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2008
Wednesday 25 June 2008 Ukraine moves towards a free exchange rate
Exchange-rate moves by Ukraine’s central bank in the past month signal that the country is moving towards a floating exchange rate that unifies the official and interbank rates—and so helps to check inflation, which is running at over 30% year on year. Seemingly, the bank’s management has fought off political pressure from exporters to make the change; and by acting now, it has a chance to hone its use of monetary levers before the country faces potentially serious economic and financial turbulence next year.
Friday 30 May 2008 OTTAWA: CANADA RECOGNIZES UKRAINIAN HARVEST OF SORROW AS GENOCIDE
Legislation recognizing the Ukrainian famine of the 1930s received royal assent and became law on Thursday. A bill introduced by Manitoba Member of Parliament James Bezan was approved by all four parties represented in the House of Commons earlier in the week during a state visit by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. The law also establishes a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide Memorial Day. Canada joins some dozen other nations, including the U.S., that recognize the 1932-33 famine as a deliberate attempt by the Soviet government of Jozef Stalin to eliminate the Ukrainian people. Some academics, and many Russians, disagree.
Thursday 29 May 2008 TORONTO: UKRAINIAN LEADER INVITES INVESTMENT
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has called on Canada's business community to take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities which his booming country offers in a speech to the Economic Club of Toronto. The president noted that at a time when world food prices are soaring, Ukraine has vast areas of arable land that offer "astonishing opportunities" for investors, adding that this year is the first time that all arable land is in private hands. Mr. Yushchenko told his hosts that although some socialist tendencies continue to cause problems, Ukraine has taken great strides toward creating a market economy. The president also disclosed that his government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. to study CANDU nuclear technology.
Wednesday 28 May 2008 WINNIPEG: UKRAINIAN LEADER GETS WARM WELCOME
More than 1,000 well-wishers gathered at Manitoba's legislative assembly on Tuesday to greet Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who has been visiting Canada since Monday. He was welcomed by a children's choir and applause from the crowd in a city with many residents of Ukrainian origin. Most people in the crowd appeared to understand his remarks in Ukrainian in which he recalled the warm welcome which Canada has offered Ukrainian immigrants for decades. Premier Gary Doer also spoke, describing his guest as an international hero for democracy. On Monday, Mr. Yushchenko was in Ottawa where he signed a joint declaration with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in which Canada's support for Ukrainian membership in the NATO alliance is reaffirmed, a possibility which isn't a matter of unanimity in Ukraine. A public opinion survey published on Tuesday showed that almost two-thirds of Ukrainians oppose the idea of joining the western alliance.
Tuesday 27 May 2008
THE STRAIGHT GOODS:
During an official visit by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces his support for Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, despite Russia’s opposition. NASA’s Mars Phoenix Lander successfully lands on the Red Planet and begins its scientific work there. Nearly $2 million in Canadian art is stolen from Vancouver’s Museum of Anthropology.
—————————————————————–
UKRAINE’S HUNGER FOR SOVEREIGNTY
The National fronts, while CTV News, the Globe, the Post, and the Citizen go inside with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko’s visit to Ottawa. Yushchenko addressed parliament yesterday, asking that Canada back Ukraine’s bid to join NATO despite Russia’s opposition to the plan. The president, who survived disfiguring radioactive poisoning and an allegedly fixed election to eventually take power in Ukraine’s Orange Revolution of 2004, argued that his country’s ascension to NATO was a key step toward securing its sovereignty, pointing out that, over the last ninety years, the country has declared independence six times. Canada was the first to recognize the most recent such declaration in 1991, and the warm relationship between the two countries was maintained during yesterday’s proceedings, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared his support for Ukraine’s NATO membership, only obliquely addressing Russia’s reticence: “It is a founding principle of NATO that outsiders do not make these decisions,” he said. According to the Post, Russia is concerned that the growing Western military alliance is “encroaching on its traditional sphere of influence.”
Meanwhile, in another Canadian show of solidarity with Yushchenko, Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced yesterday that the Conservative government would become one of the first in the world to recognize the Holdomor—the 1932-33 Ukrainian famine, thought to be largely caused by Stalinist policies—as a genocide. Some ten million people died during the period, though Russia continues to deny that any genocide took place. The acknowledgement is in keeping with the government’s new tradition of acknowledging past injustices, both domestic and foreign, such as the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, which “the Harper government has also endorsed,” as the Post so unfortunately puts it. Cynical sources such as The National imply that Canada’s coddling of Ukraine might have something to do with the vote-rich Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, the second-largest in the world.
Monday 14 April 2008 Ukraine is set to join the WTO in May
Ukraine’s parliament has ratified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) accession protocol, so the country will become the 152nd member of the pre-eminent world trade body in May. Ratification underlines that, despite the often-chaotic nature of post-Orange Revolution politics, there is a consensus on the need for deeper integration with the global economy, regardless of narrow sectoral interests. Trade flows will increase upon accession, with steel and agricultural producers the main beneficiaries and automotive producers and small enterprises the main losers. WTO accession will also give Ukraine an opportunity to negotiate better access to its two biggest markets, the EU and Russia.
Wednesday 05 March 2008 Russia has again cut natural gas shipments to Ukraine by 25 per cent, after having done the same on Monday. Russia state gas firm Gazprom says the second reduction has been ordered because Ukraine continues to refuse to pay $600 million in debt and negotiations are at a dead end. Ukraine's state energy monopoly Naftogaz says it's willing to hold further negotiations with the Russian concern but may be forced to divert some of the Russian gas intended for Europe that is conveyed through Ukraine. In 2006, Gazprom cut off all gas to Ukraine after the latter rejected the imposition of higher prices resulting in serious shortages across Europe.
Wednesday Mar 5, 2008 Russia cuts gas exports to Ukraine in half
Moscow halved gas supplies to Ukraine yesterday in a payments row that threatened to disrupt gas flows to Europe from Russian...
Thursday 14 February 2008 Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Russian leaders resolved their dispute over Ukraine's natural gas payments during four hours of negotiation in Moscow on Tuesday. Russian firm Gazprom had threatened to cut off shipments to Ukraine if the payments weren't forthcoming. Gazprom claims it's owed $1.5 billion, while Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko put the figure at $1.1 billion. Mr. Yushchenko says the two sides have agreed to set up a working group to discuss ways to streamline their gas trade.
Tuesday 12 February 2008 Ukraine is involved in talks to persuade Russia's Gazprom not to cut off service for unpaid debts. Last week, Gazprom announced that it would cut gas supplies to Ukraine by Tuesday unless Kiev paid its $1.5-billion debt. Most of Ukraine's gas comes from Central Asia via Russia. The dispute overshadows a planned visit to Moscow on Tuesday by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. Russia and Ukraine have had several disagreements over energy supplies in recent years. A price dispute in 2006 led to supply disruptions across Europe after Gazprom cut off all gas supplies to Ukraine, a major transit route for EU countries.
Tuesday 05 February 2008 Ukraine Joins the W.T.O.
By ANDREW E. KRAMER
The move, after 15 years of negotiations, is a milestone for the former Soviet state that helps clear the way for an even more valuable free trade agreement with the European Union.
Sunday 27 January 2008 Ukraine's accession to the World Trade Organization was confirmed at a meeting in Geneva on Friday. Ukraine's membership in the 151-nation global trade body ahead of Russia will give Ukraine a key lever of influence over Russia. As a member of the WTO, Ukraine could ask to sign a separate bilateral trade agreement with Russia, imposing conditions for joining. Ukraine's candidacy would now be put to the WTO's General Council meeting on February 5, followed by a six-month ratification process.
Wednesday 19 December 2007 Legislators narrowly elected Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister on Tuesday. Those who voted for her were from her bloc and the party of President Viktor Yushchenko. Mrs. Tymoshenko was the leading opposition figure in the protests that led to the invalidation of the 2004 election won by former pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych. Mr. Yanukovych leads the Party of Regions formation, and recalled how the "Orange Team destroyed the economy."
Sunday 02 December 2007 An explosion on Saturday hit the Ukrainian coal mine where 100 workers died in a methane blast in November. At least five miners were injured and another 35 were unaccounted for at the Zasyadko mine in Donetsk. Twenty other miners were brought to the surface.
Tuesday 30 October 2007 KVIV: CANADIAN POULTRY BANNED
Ukrainian health authorities have banned all imports of Canadian poultry because of the outbreak of bird flu discovered last month on a chicken farm 40 kilometres north of Regina. The agriculture ministry says the ban will remain in effect until the situation is brought under control. Poultry on the farm were infected with the H7N3 strain of bird flu, the same that caused the outbreak in British Columbia in 2004 that necessitated the cull of 17 million birds. However, it isn't the same as the deadly H7N3 strain that has caused the greatest alarm.
Tuesday 16 October 2007 The two main pro-Western political parties have agreed to form an alliance in the legislature, thus ousting outgoing pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanuschenko. The agreement reached on Monday was between the Our Ukraine party of president Viktor Yuschenko and that of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Their parties have a slight majority of two seats, controlling 228 of the legislature's 450 seats. The pro-Western parties regained control of that body in the Sept. 30 parliamentary elections.
Wednesday 03 October 2007 Ukraine's President President Viktor Yushchenko is expected to announce a coalition government with opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko by the end of this week. A senior official says it depends on whether there is a clear Orange majority in this past Sunday's election. The final three per cent of ballots remains to be counted. If things go as the party hopes, Yulia Tymoshenko would be prime minister. The two were partners in the 2004 Orange Revolution democratic protests before falling out in 2005. Mrs. Tymoshenko would replace current Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the pair's rival during the Orange Revolution.
Tuesday 02 October 2007 The results of the weekend's parliamentary election were in doubt on Monday, with results still being returned. With almost 90 per cent of the ballots counted, the pro-Russia Regions Party party of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has with about one-third of the vote and could form a coalition government with three smaller parties. President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's Bloc have a combined total of about 46 per cent. Mr. Yushchenko wants to replace his prime minister with Mrs. Tymoshenko. The president has ordered police to investigate the vote count in eastern and southern Ukraine, strongholds of Mr. Yanukovych.
Wednesday 19 September 2007 President Viktor Yushchenko on Monday signed in Kiev an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the French-led consortium Novarka to build a new encasing for the destroyed nuclear reactor at Chornobyl. The Bank says the design and construction of an arch-shaped steel structure over 100 metres high and 150 metres will cost $1.4 billion. The design will require one-and-half-years and construction four more. Thousands of people died and hundreds of thousands displaced after a reactor at Chornobyl exploded on April 26, 1986.
Sunday May 27, 2007 UPOLITICAL TENSIONS RISE IN UKRAINE OVER CONTROL OF MINISTRY TROOPS
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said Friday he was taking command
of Interior Ministry troops, but a ministry spokesman rejected the
order in a move of defiance that dramatically escalated the country's
political turmoil.
rci Ukraine's political crisis deepened on Friday after President Viktor Yushchenko challenged his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, for control over interior ministry troops. Interior ministry forces answer to the prime minister, in contrast to the regular army. The president's order came one day after police officers loyal to the prime minister stormed a government building in Kiev. The prime minister called the president's latest move dangerous and unconstitutional. The two men have been at odds for months. Among their disagreements is a dispute over the date of elections this year.
Monday 14 May 2007 
Moldova & Romania
The country that Europe forgot
MOLDOVA is not only the poorest ex-communist country in Europe; it is also last in the queue for love and attention. It lacks central Europe’s glorious culture, the pungent romance of the Balkans, the charm and excitement of the Baltics, or the huge strategic importance of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Its main role is that of a country so obscure that it can safely be ridiculed, as it was in a book about a hapless British comedian’s attempt to play tennis with the national football team.
Friday 23 March 2007 Ukraine's president dissolves parliament. Maybe
Vying to be the ultimate Viktor
In an escalating political confrontation, Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko, dissolved parliament and called a new election on May 27th. But his rival (and prime minister), Viktor Yanukovich, refused to accept the dissolution. As is now customary, flag-waving protesters from both sides took to the streets.
2006
Monday Apr 3, 2006 rci Ukraine's president said on Sunday that any coalition government must be created on his terms. It was Viktor Yushchenko's first major public comment on the state of coalition negotiations since his Our Ukraine party finished a distant third in parliamentary elections a week earlier. He's been in discussions with his former prime minister and ally, Yulia Tymoshenko, whose party finished second. Miss Tymoshenko wants to be prime minister again. Mr. Yushchenko says that any coalition partners must agree to a detailed action plan.
Tuesday Mar 28, 2006 maisonneuve.org
ORANGE YOU GLAD WE HAD A REVOLUTION?
The Globe fronts, CBC News: Sunday Night stuffs, and the
Post, La Presse (all four not available online) and the
Citizen go inside with reports on Ukraine’s parliamentary
elections, held yesterday. Our Ukraine, the party of President Viktor
Yushchenko—the West-leaning father of the “Orange
Revolution,” which ousted prime minister Viktor Yanukovich a year
and a half ago—is now trailing far behind Yanukovich’s Party
of Regions, according to a series of independent exit polls. The
pro-Russian Yanukovich has already declared his party victorious based on
the preliminary results (in the lead with 33 percent of the vote). Second
place should go to the party headed by Yulia Tymoshenko, who, the Post
reminds us, is the “revolutionary firebrand turned premier
turned rival to the president.” Tymoshenko and Yushchenko led the Orange Revolution together but had a
falling out, causing Yushchenko to kick Tymoshenko out of the government.
The Citizen’s Associated Press story is the only one to clarify
that, regardless of the elections’ outcome, Yushchenko remains
president: under a series of reforms he instituted, the new parliament has
the power to choose the prime minister and most of the cabinet, but the
president retains control of the foreign affairs and security
ministries. Since none of the contenders’ parties are poised
to secure a majority, much of the speculation today lies in what kind of a
coalition may be formed. The general consensus is that nobody knows. Any
combination of the three would be surprising given their cutthroat
rivalries and past heated clashes.
Monday Mar 27, 2006 rci Ukrainians voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election that opinion polls indicated would lead to a resurgence of a Russia-backed opposition to President Viktor Yushchenko. Unofficial exit polls showed that the Regions Party of Viktor Yanukovich, Mr. Yushchenko's foe in the previous election, was running a clear first with between 27.5 and 33.3 per cent of the vote. But Yulia Tymoshenko, Mr. Yushchenko's former ally and prime minister, surged past the president's Our Ukraine party into second place with between 21.6 and 22.7 per cent. Our Ukraine lay third. Mr. Yushchenko said that talks on forming a coalition government would start immediately after the election. Some 45 parties were on the ballot, and voters had to look over huge ballot papers measuring 80 centimetres in length. There were lengthy checks at polling stations to preclude fraud. Voters reported long delays. Some 150 Canadians, including 40 government-appointed representatives, were among the foreign observers monitoring the
Sunday Mar 26, 2006 As Ukrainians prepared on Saturday to vote in parliamentary elections the next day, Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov predicted difficult talks to form a coalition government. Opinion polls indicated that the Regions Party of Viktor Yanukovich was leading President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine Party, with the group of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko third. The stakes in the election have been raised by changes to the constitution that empower parliament to name a prime minister. Several power-sharing schemes have been proposed, but none has found favour.
Sunday Mar 19, 2006 nyt As Polling Stations Open, Belarus Braces for Aftermath By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Hoping to replicate the 2004 uprising in Ukraine, opposition candidates are calling for protests of Sunday's presidential vote.
Saturday Jan 21, 2006 nyt Looking at Ukraine More Clearly By punishing Viktor Yushchenko for trying to pull Ukraine away from Russia, Vladimir Putin is pushing Ukraine away from Russia.
Saturday Jan 14, 2006 rci Six human rights activists are reported to be on trial in Uzbekistan. Five of them were arrested for distributing leaflets that condemned the government's brutal suppression of anti-government protesters in Andijan last year. The five were local leaders of the rights group, Ezgulik, and were also members of an outlawed political movement, Birlik. The sixth defendant was identified as Saidjahon Zainabiddinov, one of the first people to report about the Andijan crackdown. Their trials were reported by members of Ezgulik. The trials are being conducted at unknown locations behind closed doors. So far, the government has sentenced 151 people in connection with the uprising. Uzbekistan authorities say that troops killed no more than 187 demonstrators in Andijan, but international human rights groups say that many more died.
Wednesday Jan 11, 2006 rci In a surprise move on Tuesday, Ukraine's parliament voted to bring down the government because of criticism of Ukraine's deal with Russia on natural gas pricing. Legislators began the session by questioning government ministers about last week's controversial deal involving the price paid for Russian natural gas. The opposition claimed that the deal will hurt Ukraine's economy as well as ordinary consumers. A crisis over energy began when Ukraine refused to pay a fourfold increase for gas Russia had demanded. The Russian oil company, Gazprom, halted gas exports to Ukraine at the start of the year, but deliveries to many Western European countries were also affected because their pipeline runs through Ukraine. The two sides reached a deal that includes a complex price plan over a five-year period.
2005
Saturday, 31 December 2005, bbc Russia offers delay on gas hike
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to delay a gas price hike for Ukraine by three months in a compromise to end an increasingly bitter dispute.
Friday Dec 2, 2005 rci Ukraine's bid to integrate itself further into Western Europe has received a boost. The European Union declared that it will recognize Ukraine as a market economy. The declaration came in Kiev during an EU-Ukraine summit attended by EU President José Manuel Barroso. Ukraine had sought market economy status to increase its trade. But it also wanted to avoid charges that it was dumping steel and other exports into Western Europe at discount prices. The EU has overtaken Russia as Ukraine's biggest trading partner. Last year, Ukraine's trade with the EU reached $22 billion US.
Tuesday Nov 29, 2005 rci A Kiev appeals court will hear the case against three men accused of the 2000 murder of Ukrainian opposition journalist Georgy Gongadze. Mr. Gongadze disappeared after leaving a friend's apartment in Kiev on September 16, 2000. His decapitated body was found two months later in woods near Kiev. Mr. Yushchenko has said that solving the case is among the top priorities of his administration. In March, the authorities arrested and charged three policemen suspected of carrying out the killing. A fourth suspect, General Olexiy Pukach, fled abroad. Mr. Gongadze often spoke out against former president Leonid Kuchma. His death sparked widespread opposition to the former regime which culminated in last year's popular revolution which brought Mr. Yushchenko to power.
Wednesday Nov 23, 2005 cc Orange Revolution anniversary bittersweet
It was a far cry from last year when the hero and heroine of Ukraine's Orange Revolution stood arm-in-arm on the Independence Square stage before hundreds of thousands protesting election fraud. The slogan then was: Together We Are Many And We Can't Be Defeated.
Friday Nov 4, 2005 rci Some U.S. legislators say that it's time to drop American trade sanctions against Ukraine. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Curt Weldon, says that sanctions adopted during the Cold War no longer apply, especially after the change of government in Ukraine last year. He spoke at a joint news conference in Washington with Ukraine's prime minister, Yuriy Yekhanurov, who is on a two-day visit. Mr. Yekhanurov is pressing for Ukraine's membership in the World Trade Organization. A bill to drop American sanctions is now before the U.S. Senate. But political observers say that it will be difficult to drop sanctions against Ukraine without also dropping sanctions against Russia. And Ukraine's unsettled political and economic situation continues to worry business leaders and investors.
Wednesday Sep 21, 2005 rci Ukraine's parliament has rejected President Viktor Yushchenko's nominee for new prime minister. Yury Yekhanurov, a long-time ally of Mr. Yushchenko, was supported by only 223 members in the 450 seat chamber. He needed 226 votes to be confirmed. President Yushchenko had urged parliamentarians to accept Mr. Yekhanurov so as to avoid further chaos. He dismissed the previous government, led by Yulia Tymoshenko, over allegations of corruption.
Sunday Sep 11, 2005 rci Ukraine's recently dismissed prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, has announced that she'll oppose President Viktor Yushchenko and his party in parliamentary elections scheduled for next year. Mrs. Tymoshenko and her cabinet were fired by the president on Thurday amid allegations of corruption. The president is urging lawmakers to support his new prime minister, Yury Yekhanurov, whose nomination must still receive parliamentary approval. However, supporters of Mr. Yushchenko forces do not have a stable parliamentary majority. The crisis in Ukraine comes after months of dissension between Mrs. Tymoshenko and the president over the country's economic policies. In a telephone call with U.S. President George W. Bush on Saturday, Mr. Yushchenko declared that Ukraine's course remained unchanged and he would continue to pursue a strategic partnership with the United States.
Friday Sep 9, 2005 nyt Ukraine Leader Fires Cabinet as Reform Coalition Splits
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Internal divisions and accusations of corruption splintered the political coalition that led last year's popular uprising.
Ukraine's Orange Flame, Dimmed
If Viktor Yushchenko hopes to salvage the spirit of the Orange Revolution he needs to show he is capable of leading the Ukraine toward democracy, free markets and the rule of law.
Point Those Fingers
By PAUL KRUGMAN
If the Bush administration isn't held accountable for its response to Hurricane Katrina, it will keep repeating its mistakes.
Thursday Jun 16, 2005 rci Russia has retracted a claim that its gas reserves in Ukraine have gone missing. Reports from Kiev say Russia's Gazprom monopoly has admitted that billions of cubic meters of its gas have not disappeared from Ukraine's underground storage facilities, as charged last week. Senior officials from Gazprom announced Monday that Ukraine's main oil and gas company, Naftogaz, had provided documents showing the nation's reservoirs contain some 7.8 billion cubic meters of Russian gas. The dispute is part of a wider row in which Russia has threatened to raise transit fees for Russian gas headed toward European markets.
Wednesday Jun 15, 2005 wn Slide show by Ron Meisels
Monday May 2, 2005 ts Uzbekistan protest ends in bloodshed
ANDIJAN, Uzbekistan—Soldiers loyal to Uzbekistan`s U.S.-allied authoritarian leader unleashed heavy gunfire into thousands of demonstrators here yesterday to put down an uprising that began with an armed raid on a prison that freed about 2,000 inmates, including suspects on trial for Islamic extremism.
Tuesday Apr 19, 2005 rci Ukraine now says that Russia's Black Sea fleet could remain based at ports in Crimea when the Kremlin's current lease runs out in 2017. However, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko says a new deal would have to be negotiated. The minister indicated that it would entail reduced prices for oil and natural gas shipped by Russia to Ukraine.
Her comments contradicted remarks by the foreign minister. Boris Tarasyuk said last week that Kiev did not plan to extend the Black Sea fleet base leasing agreement with Russia beyond 2017. Mr. Tarasyuk said the Kremlin had committed "systematic violations" of the leasing agreement, while Ukraine had fulfilled all its obligations.
Tuesday Apr 12, 2005 rci Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko began a visit to Poland by praising the late Pope John Paul II. Mr. Yushchenko says the Pope's prayers helped make Ukraine's Orange Revolution last year a success and enabled the country to move towards democracy without violence.The Ukrainian leader made the comment at a joint press conference with Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski in Warsaw. The Polish leader also gave his support for Ukraine's quest to become a member of the European Union.
Saturday Mar 19, 2005 ts
Ukraine arms sales probed
KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian weapons dealers smuggled 18 nuclear-capable cruise missiles to Iran and China four years ago, prosecutors said yesterday, revealing fresh details of a probe that will test the new government`s commitment to cleaning up corruption. Closed-door legal proceedings were under way.
Thursday Mar 17, 2005 Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma says he does not rule out the possibility that his former interior minister may have been murdered. Yuri Kravchenko, apparently committed suicide March 4, just hours before he was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors about the 2000 kidnapping and murder of investigative journalist Georgy Gongadze. Mr. Kuchma told the Russian daily newspaper Vremia Novostei that there are a lot of questions to be answered in the Kravchenko death. The former Ukrainian president again denied he was part of the plot to murder Mr. Gongadze, a harsh critic of Mr. Kuchma's policies. Mr. Kuchma himself was questioned by Ukrainian prosecutors last week but there were no details.
Monday Feb 7, 2005 ts
Ukraine parliament confirms firebrand as premier
KYIV—Parliament confirmed Yulia Tymoshenko as Ukraine`s new prime minister yesterday and gave the firebrand of the country`s "Orange Revolution" protests the go-ahead to set the ex-Soviet republic on a new, westward course.
Sunday Jan 23, 2005 cbc
YUSHCHENKO SWORN IN AS UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT
The streets of Kiev were filled with revellers as Viktor Yushchenko was
officially sworn in as Ukraine's new president, ending weeks of
political conflict.
Sunday Jan 23, 2005 cbc
MEDIA SAY THEY PLAYED ROLE IN YUSHCHENKO'S WIN
When Viktor Yushchenko is sworn in as president of Ukraine Sunday, many
in the media will take some credit for his Dec. 26 victory, which came
about after a long, bitter campaign, often fought in front of television
cameras.
Thur Jan 20, 2005 ts
Ukraine set to swear in president
KYIV—Western-leaning reformer Viktor Yushchenko`s long and tension-filled drive to become Ukraine`s president cleared its final hurdles before dawn today when the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the losing candidate and government newspapers printed election results.
Monday Jan 10, 2005 Ukraine's Central Election Commission announced on Sunday that it would meet on Monday to go through the final paperwork needed to confirm Viktor Yushchenko as the country's new president. Mr. Yushchenko's opponent, former prime minister Viktor Yanukovich, lost an appeal against the results of the December 26 election in the Supreme Court on Thursday. Once Mr. Yushchenko is confirmed, preparations can begin for parliament to set a date for his inauguration. In his first comments after the election, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he hopes Ukraine can move from rhetoric to pragmatism in its efforts to boost economic development and improve living standards.
Thursday Jan 6, 2005 np
Ukraine's fiery opposition leader expects to be PM
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine's fiery opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, said Tuesday she expects nothing less than to be the country's next prime minister, given her stalwart support for Viktor Yushchenko, whose presidency is increasingly likely.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Tymoshenko said a written agreement she and Yushchenko signed when she joined his coalition leaves no alternative than for her to head a new government once Yushchenko is inaugurated.
[a good looking people]
Dec 31, 2004 ts
West must back Ukraine winner
Ukraine`s presidential election is a clear victory for Viktor Yushchenko, who endured dioxin poisoning, a bitter campaign, a rigged first vote and weeks of uncertainty to win Sunday`s court-ordered rerun.
Wednesday Dec 22, 2004 The Ukrainian presidential candidate, Viktor Yanukovich, stepped up his campaign strategy on Tuesday following a weak showing in a nationally televised debate on Monday night with his presidential rival, Viktor Yushchenko. During the two-hour debate, Mr. Yushchenko appeared to dominate Mr. Yanukovich, accusing his rival of trying to steal the November 21st run-off election. Mr. Yushchenko denied the accusation, but he appeared vague in his responses and tried to distance himself from the government that he has led as prime minister for two years. During campaigning on Tuesday, Mr. Yanukovich went on the attack against those who charge him with trying to divide the country. He vowed to defend national unity. Mr. Yanukovich is strongly supported in eastern Ukrainian. There is speculation that if he loses the court-ordered rerun of the presidential election on Sunday, he might urge his followers to seek to separate from western Ukraine.
Tuesday Dec 21, 2004 The two men contesting next Sunday's presidential election in Ukraine faced off during a two-hour televised debate Monday night. Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko hammered Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich throughout the evening, accusing him of stealing votes. Mr Yushchenko appeared confident and on steady moral ground, while his opponent often rambled and at times seemed resigned to defeat. Mr Yushchenko also reminded people of the "orange revolution" that the opposition organised to protest fraud after the November poll, while Mr Yanukovich tried to distance himself from the government he headed for two years. Public opinion surveys indicate that Mr Yushchenko is the favorite to win the election. Canada will be among more than a dozen countries with monitors at polling stations to make sure the December 26th vote is fair and tranparent.
Monday Dec 20, 2004 One of Ukraine's senior diplomats to Canada, Ihor Lossovsky, fully expects opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko to become president in next week's closely watched national elections. Mr. Lossovsky said that, as a civil servant, he always kept quiet about politics. But since widespread voting fraud was confirmed after the November 21 election, he decided that it was his duty to speak out. He also said that it was his hope that Ukraine will one day become part of NATO. Mr. Lossovsky will be monitoring a polling station for Ukrainian citizens voting in Toronto on Dec. 25, the day of the election. He has also helped to issue hundreds of visas to Canadians who wanted to monitor the election.
Saturday Dec 18, 2004 There has been a development in the case of poisoning of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko. Last week, doctors in Vienna who examined him revealed that he had been poisoned by dioxin during the campaign leading to the now invalidated Nov. 21 election. On Friday, a scientist in London said that the type of dioxin that he found in Mr. Yuschenko's blood samples was TCDD, the most harmful of all dioxins. The revelation came from Abraham Brouwer, a professor of environmental toxicology at Free University in Amsterdam. A second scientist consulted by the Associated Press news agency says TCDD could only come from a laboratory, from government biological or chemical weapons units or from a capable scientist. Ukraine's Supreme Court annulled the Nov. 21 election because of electoral fraud. The election will be replayed on Dec. 26. Mr. Yushchenko and his adversary, Viktor Yanukovic, continued their campaigns in the eastern city of Kharkiv. Eastern Ukraine, where many residents are speakers of Russian, is Mr. Yanukovich's power base. Mr. Yushchenko told a crowd that if he's elected he'll defend the rights of russophones. For his part, Mr. Yanukovich appealed to his supporters to turn out and vote.
Saturday Dec 18, 2004 TORONTO: CANADIAN MONITORS TO WORK FOR FAIR UKRAINE ELECTION
The former Canadian prime minister who will lead a team of 400 Canadian election monitors for Ukraine's Dec. 26 election says they'll encourage a "free, open and honest" vote that respects the will of the Ukrainian people. The deployment of Canadian monitors will be 10 times bigger than any previous Canadian electoral monitoring effort abroad. Mr. Turner says he's particularly qualified to lead the team because he himself fought in eight election campaigns and knows the electoral process thoroughly. He also says the Canadians are advantaged in the performance of their observation because most of them speak Ukrainian. More than one million Canadians are of Ukrainian origin. Mr. Turner also says he's appalled by the poisoning of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko and advises the Canadian observers to be careful about what they eat and drink while in Ukraine.
Monday Nov 29, 2004 cbc
YUSHCHENKO TESTED FOR SIGNS OF POISON
Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko is undergoing tests
at a Vienna hospital to determine the cause of a mysterious ailment that
left him with a pockmarked, partly paralysed face during the recent
campaign.
Friday Dec 10, 2004 nn
Ukraine's parliament approves electoral reforms
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine's parliament adopted electoral and constitutional changes Wednesday in a compromise intended to defuse the nation's political crisis - prompting opposition leaders to say they would lift a two-week blockade of government buildings.
Sunday Dec 5, 2004 cbc UP TO 1,500 CANADIANS MAY HELP MONITOR UKRAINE VOTE
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) has asked the federal government
to help send as many as 1,500 observers to monitor the Dec. 26 election
in Ukraine.
Sunday Dec 5, 2004 ts New vote ordered in Ukraine
KYIV—Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko declared victory in an "orange revolution" yesterday after the ex-Soviet state`s top judges annulled a rigged election and ordered a new vote on Dec. 26.
Friday Dec 3, 2004 cbc UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE, OUSTING GOVERNMENT
Fireworks exploded in the skies above Kiev's Independence Square on
Wednesday night as protesters, who have been on the street for the past
10 days, celebrated a turning point in their fight with the government.
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Friday Dec 3, 2004 cbc EASTERN UKRAINE SAYS IT MAY GO ITS OWN WAY
The continuing political crisis in Ukraine has divided the country
along linguistic lines.
Friday Dec 3, 2004 Ukraine's outgoing president, Leonid Kuchma, has presented a plan to end the political chaos that has prevailed in his country since the presidential runoff election on Nov. 21. Mr. Kuchma's candidate, Viktor Yanukovich, was declared the official winner. But his opponent, Viktor Yushchenko, refuses to accept that outcome, saying the vote was fraudulent. Under Mr. Kuchma's plan, an entirely new presidential election would be held, rather than a repetition of the second-round vote of Nov. 21. Mr. Kuchma also said the new election should be held more quickly than electoral law stipulates to avoid dragging matters out. The president offered his plan after returning from Moscow, where he won support for it from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Putin had previously said that Mr. Yanuchenko, whom Mr. Putin had supported, was the undoubted winner. Ukraine's Supreme Court is expected to hand down a ruling on Friday that the vote was rigged. Tens of thousands of Mr. Yushchenko's supporters continue to occupy downtown Kiev.
Friday Dec 3, 2004 The political crisis resulting from the disputed presidential election on Nov. 21 in Ukraine continues. The declared winner was Viktor Yanukovich. But his adversary Viktor Yushchenko accuses his rival of electoral fraud and refuses to accept the result. The two adversaries had a meeting on Wednesday in the presence of outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and international mediators representing the European Union, Russia, Poland and Lithuania. The talks didn't lead to a solution. But Mr. Kuchma agreed that Mr. Yushchenko's supporters would stop blocking government buildings in downtown Kiev. The president says they also agreed to act to limit the damage to Ukraine's economy caused by almost one week of political uproar. Mr. Kuchma says the two rivals won't hold any further talks until the country's Supreme Court rules on Mr. Yushchenko's complaint of electoral trickery. Mr. Yushchenko said after the talks that the written accord which he and Mr. Yanukovich signed is equivalent to an admission by his adversary that he'll have to resign.
Friday Dec 3, 2004 cbc PUTIN AGAINST UKRAINE RUNOFF VOTE
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke out Thursday against holding a
second runoff election in Ukraine, saying it would accomplish nothing.
Thursday Dec 2, 2004 UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE, OUSTING GOVERNMENT
Fireworks exploded in the skies above Kiev's Independence Square on
Wednesday night as protesters, who have been on the street for the past
10 days, celebrated a turning point in their fight with the government.
Tuesday Nov 30, 2004 Outgoing Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has said that the only way to end Ukraine's political crisis that emerge from the Nov. 21 presidential runoff election is to hold another vote. Mr. Kuchma says this is the only way to preserve peace and accord and to build democracy. Mr. Kuchma had supported the declared victor, Viktor Yanukovich, who was also Russia's preferred candidate. But the loser, Viktor Yushchenko, says he lost through fraud. Tens of thousands of his supporters have occupied downtown Kiev for the past eight days. On Sunday, Mr. Yanukovich's political supporters in eastern Ukraine, home to many ethnic Russians, threatened to take steps toward autonomy if he's removed from the presidency. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Supreme Court continues to consider Mr. Yushchenko's accusations of electoral fraud. The high court doesn't have the power to invalidate the overall result but can invalidate the results in individual precincts.
Tuesday Nov 30, 2004 ts
A supporter of Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko makes her voice heard in Kiev yesterday. As the Supreme Court began discussing the validity of the presidential election results, outgoing President Leonid Kuchma said he’d support a new vote.
KIEV—Some form of new election in Ukraine appears increasingly likely as the Supreme Court and parliament both sit today to seek a solution to more than a week of crisis unleashed by a disputed presidential poll.
Tuesday Nov 30, 2004 ts
`A republic would protect us from the orange plague`
DONETSK, Ukraine—Andriy Reshetnyak tied a Russian flag to the Ukrainian one, joining thousands of demonstrators backing a referendum on autonomy for their eastern province on Donetsk`s central Lenin Square yesterday.
Monday Nov 29, 2004
KUCHMA URGES END TO DEMONSTRATIONS
As representatives of Ukraine's rival presidential candidates met for a
third day Sunday, the country's outgoing president called on opposition
supporters to end a blockade of government buildings.
Monday Nov 29, 2004 By a large majority, Ukraine's parliament voted on Saturday to declare the country's recent presidential election invalid, and expressed no confidence in the Central Election Commission that declared Viktor Yanukovich the winner. Although the two resolutions are not legally binding, their announcement gave hope to thousands of supporters of the rival candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, who demonstrated on behalf of their leader for the sixth day in Kiev's Independence Square. Under snowy conditions and cold temperatures, the demonstrators continued to blockade government buildings and to prevent workers from getting in. The emergency session of parliament began with the Speaker, Volodymir Litvin, suggesting that a ruling of an invalid election was the most realistic solution to the country's political crisis. Parliament's vote came two days ahead of a Supreme Court case examining complaints of voting irregularities. Canada and other countries have warned Ukraine that relations might suffer unless the complaints are examined properly. The continuing demonstration in Kiev found an echo on Saturday in Warsaw, where thousands of Poles ignored a steady rain to attend outdoor concerts and political rallies in support of Mr. Yushchenko. On Friday, an international mediation committee, in the presence of Ukraine's president Leonid Kuchma, met with Mr. Yushshenko and Mr. Yanukovich to try and work out a compromise. They agreed only to hold further talks.
From Wed 1186
The Ukraine
The initial outcome of the flawed elections in Ukraine is front-page news. The implications give cause for uneasiness, not only on the part of Ukrainians and those of Ukrainian descent, but of many western world leaders as well. While demonstrations by Ukrainians at home and expatriates around the world push for a review of the results, it is feared that the Russians will take a strong stand in favour of Viktor F. Yanukovich, their candidate. Ukraine is regarded as a key zone of influence for Russia, which has already lost power in and over a number of its former satellites. If Russian troops are used to impose by force acceptance of the election results, it is highly possible that the Ukrainians will view this as interference in their newly-regained sovereignty. The situation will again widen the rift between Russia and the West, already having negative effects on the EU-Russia summit. Events will no doubt move swiftly, as appeals are made to the Supreme Court and Parliament, the Supreme Rada.
[Editor's Note: "The fight over the election - over the country's very future - is now moving on several fronts, each utterly unpredictable. It has been only 13 years since Ukraine became independent in the breakup of the Soviet Union; its democratic traditions are still being formed, and its branches of power are largely untested." NYT times
Events have indeed moved swiftly with condemnation of the election results coming from most Western leaders, including, notably, a very stiff announcement from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. While Yushchenko and his supporters are demanding new elections, Yanukovich's supporters in the eastern part of the country want a vote on partition of the country. For good background, we recommend the BBC Analysis "Divided Ukraine": and cbc news/background/ukraine
Sunday Nov 28, 2004 The loser in Sunday's second-round presidential election vote says he's really the winner and that's why he's demanding a new election, the one six days ago having been rigged. Viktor Yushchenko says he has rejected a suggestion by the official winner, Viktor Yanukovich, that the dispute be submitted to the courts and that a decision has to be made within days. Earlier, tens of thousands of Mr. Yushchenko's supporters for the fifth straight day occupied downtown Kiev. The two politicians met with international mediators on Friday but no resolution emerged from the talks. The parties did agree to set up a "working group" to discuss the conflict further. The mediators included the president of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski; the chief of the EU's foreign policy, Javier Solana; and Russia's parliamentary speaker, Boris Gryzlov. The host of the meeting was the incumbent president, Leonid Kuchma.
Friday Nov 26, 2004 OTTAWA, KIEV: CANADA LAUDS UKRAINIAN HIGH COURT ELECTORAL DECISION
Canada's deputy prime minister, Anne McLellan, has welcomed the decision of Ukraine's supreme court not to recognize the result of Sunday's second-round presidential election. Mrs. McLellan says the court's decision is an important decision toward an eventual reflection of the Ukrainian people's democratic will. The deputy prime minister says the Canadian government is awaiting the high court's finding as to the election's true outcome. The court says it won't make official the electoral commission's figures until it hears a complaint by the official loser, Viktor Yushchenko. The commission reported that he received about 47 per cent of the vote, compared with about 49 per cent for incumbent President Viktor Yanukovich. Mr. Yushchenko says his adversary won through fraud. That's also the conclusion of a former Canadian cabinet minister, David Collenette, who was an election observer. Mr. Collenette says the vote did not meet democratic standards. Tens of thousands of Mr. Yushchenko's supporters have oc
BBC
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