Lytvyn

Someone set off a smoke bomb inside the building, while Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn sought refuge behind an umbrella as he was pelted with eggs.

POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 2010

He acknowledged in our interview that he had some time ago identified Lytvyn as a potential key US ally after a series of votes in December 2003 and April of this year; but the diplomat mostly played down his role, saying Lugar had officially invited Lytvyn to Washington.

Ukraine: the Washington Connection Savodnik, Peter 2005

(I was told all this by a knowledgeable American source here in Kiev and confirmed it in interviews with Lytvyn and a senior Western diplomat.)

Ukraine: the Washington Connection Savodnik, Peter 2005

Lytvyn also served until 2002 as President Leonid Kuchma's chief of staff and, for that reason, was widely reviled by democratic opposition groups who believed (correctly) that Kuchma was the major roadblock to reform.

Ukraine: the Washington Connection Savodnik, Peter 2005

(Not incidentally, Lytvyn was caught on tape by a presidential security guard in a conversation with Kuchma discussing the now famous murder of the Georgian-Ukrainian journalist Heorhiy Gongadze.)

Ukraine: the Washington Connection Savodnik, Peter 2005

But it is inconceivable that the people who brought Lytvyn to Washington did so simply because they wanted to make sure every vote was counted.

Ukraine & the Us Byers, Brent D. 2005

In it Mr. Savodnik claims that US government officials invited Volodymyr Lytvyn, speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, to Washington for meetings between the first and second rounds of the recent presidential elections in Ukraine "to encourage Lytvyn to do everything possible to help [Viktor] Yushchenko," who eventually became Ukraine's president.

Ukraine & the Us Byers, Brent D. 2005

The hope was (a) to encourage Lytvyn to do everything possible to help Yushchenko; and (b) to send a signal to the democratic opposition here in Ukraine that the US was on its side (while not stating so directly for fear of alienating the Russians).

Ukraine: the Washington Connection Savodnik, Peter 2005

It's also worth pointing out that when Lytvyn "delivered," as it were, he did so by permitting the parliament, or Rada, to vote on a no-confidence measure targeting Viktor Yanukovich, who, at the time, was Yushchenko's presidential rival and the country's prime minister.

Ukraine & the Us Byers, Brent D. 2005

In any event, the Americans apparently thought Lytvyn might be able to help Viktor Yushchenko win some key support in the Rada should there be a close runoff, demonstrations, and/or a constitutional crisis — all of which, as we now know, took place.

Ukraine: the Washington Connection Savodnik, Peter 2005