Viktor Yanukovich of Ukraine was inaugurated as president on Thursday and immediately promised to combat corruption and poverty, as well as restore political stability to regain foreign support for the struggling economy. Despite a disputed election and deep divisions in the country, Yanukovich's swearing-in ceremony marked a significant comeback from the 2004 Orange Revolution, where mass protests overturned a rigged election in his favor. Addressing officials, lawmakers, and foreign dignitaries, Yanukovich acknowledged the country's massive debts, poverty, corruption, and economic collapse, and emphasized the need for an innovative strategy to move Ukraine forward. He mentioned that the lack of foreign investment in Ukraine, a country with a population of 46 million and a volatile business environment, was a concern. He stated that his goal was to bring back political stability, eliminate corruption, and establish clear regulations for the relationship between the government and businesses. These steps were seen as crucial for attracting investors and building trust with international financial institutions. Ukraine's economy has suffered from the global economic downturn, particularly affecting its steel and chemical exports and causing the hryvnia to lose half of its value against the dollar in the past year and a half. The country relies on a $16.4 billion IMF bailout program, which was paused last year and is expected to resume once stability is restored. The finance ministry announced that an IMF technical team would be visiting on April 7th. This often results in a detailed visit from IMF officials who will then determine whether to resume the program. Yanukovich, a strong former mechanic with support from wealthy industrialists, had a difficult upbringing in eastern Ukraine and has a history of minor criminal offenses. He is expected to mend relations with Russia, Ukraine's former Soviet ruler, after a period of estrangement during Viktor Yushchenko's pro-Western leadership. Yanukovich has suggested potential compromises with Moscow regarding the future of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Crimea and has proposed a partnership with Russia to manage Ukraine's gas pipelines. However, he aims to renegotiate a decade-old gas supply agreement between Ukraine and Russia that was negotiated by Tymoshenko and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He also plans to have a balanced foreign policy and is committed to strengthening relationships with the European Union. In his recent speech, he stated that his foreign policy will focus on having equal and mutually beneficial relationships with Russia, the EU, and the United States to benefit Ukraine. He confirmed on his website that he will be visiting Brussels next week and also intends to visit Moscow in early March. Yanukovich defeated Prime Minister Tymoshenko by 3.5 percentage points but only garnered the support of one-third of the 37 million voters. The voting results showed a clear division between Russian-speaking voters in the eastern and southern regions who supported Yanukovich, and Ukrainian-speaking voters in the western and central areas who voted for Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko decided to withdraw her legal challenge to Yanukovich's election last Saturday, but she still believes he was not legitimately elected. She, along with most of her parliamentary bloc, did not attend the ceremony on Thursday, making it seem insincere. Despite Yanukovich's call for a capable executive power, Tymoshenko is still fighting against efforts to remove her as prime minister, indicating ongoing political tension in the short-term. She is working to unite her allies in parliament, while his party and its influential supporters are trying to break up her coalition and form a new one. Creating a coalition involves difficult negotiations and may take a long time. If Yanukovich is unable to form a new coalition, he will have to reluctantly organize new parliamentary elections, leading to more uncertainty.