Latest Articles about Europe's East
YUSHCHENKO CREATES NEW PARTY OF POWER
On March 4-5, President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine bloc transformed itself into a political party, the People's Union "Our Ukraine." The original boc was formed after parliament's April 2001 no-confidence vote removed Yushchenko's government. The bloc, consisting of 10 liberal and center-right parties, came first... MORE
FORMER MINISTER’S DEATH HAMPERS INVESTIGATION INTO GONGADZE MURDER
Former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Kravchenko, who many observers believe had masterminded journalist Heorhiy Gongadze's disappearance in 2000, was found dead in his country house near Kyiv on March 4. His demise was preceded by President Viktor Yushchenko's March 1 statement about a final resolution... MORE
BANDAZHEVSKY CASE HIGHLIGHTS CHERNOBYL CONTROVERSIES
The protracted case of detained scientist Yuri Bandazhevsky continues to solicit international attention and serves as a reminder of how sensitive the Chernobyl issue remains for the Lukashenka regime. Recently the opposition newspaper Narodnaya Volya focused on the life of Bandazhesvky, the nuclear scientist and... MORE
KYIV LAUNCHES FAR-REACHING REFORM OF INTERIOR MINISTRY
It was inevitable that radical, democratizing reforms would be launched within the Ukrainian Interior Ministry (MVS) after the appointment of Yuriy Lutsenko as interior minister. Already, the new atmosphere inside the MVS has contributed to progress in the Gongadze murder investigation (see EDM, March 2).... MORE
“DOUBLE VECTOR,” DOUBLE GAME: MOLDOVA’S CENTRIST OPPOSITION AND MOSCOW
The presidents of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, and Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, held meetings with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin on March 1 in Kyiv and March 2 in Chisinau, treating him as a partner for the long term. Their decision to convene the talks was an emergency... MORE
CLOSING THE BOOKS ON THE GONGADZE CASE
On March 1, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko made the sensational announcement that the murderer of opposition journalist Heorhiy Gongadze had been apprehended (Ukrayinska pravda, March 1). Three senior Interior Ministry (MVS) officers are in custody, but it is not clear if one of these is... MORE
RUSSIAN POLITICAL CAMPAIGN TO INFLUENCE MOLDOVA’S ELECTIONS
Since February 17, Russian authorities have been conducting a massive political offensive with a view toward toppling Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and lifting pro-Russian groups to power in the upcoming general elections. A new Moldovan parliament will be elected on March 6, and that parliament... MORE
KYIV-TBILISI-CHISINAU TRIANGLE: COMMON APPROACH TO COMMON PROBLEMS
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is holding meetings in Kyiv today (March 1) with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli. Their agenda includes energy supply, border security, anti-smuggling efforts, and revitalizing the GUAM (Georgia-Ukraine-Azerbaijan-Moldova) group of countries. Tomorrow Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili... MORE
WILL SPEAKER LYTVYN GO INTO OPPOSITION?
Parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn's People's Party of Ukraine (PPU), formerly the Agrarian Party, may fill the niche of the non-Communist opposition to the new authorities ahead of the spring 2006 parliamentary elections. While the parties of the defeated elite that had generally been expected to... MORE
U.S. EMBASSY IN MOLDOVA ANOINTS FALSE “FREEDOM CHAMPION” FOR BUSH
The U.S. Embassy in Moldova has embarrassed itself and an unsuspecting President George W. Bush by miscasting a champion of the Greater-Russia agenda in Moldova as a "Freedom Champion," and having him included in the President's specially arranged meeting with 20 East European Freedom Champions... MORE