Latest Articles about Europe's East
GAZPROM TAKING OVER THE PIPELINES IN BELARUS
On May 18 in Minsk, Russia’s Gazprom and the Belarus government’s State Property Committee signed agreements to turn the Belarus state-owned gas pipeline company Beltransgaz into a Russia-Belarus joint company. Betransgaz handles both the transit of Russian gas to European Union countries and the internal... MORE
YUSHCHENKO REPLACES KEY SECURITY AIDE
On Saturday, May 12, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko replaced Vitaly Hayduk with Ivan Plyushch in the post of secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). Hayduk -- co-owner of the steel company Industrial Union of Donbas along with Serhy Taruta -- is a... MORE
TASHKENT EXPLORES OPTIONS TO EXPLOIT ENERGY RESOURCES
China’s relentless pursuit of energy options has now extended to Central Asia. On May 7 the leader of China’s top state planning body Ma Kai signed an energy-export agreement with Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov in Tashkent. The pact is significant in that, if... MORE
UKRAINE’S COMMUNISTS AND SOCIALISTS LEFT BEHIND BY PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION DEAL
Ukraine’s constitutional crisis seemed resolved on May 4, when Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych agreed to early parliamentary elections. But the date of the vote cannot be finalized until a compromise package of legislative and constitutional changes is adopted (see EDM, May 4, 9). President Viktor... MORE
WHEN WILL SNAP ELECTION BE HELD IN UKRAINE?
Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has bent to pressure from President Viktor Yushchenko and agreed to an early parliamentary election. This decision has been essentially a compromise between the two main players, as Yanukovych’s junior coalition partners -- the Socialists and the Communists –-- have... MORE
TIDE SHIFTS IN PRESIDENT’S FAVOR IN UKRAINE CRISIS
Once seen as a lame duck, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko now is out-maneuvering the Anti-Crisis coalition (ACC) and the government of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. During the last week the president has reappointed Syatoslav Piskun as prosecutor, removed the deputy head of the Constitutional Court... MORE
YUSHCHENKO SETS NEW DATE FOR PARLIAMENTARY POLL
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has re-scheduled the snap parliamentary election from May 27 to June 24. His opponents initially reacted as they had to his April 2 decree, which called for the election. The parliamentary coalition that backs Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said that Yushchenko... MORE
IS COMPROMISE POSSIBLE IN UKRAINE?
Radicalism is apparently giving way to compromise in the Ukrainian political crisis. President Viktor Yushchenko, aware of the impossibility of holding a snap election as early as May 27, as prescribed by his April 2 parliament dissolution decree, has signaled his readiness to suspend the... MORE
MILINKEVICH TRAVELS TO CHERNOBYL ZONE
As the 21st anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl approaches, it is becoming a focal point of both government and opposition activity. It remains a potentially divisive issue because of cutbacks in aid to former liquidators and affected young people, as well as government... MORE
OUR UKRAINE AND VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO REVIVE THEIR FORTUNES
On April 18, the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) and Our Ukraine blocs permanently withdrew their deputies from Ukraine’s parliament. Together, the factions account for 202 of the Rada’s 450 deputies. With no constitutional majority, the parliament -- which was disbanded by presidential decree on April... MORE