Ukraine Archives

Russia -- Holocaust Denier

Filed under: Ukraine

The latest addition to our "articles" section is a review of the most recent disgusting display of neo-Soviet propaganda from Russia, yet another effort to deny the mass murder of Ukrainians by Russians during the World War II era. Russians apparently think they know Ukraine's history better than Ukrainians do, and then they are shocked and offended when Ukrainians prefer to associate with NATO and the EU rather than Russia. And so it goes in the neo-Soviet nightmare. Comments are open on the post for those who can exercise the privilege responsibly.

NOTE: Our post about Russian humiliation in Serbia has been picked up by uber-blogger Michelle Malkin. Too cool!

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Putin Lashes Out Against Tymoshenko

Filed under: Europe ~ Russia ~ Ukraine

Removing all doubt as to who the winner of the Ukrainian parliamentary elections was, Vladimir Putin's Kremlin lashed out against the democrats yesterday in a fit of hysterical, barbaric rage -- illustrating once again the cowardly Putin's fundamental maxim of cosa nostra governance: "If you can't beat 'em, kill 'em."

As the Moscow Times reported: "[State-owned energy monopoly] Gazprom on Tuesday threatened to reduce gas supplies to Ukraine if it did not receive $1.3 billion it is owed, just as it was looking more likely that Western-leaning Yulia Tymoshenko would become Ukraine's next prime minister." The Kremlin's stooges in Ukraine explained: "Volodymyr Bronnikov, a parliament member with the Party of the Regions, said a price hike from Gazprom could come in response to an attempt by Tymoshenko to move Ukraine closer to the West. 'If Ukraine is an ordinary European country, then it must pay ordinary European prices for gas,' Bronnikov said."

These crude, neo-Soviet threats can only serve to convince Ukraine's democrats that Russia is a bloodthirsty enemy with whom cooperation is simply impossible. The Kremlin's action should also be a wakeup call to NATO that urgent action is necessary to assure Ukraine's security.

As of now, according to Ukraine's Central Election Commission, 99.44% of the ballots in the parliamentary poll have been counted. Here's an overview of the results:

Roughly 20.5 million Ukrainians cast their votes for one of the five parties which collected more than a 3% share of all votes cast, thereby earning a share of the open seats in the parliament, about 55% of the 37 million eligible to vote in a country of about 45 million. An additional 1.6 million split their votes between another 15 minor parties and about half a million went to the polls to vote "against all" the alternatives, for a total turnout of about 22.5 million or 61%. For some contrast, in 1992 when Bill Clinton was elected president for the first time, only 55% of eligible Americans went to the polls and Clinton collected only 43% of votes cast. Had 1992's presidential ballot in the U.S. been a parliamentary election under Ukrainian rules, H. Ross Perot's party would have been awarded 19% of the U.S. Congress and Perot, by forging an alliance with either the Democrats or the Republicans, would have decided who ruled the country.

Russian lackey Victor Yanukovich's party received the most votes, 34.28% of the total (7.9 million votes). His communist allies raked in 5.38% (1.2 million), giving his sordid pro-Russia coalition 39.66% of the electoral support.

The pro-Western Orange Coalition totaled 44.97% (10.4 million votes total). Julia Tymoshenko's party dominated their results, improving dramatically on its performance in the last election and taking 30.77% of all votes cast (7.1 million) -- assuring her the prime ministry of the country, much to the Kremlin's chagrin (she's shown above speaking to a rapt group of reporters). One of the most glamorous and vivacious politicians in the world today, Tymoshenko is positioned to lead her country into a new era. Victor Yushchenko's party earned 14.20% of the votes (3.3 million).

In other words, a decisive victory of well over 1 million votes for the pro-West, pro-democracy side and a cold slap in the face to the Kremlin. When comparing the results just between the three major parties, the desire of the Ukrainian people to reject enslavement by Moscow is absolutely clear, the victory of the Orange forces is simply overwhelming (a massive 25% margin). But for the communists, convicted criminal Yanukovich is non-competitive -- and needing their support is a telling indicator of the viability of the pro-Russia side. The Kremlin is, of course, beside itself. As the AFP reported: "Moscow has been at odds with Yushchenko and Tymoshenko ever since the Orange Revolution, a major defeat for Russian foreign policy, when Yanukovych was forced to rerun his rigged presidential election win."

Hence, the Kremlin's pathetic, barbaric threats to turn the lights off in Ukraine. Let's not forget that the first time it was seriously threatened, by Yushchenko, it adopted the Litvinenko solution and simply tried to liquidate the opposition by poisoning Yuschenko with Dioxin. It's time for NATO to reach out and protect Ukraine as it struggles to free itself from the Russian yoke of imperialism, time to stand up for democracy and avoid moving down the road that led to World War II. It's worth pointing out, too, that the only reason Ukraine is behind in its gas bills is that it has been made feeble by nearly a century of Russian/Soviet oppression, including genocide. Perhaps its time to discuss financial reparations Russia needs to make before dealing with the gas bill?

Urkaine's version of Perot-as-kingmaker in this ballot is a fellow named Volodymyr Lytvyn, whose eponymous party achieved the lowest vote total in the group earning seats in the parliament -- 3.96% of the total or about 900,000 votes. He does not have enough votes to put Yanukovich on top, but he can solidify the Orange group if he chooses to join it and create a razor-thin parliamentary split if he sides with Russia.

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The Mother of All Protest Babes Takes Power in Ukraine

Filed under: Protest Babes ~ Ukraine

It's getting to be just kind of pathetic how utterly incompetent the New York Times is when trying to report on Russia and the former Soviet bloc. On Sunday, it ran a huge story singing the praises of Kremlin lackey Viktor Yanukovich, assisted by an American political consultant in the parliamentary elections taking place in Ukraine, in his efforts to "remake his image" and thereby dupe the people of Ukraine into moving back into the position of a slave state of Russia.

The ink was hardly dry on this "story" before Bloomberg was reporting that "Ukraine's reborn Orange alliance of former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko [pictured above] and President Viktor Yushchenko is poised for victory after yesterday's parliamentary election, the latest results showed." The protest babe's side (that is, democracy) was kicking some major ass: "Timoshenko's bloc and Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party had 48.6 percent of the vote with 59 percent counted by noon, the Central Election Commission said on its Web site. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's party and his Communist and Socialist allies had 38.2 percent." Later results showed the margin narrowing to about 6%. The AFP reported: "'The Orange Revolution has been saved by Tymoshenko's election results. She saved it from oblivion,' said Taras Kuzio, a Ukraine specialist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C." With 68 percent of the vote counted, Tymoshenko had 32.59 percent, vs. 31.62 percent for Yanukovych. Add in Yuschenko's smaller share, and the Orange side has a clear win. And let's not forget: The only reason Yanukovich, a convicted criminal, is even remotely competitive is that he has the support of Ukraine's communist party and the illicit backing of Russia, which is seeking to subvert his country's independence (it's useful, too, that his opposition is not totally united, as real democrats never are). That just about says it all. The man is pond scum.

Yanukovich (shown above) became unhinged in classic neo-Soviet style: "He said his party had been given 'carte blanche' to form the next government. 'We will ask all parties that entered the parliament to start talks with us,'' he said in a television interview. 'We will unite all pragmatic forces that will be able to unite Ukraine and stimulate economic development.'" The man had, in the best-case scenario, one-third of the country's support, and he claims carte blanche authority. Another demented neo-Soviet madman. How very predictable.

Score one for the protest babes! Score one for our side! Monitor voting results here.

UPDATE: In its Monday follow-up story, the Times still can't believe it could have been so wrong and insists Yanukovich could still outpoll Tymoshenko by a tiny margin, featuring the latter's photograph being congratulated by cheering supporters and totally ignoring Yushchenko, as if he might make common cause with Yanukovich and the Russians who poisoned him rather than Tymoshenko -- absolutely without any basis at all. Another dark, dark day for the gray lady.

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The New York Times & Columbia University: An Axis of Evil?

Filed under: Iran ~ Ukraine

"In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country. In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have this."

-- the so-called "president" of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking to students at Columbia University earlier today and explaining why it's impossible to accuse Iran of persecuting and executing homosexuals.

Ten days ago, we reported on how the New York Times had sunk to a new low, allowing the wretched extremist left-wing Soros-funded propaganda campaign "Moveon.org" to pay less than one-third the going rate for a full-page ad launching a scurrilous attack on General David Petraeus over his handling of the Iraq campaign. In the resulting scandal, not only did the Washington Post expose the fact that the Moveon ad was riddled with factual errors, but the Times own Public Editor declared the preferential pricing to have violated the Times own guidelines for accepting political advertisements -- exposing a Times cover-up which insisted for days that it did nothing wrong in accepting the ad. Moveon is now running scared in the face of several complaints to the FEC by conservative groups.

Meanwhile, crazed Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived today in New York City with an invitation to speak before the student body of Columbia University and the intent to visit and desecrate with his presence the sacred ground of the 9/11 attack site.

How are the two incidents related, you ask? Well, it so happens that a few years ago Columbia, which controls the Pulitzer Prize for journalism, voted to allow Times reporter Walter Duranty to keep his Pulitzer prize even after it was revealed that Duranty had intentionally covered up facts about the Ukrainian famine/holocaust inflicted by Josef Stalin in order to help advance the interests of the USSR. As a recent letter to the editor of the International Herald Tribune stated: "During the Soviet-induced famine in Ukraine in the 1930s when at least 14.5 million people died, according to the historian Robert Conquest, many millions of Ukrainians were marched by foot to the White Sea, where they were loaded on to barges to be towed out to sea. Soviet gunboats then blasted them out of the water. No one knows how many millions perished. They too deserve mention and our memories."

Does anyone see a pattern?

Interestingly, the cowardly little rat bastard Ahmadinejad did not have the guts to let fly with his whole holocaust-denying, Israel-destroying repertoire of senile, subhuman bile while speaking at Columbia, giving rise to speculation that he may be too extreme even for his own country and may be getting flack at home for poisoning Iran's diplomatic well. But even toned down, he's still a weeping pustule on the buttocks of the world. Senator Mitch McConnell said of Columbia's invitation: "There is a world of difference between not preventing Ahmadinejad from speaking and handing a megalomaniac a megaphone and a stage to use it." New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn stated at a mass protest outside the United Nations: "We're here today to send a message that there is never a reason to give a hatemonger an open stage." Columbia University President Lee Bollinger told Ahmadinejad during his introduction of the speaker: "You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated. Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator. When you come to a place like this it makes you simply ridiculous." Gee, wonder which one of those reasons was the one that caused Columbia to give him a platform? Did they just want to all have a good laugh? Is any brainless moron or insane provocateur entitled to expect Ivy League speaking engagements?

Has the world gone mad?

Photo courtesy of Michelle Malkin. (It's worth noting that Russia also provides massive financial aid to Hamas, as well as Hezbollah, and provides nuclear technology and missiles to defend it to Iran itself, as well as huge quantities of weapons to Syria. Russia may certainly be deemed a root cause of Iran's hubris and aggression, making the regions lunatics think they have a bulwark against intervention, and should be treated accordingly in U.S. and European foreign policy.)

As David J. Feith & Jordan C. Hirsch of National Review put it:

It is naive to ignore the uses to which Ahmadinejad will put his invitation. Over the past years, Ahmadinejad's confrontational rhetoric and policies have resulted in diplomatic isolation and economic hardship for Iran. These developments are unpopular among Iranians. It is beneficial to Ahmadinejad and his regime, then, if he can claim to the Iranian people that his leadership is not hurting their country. If he can demonstrate that he is treated abroad as a respected leader, he will be better able to counter his critics at home. Columbia's invitation thus gives political assistance to Ahmadinejad.

How is it possible that the leaders of one of our loftiest universities can't understand this? Maybe Ahmadinejad was truly among his peers, where he belonged?

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The Ukrainian Economy, Surging Forward

Filed under: Ukraine

Business Week reports that despite being constantly harassed by Russia's imperialist abuse and lacking Russia's energy resources, Viktor Yushchenko's pro-West Ukrainian economy is roaring forward at an enviable pace:

Gross domestic product powered ahead by an impressive 8% during the first half of 2007, and economists expect the strength to continue, boosted by a surprisingly diverse economy of services, manufacturing, and raw materials. Metals, mainly steel, account for 40% of exports, but most of the growth is coming from manufacturing and services. Production of heavy equipment rose 22% in 2006. And Ukraine's software houses saw their exports jump by 50% last year, to some $250 million. Investors see promise in the growth. The Kiev stock exchange has more than doubled in size this year, and now boasts a market capitalization of $76 billion -- a sixfold increase since late 2004. And a real estate boom has pushed up housing prices by 60% in 12 months.Stroll around downtown Kiev these days, and it's hard to miss the signs of growing prosperity. The Ukrainian capital's golden-domed cathedrals share the skyline with towering cranes and snazzy apartment complexes.

Ukraine is showing that it is able to work wonders under the worst of circumstances, and Georgia the same. We owe it to these two former Russian slaves states to bring them within the NATO fold and give them the opportunity to show what they can do in the best of times, sending a strong message to imperial Russia that their days of slavery are permanently over -- as are our own.

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Check Out our Newswire Feature: Another Threat to Yushchenko

Filed under: Ukraine

Just in case you hadn't noticed, Publius Pundit is really three separate blogs. In this column, the largest, we feature brief focus posts on major breaking developments. In the narrow column to the right are two more blogs. In the top half of the middle column, headed "Recent Articles," are longer analytical pieces dealing with issues that are simply topical rather than necessarily breaking news. In the bottom half of the middle column, headed "Democracy News," is another breaking news blog, with even shorter commentary on issues that don't make it to the large page, including links to the source material you can read for yourself. We scour the Internet to bring you a convenient daily index of the most important democracy-related news stories that we don't have space or time to focus on with extended commentary here.

Click the jump to read more about one of the stories you'll find in the newswire blog right now, about a rumored threat to the life of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko as he struggles to fend of the Kremlin's neo-Soviet advances against his country.

Our newswire blog contains (among many others) a story in the Russian newspaper Kommersant about a renewed plot to assassinate pro-democracy Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, and other members of his "Orange Coalition," in the wake of Yushchenko's stunning victory in his showdown with Russian puppet Viktor Yanokovich for control of the country, forcing early elections rather than allowing power politics to dominate. The Ukrainian people support early elections by a wide margin, but Yanokovich and his gang of thugs are still attempting to stonewall the process.

The article from Kommersant is quite depressing, and not even mostly because of this new news about evil doers behind the shadowy walls of the Kremlin. As Publius Pundit readers know, we reported some time ago that Kommersant, one of the last vestiges of Kremlin-critical journalism in Russia, had been purchased by a Kremlin-friendly oligarch, resulting in significant immediate staff defections. In reporting the new threats against Yushchenko Kommersant stated in an anonymous article: "Apparently, the president's supporters began putting pressure on the ruling coalition, seeing the hard line of the Party of Regions. A small detail was missing, though: rumors about a plotted conspiracy. [The remarks of Valery Geletei, head of Ukraine's main service for law-enforcement bodies, announcing the discovery of the threats] filled that gap." In suggesting, without any evidence, that Yushchenko is simply inventing this threat to gain leverage over pro-Russian Yanukovich, without even mentioning the undisputed earlier attempt to kill Yushchenko with Dioxin just in the middle of his bid for the presidency (the photograph above shows the heroic president before and after the attack -- rival Viktor Yanukovich remains in the pink of health), Kommersant appears to be indulging, as many feared it might, in pro-Kremlin propaganda.

The English version is condensed from the Russian original, which plays up the issue even further, stating that Yushchenko's supporters felt "they must make supporters Victor Yanukovich more compliant," and dwelling on Yushchenko's recent dismissals of three judges from the country's supreme court without acknowledging that focus on this issue is an obvious way to distract attention from Yanovkovich's obstinant refusal to press forward with elections he's already agreed to. There's nothing wrong with reporting and questioning Yuschenko's moves with the court (however, such moves haven't disqualified Franklin Roosevelt from his ten cents worth of national honor in the USA), but the body has 18 members so what happens to three is hardly determinative, and international observers will be all over Ukraine for the elections, so Yushchenko will hardly be able to use to court to secure a fraudulent victory. Kommersant didn't report that. What's more, surely it's reasonable to suggest that, given the Kremlin's heavy handed tactics all across Eastern Europe, Yushchenko might actually be right in believing that these judges are corrupt. But Kommersant's story didn't mention that possibility either.

Naturally, if the Kremlin were smart, it would not allow Kommersant to simply or suddenly turn into a screed of relentless propaganda; rather, it would only use that vehicle occasionally and only subtly, when important, thus attempting to preserve Kommersant's image of objectivity.

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Condi vs. Zhirik, Round 2?

Filed under: Russia ~ Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice is scheduled to be in Moscow on May 15th to try to convince the Russians to give up their objections to the installation of defensive missile systems in their former slave states in Eastern Europe. Whilst we ponder why the Kremlin would have any objections to defensive systems unless it intends to fire offensive missiles at Eastern Europe (or threaten to do so for blackmail purposes), let's recall a prior exchange between Condi and a high-ranking Russian official over a similar topic last year:

"It was not a good week from the point of view of Russia's demonstrating that it is now prepared to act as an energy supplier in a responsible way. When you say you want to be a part of the international economy and you want to be a responsible actor in the international economy, then you play by its rules. I think that kind of behavior is going to continue to draw comment about the distance between Russian behavior and something like this and what would be expected of a responsible member of the G-8."

--U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Russia's efforts to weaponize its energy resources and use them as instruments of imperialism against Ukraine, January 2006

"Condoleezza Rice released a coarse anti-Russian statement. This is because she is a single woman who has no children. She loses her reason because of her late single status. Nature takes it all. Such women are very rough. They are all workaholics, public workaholics. They can be happy only when they are talked and written about everywhere: 'Oh, Condoleezza, what a remarkable woman, what a charming Afro-American lady! How well she can play the piano and speak Russian! What a courageous, tough and strong female she is!' Complex-prone women are especially dangerous. They are like malicious mothers-in-law, women that evoke hatred and irritation with everyone. Everybody tries to part with such women as soon as possible. A mother-in-law is better than a single and childless political persona, though."

-- Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Leader of Russia's Liberal Democratic Party and Vice Speaker of the Duma, Russia's Lower House of Parliament, responding to Secretary Rice.

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Democracy Wins in Ukraine, Russia Loses!

Filed under: Ukraine

Three cheers for our side! Viktor Yushchenko, and the forces of democracy led by his ally Julia Timoshenko, have emerged the winners in Ukraine! When pro-Russian forces sought to form illegal coalitions and block Yushchenko's pro-West administration from moving Ukraine into the fold of democratic nations (hence, away from Russia), Yushchenko boldly called their bluff and demanded immediate elections. The pro-Russians took to the streets seeking to block the move, and now they've capitulated. Blogger Mark MacKinnon, journalist, Ukraine expert and author of the upcoming book The New Cold War, reports:

The standoff is over for now, and Viktor Yushchenko appears to have won the test of nerves against his arch-rival, Viktor Yanukovich. The two men announced today that they have agreed to hold new parliamentary elections in the near future, something Yushchenko has been demanding since dissolving parliament last month amid a bribery scandal. So far, no date has been set, but Yushchenko said today that the vote would be held within 60 days. July 8 is the best guess of some people in the know. Why did Yanukovich throw in his cards? Because his "Blue Revolution" on the streets of Kyiv was a failure. The demonstrations on Independence Square were lifeless affairs, and as word got out that most of the protestors were being paid to participate, the farce became more of an embarassment to Yanukovich than a tool for pressuring Yushchenko.

More after the jump.

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Hurricane Yulia

Filed under: Ukraine

This might be a nominee for the best political cartoon ever drawn. It's a work of genius in the genre. Source: Ellustrator.

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The Kremlin Responds to Tymoshenko

Filed under: Ukraine

La Russophobe is pleased to have become recently able to offer the world the efforts of a second professional translator of Russian, Mr. Vova Khavkin, who opens yet more windows into the world of the Russian media. Recently, Mr. Khavkin has translated articles from Novaya Gazeta (about what happens when a citizen writes to President Putin) and Gazeta.ru (about Russia's most dangerous prison, the prison of the the mind, from a Kommersant columnist).

Today, Publius Pundit is delighted to offer readers Mr. Khavkin's translation of the response by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Yulia Tymoshenko's brilliant work in Foreign Affairs, on which we reported yesterday. The Kremlin is in full neo-Soviet paranoid attack propaganda mode, ending: "those who are hiding behind Yu.V. Tymoshenko's article for hire did not have the courage to comport themselves with the . . . dignity." Nothing could more conclusively show Julia's brilliance and courage than the Kremlin's crude savagery in response. The translation appears after the jump.

Russian Federation
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Information and Press Office
Comment Concerning a Question From the Novosti Russian Information Agency Regarding Yu.V. Tymoshenko's Article "Containing Russia" in the Foreign Affairs Magazine

Question: How would you comment on Yu.V. Tymoshenko's article "Containing Russia" scheduled to appear in the next issue of the Foreign Affairs Magazine?

Comment: Usually we do not comment on articles in foreign mass media but in this case we have every reason to make an exception. We are obviously dealing with some kind of anti-Russian manifesto, an attempt once again to draw the lines of division in Europe and, as a minimum, return the world to the "Cold War" environment. Those who drafted this article clearly miss the days gone by and are nostalgic about the militarily simple relations in Europe. Just as the Bourbons did after the Reformation, they forgot nothing and learned nothing. Hence such a thorough "parsing of the issue" -- starting with George Kennan's "Long Telegram" and later on. In so doing, the lessons of the "Cold War" and George Kennan's own more recent assessments -- where he admitted in particular that instead of a political settlement of the differences, "What was required of the Soviet Union was unconditional capitulation, but the country was too strong to accept this1" -- was clearly ignored.

What is also noteworthy is Henry Kissinger's admission -- he wrote that through the containment policy the United States "created an impression among the Soviets that we were trying permanently to corral the USSR into a no-win position." [1] One could also agree with the premise that the United States "[A]lso were not fully aware of the security needs of a continental power (which the Soviet Union was)"1 and "[W]ere not understanding of the problems of a country that had been subject to numerous invasions." [1] The snapshot of that period in world affairs -- a period that exacted a high price from all states -- is made whole when one considers [the policy of] demonizing the opponent and a black-and-white vision of the world.

We are convinced that more than ever before today we need an unbiased evaluation of the sources of the "Cold War" which was unleashed by a decision made in an inner circle of two [world] powers. One of them saw the ideological schism in the world as an acceptable way of maintaining its global status after the inevitable loss of its empire while the other -- an opportunity to assert itself in world affairs by reliance on military power. Today, guided by own mercenary interests, somebody would also like to be the supreme decision-maker.

The article under Yu.V. Tymoshenko's byline does not contain a single thesis that we had not already heard one way or another in recent years. The wording is also painfully familiar. Despite the end of the "Cold War" forces that still cannot get over themselves and overcome the intellectual and political-psychological legacy of that period, including the policy of “containing Russia”, are still at play in global affairs. The world is once again suffocating from ideology and official propaganda. In essence, a pseudo-theoretical foundation that appeals to the worst prejudices and instincts of the recent and not so recent past is being laid so as to continue the old policy in the new environment. These prejudices' viability could perhaps be explained by Henry Morgenthau's observation where he noted that the United States' adherence to the philosophy of anticommunism "[W]as much stronger and less subject to influence by reasons of national interest that the Russians' devotion to the spread of communism." [1]

One should perhaps welcome the fact that these forces decided to advance so openly. At the very least, much becomes clear and falls in its rightful place. For this alone the authors of the article deserve praise. The unwillingness to cooperate with Russia on an equal basis, the course toward re-polarizing and re-militarizing international relations, NATO's eastward expansion and the tactic of "annoying actions" aimed at Russia in the former Soviet Union countries, and plans for setting up [elements of] a U.S. global missile defense system in Europe -- all this fits a single strategy which, it seems, is called upon effecting a "unipolar world" against all evidence to the contrary. Fifteen years is a long enough time to realize the illusory nature of this undertaking. We would not want to think that today's crisis in Ukraine is also a part of this scenario of "reliving the past." As history always has it, this may end up being just a farce and further destabilize the situation.

One should not underestimate the danger of these attempts to turn back the clock. Whatever the case, Russia will not allow to get herself drawn into a new confrontation for which there is no underlying basis. We will not give in to provocations. Such surrealism in world affairs is also fraught with the danger of limiting the opportunities for international cooperation across the entire range of problems common to all states, including new challenges and threats to security and sustainable development and settlement of regional conflicts. And this would be against everyone's interest.

One gets a nagging feeling that someone is simply accustomed to living in the shadow of the "wall" that separates Europe. They want once again to feel the old "comfort" -- albeit [living] on the "right side" of it. One can also sense the desire to make a living from the division of Europe, from attempts to turn the area along Russia's western frontier into a frontline. Under the conditions where processes that cause concern in the rest of Europe are underway it is difficult not see that such efforts are more than just longing for the past. This development is an integral part of the processes -- which mark the turning tide in the current phase of European and global affairs -- that President V.V. Putin warned about in Munich.

In our view this policy is a challenge to all of Europe, all international community, and multilateral diplomacy. In this environment Russia will continue consistently to adhere to such international principles as pragmatic and multidimensional policy, to advance a positive agenda for international relations, and [to offer] constructive solutions to the problems of world development today.

The article confirms the relevance of the appeal to a serious and frank dialogue made by President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin in his Munich address. Furthermore, the Russian leader did so in a direct and open fashion, whereas those who are hiding behind Yu.V. Tymoshenko's article for hire did not have the courage to comport themselves with the same dignity. It is evident that without a common understanding of the world we all live in one could hardly move far ahead in international cooperation. It is also obvious that those who avoid such debates have something to hide.

16 April 2007

_________________

Translator's note:

1 Given in reverse translation from the Russian, meaning that translating directly from Russian to English does not produce the exact quotation of the speaker. The translator disapproves of this practice.

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Tymoshenko in Foreign Affairs: Containing Russia

Filed under: Ukraine

Leading pro-West Ukrainian political leader Yulia Tymoshenko has a brilliant article running in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs. In it, she exposes the looming danger of a neo-Soviet state in Russia not only for Ukraine but for the world, and outlines her strategy for dealing with it, which boils down to neo-containment. The summary of the article is: "Russia's imperial ambitions did not end with the fall of the Soviet Union. The Kremlin has returned to expansionism, trying to recapture great-power status at the expense of its neighbors, warns one of Ukraine's most prominent politicians. The United States and Europe must counter with a strong response -- one that keeps Russia in check without sparking a new Cold War." It's a must-read for all Russia and Ukraine watchers -- indeed, for all those concerned with the fate of democracy. She's really struck a nerve, because the Russian Foreign Ministry responded with a broadside on its website even before the article was published, screeching: "It is obvious that the discussion deals with a kind of anti-Russian manifesto, an attempt to again create boundaries within Europe and to return to the atmosphere of 'Cold War.'"

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Ukraine's Protest Babes Show Their True Colors

Filed under: Europe ~ Protest Babes ~ Ukraine

capt.mosb12604111807.ukraine_politics__mosb126.jpg

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Georgia Sides with Yushchenko

Filed under: Ukraine

Nino%20Burcanadze%20b.jpg Nino Burjanadze (pictured, left, another fabulous babe of politics), speaker of Georgia's parliament, has expressed support for embattled Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko's call to solve the parliamentary impasse in his country with snap elections. "The president had the constitutional right to dissolve Parliament. I am sure that democratic forces will win in the elections and [hopefully] these forces will adopt correct internal and external policies," Burjanadze said. Click here to listen to Burjanadze lecture at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Georgia's "path to democracy and transatlantic integration."

Yuschenko has risked his very life for his country, as any picture of his face after his Dioxin poisoning by pro-Russian forces will attest. Will Yanukovich go so far as to risk an election?

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The Mother of all Protest Babes

Filed under: Protest Babes ~ Ukraine

Seeing as how we are having some difficulty finding examples of protest babes in the recent Yushchenko-Yanukovich brouhaha, perhaps some nostalgia is in order:

Above, a poster supporting Yulia Tymoshenko. The slogan reads: "ONLY FORWARD!" Interestingly, the same Russian phrase was used to translate "full throttle" in the movie "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle." No, this has not been "shopped." Its from her website. Below, an evocative wallpaper also from her site.

That's one choice for Ukraine, the anti-Russian one. Here's a supporter of her rival, Victor Yanukovich, convicted criminal and Russian sycophant:

capt.sge.lrb35.031204204519.photo00.photo.default-272x382.jpg

The choice is yours, Ukraine!

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Whither The Protest Babes?

Filed under: Europe ~ Protest Babes ~ Ukraine

Supporters of the pro-Russian government coalition protest on Independence square in Kiev. Ukraine's pro-Western president Viktor Yushchenko held crisis talks Tuesday with his prime minister, as a deepening power struggle between the two rivals brought thousands onto the streets in protest.(AFP/Sergei Supinsky)

Normally this isn't a problem, but Yahoo! News doesn't have a single picture of a protest babe on either side. Neither Yanukovich nor Yushchenko have babe backing, and Tymoshenko doesn't have the protest appeal like she used to. That must mean that, indeed, Ukraine is in a true crisis.

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Ukraine May Backslide In Just One Day

Filed under: Ukraine

In perhaps the ballsy-est move he's made since gaining the presidency, Orange Revolution President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree disbanding the parliament and calling new elections.

April 2, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has signed a decree dissolving parliament and ordering new elections, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service reported.
Yushchenko made the announcement in an address on television today after hours of talks with parliamentary leaders failed to resolve a political standoff in the country.

"My actions were dictated by the urgent necessity to save the state, its sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and to ensure the constitution of Ukraine, the rights and liberties of people and citizens are upheld,” Yushchenko said during his address. “I would like to underline that this is not only my right -- it is my duty."

"I am calling on the Ukrainian people to make a fair, conscious, and responsible choice which will end this stage of political conflict and will open a new perspective for Ukraine," he added.
The president accused the parliamentary majority led by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych of seeking to expand its power base in violation of the constitution, and of making decisions that violated the law.

Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich had been accused of unconstitutionally building up his power base in the parliament by convincing individual members to join his coalition. According to the constitutional changes made during the Orange Revolution, members of a bloc join coalitions together. That is, individuals members cannot break off from their elected bloc to join another one. I can imagine the purpose of this is to solidify the power of parties against temporary electoral crises which can provoke opportunism and payoffs. But that's what Yanukovich has been tempting people with, and a steady stream of opposition lawmakers have left their original parties. If Yanukovich can get less than 50 more then he will have complete ability to rewrite the constitution.

Given that the hostility between Yanukovich and Yushchenko has already provoked the former into decreasing the powers of the latter, Yushchenko was in a real bind. If he didn't stop this from happening, Yanukovich would unconstitutionally usurp more power and crush him.

There have also been rumors of late that say Yanukovich and Moroz were meeting with Putin on whether or not to seek Yushchenko's impeachment. If that's the case, self-defense would be the biggest reason why he finally acted. Impeachment would mean total destruction of the Orange forces.

The only question is, what is the constitutionality of Yushchenko's own decree, and will anyone follow it?

I see no reason why the pro-Yanukovich members of parliament would simply back down and comply with the order for new elections. With no firm legal mechanisms in place to enforce the constitution or even make constitutional judgments right now, everything is up in the air. The president and the parliament are operating on two completely separate wavelengths of power and sovereignty. It will all come down to who has control.

And according to Peter Byrne, chaos has basically enveloped the parliament, with the pro-Yanukovich coalition unraveling reforms and reversing every last democratic gain made since 2004 in one fell swoop.

it's almost midnight and the rada is still in session, busy being destructive and rescinding previous legislation.
pro-yanukovych lawmakers led by parliament speaker have no intention of complying with the president's decree dissolving parliament and holding new elections on may 27.
deputies (a very glum looking bunch) just reinstated members of the central election commission of 2004, chaired by serhiy kivalov. can't get more destructive than that.

I wonder if the obvious needs to be said here. Back in August, when Yanukovich became prime minister, the generally accepted knowledge was that no matter who gained power, the gains made since the Orange Revolution could never be reversed. But how can the biggest gain, free elections, ever be repeated if the old and corrupt election commission is in place? « Close It

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