Latest Articles about Europe's East
MOSCOW UNDECIDED ON POLICY TOWARD CRISIS-STRICKEN UKRAINE
The gloating heard in the Kremlin over Kyiv's political troubles is giving way to concern and apprehension. While fully realizing the utmost importance of the current Ukrainian events, Russian strategists appear to be at a loss as to how exactly Moscow should act in order... MORE
YUSHCHENKO PRIME MINISTER NOMINEE REJECTED BY PARLIAMENT
On September 20 the Ukrainian parliament failed to approve Yuriy Yekhanurov as prime minister, seven days after President Viktor Yushchenko submitted his candidacy. Yushchenko disbanded the government headed by Yulia Tymoshenko on September 8 after a corruption crisis engineered by outgoing state secretary Oleksandr Zinchenko... MORE
DID BEREZOVSKY FINANCE UKRAINE’S ORANGE REVOLUTION?
The legitimacy of Viktor Yushchenko's victory in the Ukrainian presidential election last December has been called into question by reports suggesting that Russian maverick tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who lives in self-imposed exile in London, financed Yushchenko's election campaign. The allegations have even led to calls... MORE
LUKASHENKA AT THE UN: PROPAGANDA AND INVECTIVE
Though the domestic situation in Belarus is tightly controlled by the authorities, the administration of President Alexander Lukashenka has been isolated internationally to an increasing extent. It was designated an "outpost of tyranny" by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and the U.S. administration and... MORE
TURMOIL IN UKRAINE GALVANIZES KREMLIN INTO ACTION
The Kremlin sees the ongoing political crisis in Kyiv that culminated in last week's dismissal of the Yulia Tymoshenko government by President Viktor Yushchenko as an opportune moment to restart the geopolitical "battle for Ukraine." Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration, although bitterly stung by the... MORE
BEHIND UKRAINE’S POLITICAL CRISIS (PART 2)
The Orange Revolution and subsequent election of President Viktor Yushchenko showed that Ukrainian society wanted "change." But as the Economist (September 8) pointed out, the "Orange Revolution promised much but has so far delivered little." Indeed, Ukrainians believe that, eight months into Yushchenko's presidency, there... MORE
BEHIND UKRAINE’S POLITICAL CRISIS (Part 1)
The removal of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's government on September 8 came as a surprise in Ukraine, as it had not been accused of corruption until days earlier. On September 5 the outgoing head of the presidential secretariat, Oleksandr Zinchenko, had raised such accusations against... MORE
UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE PROMISES STABILITY
Revolutionary passions in Kyiv should give way to pragmatism after the departure of Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was fired on September 8. President Viktor Yushchenko has made it clear that he will ask parliament to approve caretaker prime minister Yuriy Yekhanurov as his... MORE
GAZPROM’S NEW EUROPEAN ROUTE: CRY UKRAINE?
Russian President Vladimir Putin's brief visit to Berlin last week was not only perfectly timed for the German elections but also loaded accordingly: He delivered a valuable gift to his ally, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and made a pro-forma introduction to the opposition leader, Angela Merkel.... MORE
YUSHCHENKO FINALLY ACTS TO CLEAN UP HIS GOVERNMENT
Yesterday, September 8, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko fired his government and removed top officials accused of corruption. Oleksandr Zinchenko, the former head of the presidential secretariat, had leveled the startling corruption charges four days earlier after resigning on September 2 (see EDM, September 8). The... MORE