doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. According to it, the Yanukovych-Hyde spoiled the Vilnius summit, while the Yanukovych-Jekyll is hoping to sign the agreement as soon as possible and is clenching his fists while telling Chancellor Merkel about the pressure exerted on him by Russia. (2) The media made no bones about it saying Yanukovych was «as cunning as a fox» which wants to make the European Union and Russia clashc (3).

So, who do German politicians view as the Ukrainian leader after the already looming fall of the «dictatorial regime»? Who does Europe want to be its would-be partner at the talks on the Ukraine’s association with the European Union? Respectable Europeans could not condescend to holding talks with someone like Oleh Tyahnybok, who finds that the Moskali (Russians), the Germans or the Jews are all the evils not worth choosing. (4) Not so long ago he was decorated with the Gold Cross merit medal by veterans of voluntary trooper division SS «Galichina».

The West views Vitaly Klitschko as the next leader of Ukraine. It opts for him; he is the man of the West’s choice. An information campaign to create him the image of the West’s favorite person and the winner of the 2015 presidential election is still to be launched, though some signs are already tangible. Not only central German media outlets, but the local ones as well (it means the signal is given to the media from the very top) report about the «Ukrainian opposition is rallying around this politician». While highlighting the events in Ukraine, he gets more attention than others and is painted in better light than anyone else: Klitschko tried to make the parliament pass a no-confidence vote against the government, Klitschko wants Ukraine to unite, Klitschko is preparing the opposition for new protests (5)… Respectable Frankfurter Allgemeine tells the readers that Klitschko is a promising politician, aside from being the reigning World heavyweight boxing champion meaning he’s got brains not only the fists. Conservative weekly FOCUS emphasizes that only three Ukrainian politicians managed to unite the opposition and nothing is standing in the way of Klitschko to take his place together with Yushenko and Timoshenko. Those who know something about his private life write in their Internet posts that it sounds peculiar to believe that «another clown of the West» who has lived twenty years in Germany and the United States of America will now «rescue Ukraine». It does not matter so much actually. What really matters is his statement that he made out loud for everyone to hear, «We will continue our fight… the days left for Yanukovych to stay in power are numbered», he said it in an interview for a German newspaper. The boxer added there are fights without rules ahead…