We’ve had a few blog posts around here in recent weeks that the Ukrainian presidential front runner is often inaccurately portrayed, and that his victory isn’t exactly a win for Moscow.  But here the Economist goes for the full role reversal between Viktor Yanukovych and Yulia Tymoshenko.  Wait, wait – I’m confused … which one is most like Putin, and which one is at the service of the gas trade?

On Yanukovych:

Yet his “pro-Russian candidate” label is misleading. He represents the Russian-speaking east, but has done little to advance Russia’s interests, instead jealously guarding those of such tycoons as Mr Akhmetov. What Mr Akhmetov wants is a politically and economically stable Ukraine. Yet some of Mr Yanukovich’s team do not inspire confidence. They include a former finance minister, Mykola Azarov, architect of the repressive tax inspectorate, as well as the creators of the opaque gas-trading scheme with Russia. Mr Yanukovich wants to renegotiate today’s gas agreement, which excludes shady intermediaries.

On Tymoshenko: