Grand coalition? Kyiv has been alive for months with rumours of a possible grand coalition between some or all of the main political parties.  Such a coalition, it was suggested, might have sufficient votes to change the constitution, and there were suggestions that it could replace the popular presidential election due in January 2010 with election of the president by parliament.  So when the leader of one of the main parties announces on Sunday that he has abandoned talks on a grand coalition and will run for president in a popular election, it feels like the starting gun for the presidential race.  The elections matter to the UK because Ukraine is a regional leader in democracy and freedom of the media.  Those qualities in turn will contribute to our goals of a democratic, stable and prosperous Ukraine.  So we'll want to do everything we can to encourage elections which are as free and fair as possible.  The last presidential elections, in 2004, led to Ukraine's peaceful "Orange Revolution".