Latest Articles about Europe's East
YUSHCHENKO’S, TYMOSHENKO’S BLOCS PROCLAIM UNITY, SET GOALS
The pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc (NU) and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYT) have signed an accord proclaiming a unified opposition. It is aimed against the majority coalition in parliament, which was formed last summer by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions, the Socialists, and... MORE
OFFICIAL CHISINAU SEEKS RECOGNITION OF MOLDOVAN ETHNICITY AND MINORITY IN ROMANIA
Conflicting views on national and linguistic identity and history, marring official Bucharest-Chisinau relations, have now led Chisinau to transfer the dispute onto Romania’s turf. Responding to Bucharest’s insistence that Moldovans in the Republic of Moldova are ethnically and linguistically Romanians, official Chisinau has now begun... MORE
UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN STEEL MERGER ENTAILS TOP-LEVEL POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS
The Industrial Union of Donbas (IUD), Ukraine’s second-largest steel-making group, is negotiating a merger with the Russian Metalloinvest group controlled by Alisher Usmanov, who also heads Gazprom’s investment arm for assets other than gas, Gazprominvestholding. An IUD-Metalloinvest merger could generate far-reaching political and business repercussions... MORE
YULIA TYMOSHENKO TO VISIT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK
Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of the eponymous political bloc and head of the Ukrainian opposition, arrives in the United States on Sunday, February 25, for a six-day visit that will take her to New York and Washington. It is her first visit to the U.S. as... MORE
UKRAINIAN GAS DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS EYED FOR SWAPS WITH GAZPROM
Since the law initiated by opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and adopted by parliament on February 6 has banned any form of alienating gas transit pipelines and other Naftohaz Ukraine-owned assets (see EDM, February 7), Russia’s Gazprom and officials in Kyiv seem to be adjusting their... MORE
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER SUE EACH OTHER
As Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych continue to dispute each other’s powers, interpreting the constitutional amendments of 2004-2006 each in his own favor, both hope for support from the judiciary. On February 5 Yushchenko referred the new law on the Cabinet... MORE
NO VALENTINE’S CARD FOR MOSCOW
February 14, 2007 -- Volume 4, Issue 32 IN THIS ISSUE: *Putin’s criticism of West not backed by military strength *Ivanov pours money into Russian army, but changes are superficial *Lukashenka courts West, rebuffs opposition -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A POTEMKIN DEMOCRACY, A POTEMKIN FREE MARKET, AND A... MORE
WILL THE ORANGE TEAM RE-UNITE?
As Ukraine’s parliament reconvened after the winter recess, the caucuses of the pro-presidential Our Ukraine (NU) bloc and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc announced they would act as a unified opposition. NU and Tymoshenko have at least two common goals – early parliamentary elections and reversing... MORE
YUSHCHENKO, YANUKOVYCH LOCK HORNS OVER CABINET LAW
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and the ruling coalition in Kyiv have failed to find a compromise over the “Law on the Cabinet of Ministers.” The law is meant to complement the constitution, more clearly defining the remits of the president, the cabinet, and parliament; at... MORE
TOLERANCE REDUCES NEED FOR RUSSIAN LANGUAGE LAW IN UKRAINE
Although Ukraine’s Party of Regions introduced a new draft language law to parliament last fall, interest in the bill will decline following the unexpected death of key party ideologue Yevhen Kushnariov last month. Elevating Russian to an official or second state language requires a change... MORE