Viktor Yanukovich of Ukraine was inaugurated as president on Thursday and immediately vowed to combat corruption and poverty, as well as restore political stability in order to regain foreign support for the struggling economy. The ceremony, which was subdued, underscored the contentious nature of the election, still disputed by his opponent Yulia Tymoshenko, and exposed deep divisions within the nation. Despite this, Yanukovich's inauguration represented a comeback from the 2004 Orange Revolution, where mass protests overturned a rigged election in his favor. In his address to officials, lawmakers, and foreign dignitaries, Yanukovich acknowledged Ukraine's significant challenges, including massive debts, poverty, corruption, and economic collapse. He emphasized the need for an innovative strategy to move the country forward, which he claimed his team had already developed. He addressed the lack of foreign investment in Ukraine, acknowledging the country's unstable business climate. He expressed his intention to restore political stability, eliminate corruption, and establish clear rules for the relationship between the government and businesses in order to build trust with investors and international financial institutions. Ukraine's economy has been severely impacted by the global economic downturn, leading to a decline in exports and a significant decrease in the value of its currency. The country is relying on a $16.4 billion IMF bailout program, which was suspended recently and will likely resume once stability is restored. The finance ministry announced that an IMF technical mission is scheduled to visit on April 7th. This often results in a thorough visit from IMF officials who will then determine whether to resume the program. Yanukovich, a former mechanic with support from wealthy industrialists, had a difficult upbringing in eastern Ukraine and a history of minor criminal convictions. He is expected to improve relations with Russia, Ukraine's former Soviet ruler, following a period of estrangement under Viktor Yushchenko. Yanukovich has suggested potential compromises with Moscow regarding the Russian Black Sea fleet in Crimea and has proposed a joint consortium with Russia to manage Ukraine's gas pipelines. However, he aims to renegotiate a decade-old gas supply agreement between Ukraine, Tymoshenko, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He also mentioned that he intends to have a balanced foreign policy and is committed to strengthening relationships with the European Union. During his speech, he stated that he is willing to maintain good relations with Russia, the EU, and the United States in order to benefit Ukraine. His website confirmed that he plans to visit Brussels next week and Moscow in early March. Yanukovich defeated Prime Minister Tymoshenko by 3.5 percentage points, but only received the support of one-third of the 37 million voters. The voting results showed a clear divide between Russian-speaking voters in the eastern and southern industrial regions who supported Yanukovich, and Ukrainian-speaking voters in the western and central areas who voted for Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko withdrew her legal challenge to Yanukovich's election last Saturday, but maintains that he was not rightfully elected. She and most of her parliamentary bloc did not attend the ceremony on Thursday, making it seem empty. Despite Yanukovich's call for a capable executive power, Tymoshenko is still resisting efforts to remove her as prime minister, indicating ongoing political tension in the short term. She is working to rally her allies in parliament to support her, while his party and its influential supporters are trying to break up her coalition and form a new one. Creating a coalition involves delicate negotiations and may take a long time. If Yanukovich is unable to form a new coalition, he will have no choice but to hold new parliamentary elections, leading to more uncertainty.