Governing under duress

Kyiv's new government faces enormous challenges. The country's economy is down, and the state faces insolvency due to high levels of debt. There are also tensions between the Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking populations that flare up particularly in the south and east of the country.

The transitional government is controversial due mainly to its representatives from the right-wing Svoboda party. Although their leader Oleg Tyahnybok is not a cabinet member, his party holds the deputy prime minister position, as well as other government appointments. Svoboda also maintains contact with far-right parties in western Europe.

Ukraine's transitional government was instated on February 23 after months of protests at Maidan square resulted in the ouster of former President Viktor Yanukovych. Protesters accused him of corruption and binding the country too close to Russia. Under pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yanukovych failed to sign an association agreement with the EU.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Kyiv on Saturday (22.03.2014), where he met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, a member of the "Fatherland" party. Despite his young age - 39 - he is an experienced politician. He was Ukraine's foreign minister in 2007 and became its parliamentary chair that same year.

Ukraine's parliament also appointed Alexander Turchinov of the "Fatherland" party as interim president. A confidant of Yulia Tymoshenko, he briefly filled the prime minister post after the dissolution of the second Tymoshenko government for one week in 2010.

Steinmeier next traveled to Donetsk, which borders Russia in eastern Ukraine and has recently seen pro-Russian demonstrations and violent attacks. There he met with the governor of the region. "The aim of the trip is to express German support for the political and economic stabilization of Ukraine," said the German Foreign Minister.

After much hesitation, Moscow has green-lighted an OSCE mission in Ukraine. The mission will observe the tense security situation in the south and east of the country. At the beginning, roughly 100 experts will participate, but reports indicate the number could rise to 500. Both Russia and Ukraine are members of the OSCE.

Crimea remains excluded from the OSCE mission. This was Russia's condition for approving it. On Saturday (22.03.2014), Moscow announced it had full control over Ukraine's military facilities in Crimea, with reports of Ukraine bases being stormed. On Friday Putin had signed a treaty annexing the Black Sea peninsula.