Briefing Note 02/2013 discusses the recent results of parliamentary elections in Ukraine in the light of its domestic politics. The relationship with Russia, the prospect of Euro-Atlantic integration, persecution of the opposition and the rise of the far right synthesise the puzzle of Ukraine’s domestic challenges and political tradeoffs. The recent electoral results confirmed the power of the Moscow-supported President, but they also indicated a shift toward the past: the conflict between Soviet-style Muscovites and Ukrainian nationalists.