Leonid Kuchma

Leonid Danylovych Kuchma (in Ukrainian: ?????? ????????? ?????) (born August 9, 1938) was the second President of Ukraine from July 19, 1994, to January 23, 2005.

Political Career

From 1990 to 1992 he was a member of the Ukrainian parliament (Committee on Defence and State Security), and became Prime Minister of Ukraine in 1992.

Related Topics:
1990 - 1992 - Ukrainian parliament - Prime Minister of Ukraine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kuchma resigned his position in September 1993, to successfully run for the presidency in 1994, on a platform to boost the economy by restoring economic relations with Russia. He also declared his intentions to implement economic reforms.

Related Topics:
1993 - 1994

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Early in his presidency, Mr. Kuchma arranged a $730 million loan from the IMF, signed a "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership" with Russia, and endorsed a round of talks with the CIS. Additionally, he referred to Russian as "an official language." He signed a special partnership agreement with NATO and even raised the possibility of membership of the alliance. He was re-elected in 1999.

Related Topics:
IMF - CIS - Russian - NATO - 1999

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After Kuchma's popularity at home and abroad sank as he became mired in corruption scandals, he turned to Russia as his new ally, saying Ukraine needed a "multivector" foreign policy that balanced eastern and western interests.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Opponents accused him of involvement in the killing in 2000 of journalist Georgiy Gongadze (see also SBU, "Cassette Scandal", Mykola Mel'nychenko), which he has always denied. They also blamed him for restrictions on press freedom. President Kuchma, along with Viktor Medvedchuk, then the Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, is believed to have played a key role in sacking the Cabinet of Viktor Yushchenko on April 26, 2001.

Related Topics:
2000 - Georgiy Gongadze - SBU - Cassette Scandal - Mykola Mel'nychenko - Viktor Medvedchuk - Verkhovna Rada - Cabinet - Viktor Yushchenko - April 26 - 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mr. Kuchma's Prime Minister from 2002 until early January 2005 was Viktor Yanukovych, after Kuchma dismissed Anatoliy Kinakh, his previous appointee.

Related Topics:
Prime Minister - 2002 - 2005 - Viktor Yanukovych - Anatoliy Kinakh

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~