Section: The Ukrainian Weekly (USA)
The multi-faceted reality of Italian foreign fighters in Ukraine
The clumsy attempt, in mid-September, of an Italian man to allegedly join pro-Russia separatist forces in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbas, reignited the issue of Western “volunteers” fighting in this war-torn country. The would-be Italian combatant for the self-styled separatist “people republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk was arrested by...
Looking West: Lviv models itself as Ukraine’s future
Coffee houses buzz with the din of outsiders. The streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of locals going about their daily business. Living statues dotting the main square add a human element to the city’s medieval past. Lviv exudes an air of a place that is going in the right direction. The sight […] …read more Source: The...
Ukrainian Heritage Consortium meets in Washington
WASHINGTON – The Ukrainian Heritage Consortium of North America (UHCNA) held its fourth conference in Washington at the Library of Congress on September 18-20. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), chair of the Congressional Caucus on Ukraine and the conference’s keynote speaker, put the work of museums and cultural institutions into...
Local elections held with lower-than-expected turnout
Euro-Maidan opponents re-elected KYIV – Exhausted by war, economic depression and ongoing government corruption, Ukrainians turned out less-than-expected to elect their local councils and heads on October 25. Tallies conducted locally were still being registered by the Central Election Commission on October 29 but observers were already drawing...
The forgotten war: A view from Ukraine’s frontlines
For a brief moment, it felt like déjà vu. As an officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, I had visited several hot spots, witnessing my share of misery and destruction. Now I was in the Donbas, the war-torn region of eastern Ukraine. Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has struggled to shed its Soviet colonial […] …read more Source: The...
Diaspora dedicates first monument to “Nebesna Sotnia” and Ukrainian heroes
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. – The Ukrainian community of Chicago and its Illinois suburbs and parishioners of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral – Kyivan Patriarchate in Bloomingdale, Ill., gathered on the weekend of September 19-20 for a festive celebration to mark the 45th anniversary of the parish’s founding and for a solemn commemoration...
Complicated local election rules draw wide criticism in Ukraine
KYIV – Just as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko failed to ensure open party list voting in the 2014 parliamentary elections, now the local elections to take place on October 25 will also occur without genuine open party lists, which is widely considered the optimal voting system for Ukraine. Instead, Ukraine’s Parliament in July...
Ukraine vows to challenge Russia during stint on U.N. Security Council
On October 15, Ukraine won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, giving the country a new platform to spar diplomatically with permanent veto-wielding member Russia. Ukraine won the mandate to represent Eastern European countries on the council. Four other countries – Egypt, Japan, Senegal, and Uruguay – were also elected...
In Ukraine’s east: Russian hybrid war and Euro-hybrid democracy
PART II Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande have prevailed on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to accommodate pseudo-elections in the Russian-controlled territory into a special Ukrainian law. Mr. Poroshenko himself, and the Ukrainian body politic at large, had even recently...
The political situation in Ukraine on the eve of nationwide local elections
October 15 Ukraine is nearing its third nationwide election campaign since the fall of Viktor Yanukovych’s kleptocratic regime early last year. The ballot marathon commenced with presidential and parliamentary votes in 2014, and is now being followed by local elections on October 25 (Kyiv Post, October 14). Many observers, analysts and even...
