Originally Posted by unbzete

But in fact this point is the bulk of what differentiates the two candidates, so such a compromise is unlikely to be reached. Yuschenko has campaigned on a platform of EU and NATO accession, and Team Putin has been pursuing a return to former Russian strength by keeping firm control over their near abroad.

About two days ago, the situation was perfect for Russia. Thier guy "won", but the win would leave Ukraine isolated internationally, leaving them no choice but to turn to the Kremlin, much like Belarus.
Now though, things may have gone further than Putin expected, and if you've been following the reports, he has sloppily retracted his original endorsement of Yanukovych as the winner.

www.kyivpost.com has had very good up to the minute coverage if you're interested in following the developments.