Petro Poroshenko, the former chocolate king and recently-elected president of Ukraine, stood proudly on the podium in Kiev’s Independence Square as 1,500 goose-stepping servicemen, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers passed before him. Crowds of smiling families in traditional embroidered shirts turned out to wave tiny yellow and blue Ukrainian flags in the summer sunshine. It was August 24th 2014, the anniversary of the day the country won its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
This year Ukraine’s Independence Day carried particular symbolism, since pro-Russian separatists held eastern regions of the country. The celebrations were intended to shore up support for …read more
Source: Newsweek
