[SierraWasp]

For the life of me, I cannot recall the name of the Ukrainian that had been a leading Ambassador for the Soviet Union and then was a stabilizing force when the tension arose during the split between Moscow and the Ukraine over the nukes during the Reagan and Bush I administrations.

He even ran for, or was elected President of the Ukraine and I believe he was then involved in some scandal and wasn't re-elected. My memory is very sketchy on these details and I need someone to help me remember his name. James Baker, or George Shultz and he were good friends, or became good friends.

I think I heard he developed severe health problems after failing to achieve re-election, but I don't think he has died. If he had died, I think we'd have had an abundance of news coverage of his funeral which I don't recall happening.

What was this most famous Ukrainian's NAME??? Please help.

[struwwelpeter]

There was a Pavlo Lazarenko who embezzled a ton of money (together with Yuliya Timoshchenko). He took off for the states and Yuliya was 'planted' in jail for awhile.'96? 2000? I can't remember. I don't know if was ever an ambassador or whatever, but I think it was the former president of Georgia who was the big foreign minister for Gorby.