In November, the European Union offered Kyiv a plan for visa-free travel and the European parliament recognized that Ukraine has a right to apply for EU membership. Previous Ukrainian governments, perceived in Europe as more pro-European than the current one, could not boast such achievements.... MORE

Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin’s, October 27 visit to Kyiv confirmed that the honeymoon in bilateral relations, which followed Viktor Yanukovych’s election as president last February, is over. It is clear now that the ruling elite in Ukraine, although viewed by many as pro-Russian, are... MORE

The European Union is ready for compromises with Ukraine in all matters except democratic freedoms, EU Enlargement Commissioner, Stefan Fuele, has stated (UNIAN, October 25). Such words from an EU official, who is viewed as friendly in Kyiv, confirmed that the condition of democracy after... MORE

In the early hours of October 22, three bomb explosions occurred in the central Ukrainian city of Kirovograd, an opposition stronghold. President, Viktor Yanukovych, visited the city later that morning. The explosions targeted the prosecutor-general’s office, interior ministry (MVS) and a court building. The bombs... MORE

Using the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline as originally intended, south-north, is under active consideration again; this time, by the governments of Ukraine and Belarus. The pipeline is being used since 2004 in reverse, north-south, by Russian oil companies, for exports out of Odessa. Such reverse-use blocks... MORE

President Viktor Yanukovych’s foreign and security policy is controlled by Russia and coordinated with Moscow. The same conclusion is already appearing among European elites after seeing first-hand how Ukrainian foreign policy personnel work closely with Russia. Russian influence in Ukraine’s foreign policy is evident in... MORE

The Ukrainian Constitutional Court has outlawed the constitutional reform of 2004-2006. This means that Ukraine is returning to the mixed system which existed under the then President, Leonid Kuchma, from 1996-2004, where the president appoints the prime minister and the cabinet reports to the president... MORE

Three recent episodes reflect the degree to which the rule of law in Ukraine is under pressure from its already weak position after five years of instability under former President Viktor Yushchenko. This growing pressure on the rule of law comes after President Viktor Yanukovych... MORE

Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, used his September 22-24 second visit to the US as president to clarify his views and intentions towards the West. Many in the US and Western Europe have been concerned by the nature of Kyiv’s relations with Moscow under Yanukovych, especially... MORE

Education Minister, Dmytro Tabachnyk, in Ukrainian Prime Minister, Nikolai Azarov’s, government has always been a controversial figure because of his antagonistic views towards Western Ukrainians, Ukrainian nationalism and his pro-Russian view of history. Valery Khoroshkovsky continues to remain in his position as the Chairman of... MORE