US Congratulates Ukraine's Yushchenko on Election Win

WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States on Friday congratulated Viktor Yushchenko on his win of the Ukrainian presidential election and said outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell will travel to Ukraine to attend Yushchenko's inauguration ceremony.

"We congratulated Viktor Yushchenko on his historic victory. We wish him all success in his new term of office," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said at a news briefing.

Richard Boucher

Boucher said that Powell will leave the United States for Ukraine on Saturday morning and go to Kiev to represent US President George W. Bush at Yushchenko's inauguration ceremony on Sunday.

Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko won the rerun of Ukraine's presidential election and will be inaugurated as president on Sunday.

Former prime minister Viktor Yanukovych won a disputed presidential runoff on Nov. 21, 2004, triggering weeks of protests by Yushchenko's supporters. The Supreme Court later annulled the election results and ruled for a re-vote of the runoff on Dec. 26.

Ukraine's Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed Yushchenko as president.