Ukraine's First President Dies

He was elected the first president of independent Ukraine in the December 1991 presidential elections.

During his mandate, Cravchuk turned Ukraine towards the West and was one of the few leaders in the world who cleared his country of nuclear weapons, according to U. NAN.

He failed to deal with corruption, which was the cause of poor privatisation implemented by state property.

The biggest failure during Cravchuk's mandate was the collapse of the Black Sea steam shipping company in Odessa, until then the world's largest commercial fleet, the Ukrainian agency adds.

The company was secretly sold for nothing to foreign companies at the cost, and Cravchuk's son was accused of participating in embezzlement for the company's sale.

Due to economic collapse and mounting tensions with Russia, Ukrainian voters elected Leonid Kuchma in the 1994 presidential elections, which promised to fight corruption, rebuild the economy and boost co-operation with Russia.

After losing in the election, Kravchuk joined forces with several Ukrainian oligarchs and founded the Ukrainian Social Democrat Party.