Shape of things to come

These are the first four items on the "Gazeta.ua" website in its news roundup for today:

"Tymoshenko will set up impeachment [proceedings] against Yushchenko"

"Security Services of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine will go after Tymoshenko. Four questions have been put to the premier."

"Do not to believe the sweet promises of those who betrayed Ukraine, Yushchenko appeals"

"Boyko: Tymoshenko will be held responsible for betrayal" [Yuriy Boyko probably knows more about the darker corners of the Ukraine-Russia-central Asia gas business than any other man because he was closely involved with the creation of the opaque intermediary company RosUkrEnergo]

These four items provide an outline for the nasty political battle to be fought in the months ahead.

You can see PM Tymoshenko's confident defence on Channel 5 TV against some powder-puff questioning, of her gas settlement with Russia, and other matters, here.

The Germans are pressing for a quick go-ahead to the Nord Stream gas pipeline project. "The most reliable transit country is the Baltic Sea," said a Wintershall spokesman.

But with both Russia and Ukraine in deep financial doo-doo, European companies may be looking into buying up bits of Ukraine's gas transit system.