KIEV, Feb. 20 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko said on Tuesday that he will stand by his nominations for the foreign minister and security service chief despite an emerging opposition from the pro-government coalition.

Volodymyr Ohryzko, a pro-Western diplomat, nominated by Yushchenko as the foreign minister, and Viktor Korol, a Yushchenko ally nominated as SBU security service chief, are increasingly likely to be rejected by the pro-Russian coalition.