Leonid Kuchma and Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, listens to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma during their meeting in Ogaryovo outside Moscow, Nov. 16, 2002. Kuchma fired Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh and his government on Saturday and nominated a tough regional governor to head a new cabinet which he hopes will shore up support for his ailing leadership. Photo by Valery Solovyov / UNIAN