Stories about Ukraine from July, 2009
Ukraine: Q&A with Hryhoriy Nemyrya
EurActiv.com visits Kyiv and talks to Hryhoriy Nemyrya, Ukraine’s vice PM, in charge of relations with Europe: questions are here, Nemyrya's responses – here, a shorter summary – here.
Europe: “When East Becomes West”
Raf Uzar is wondering whether “the definition of Western Europe [is] the same now as it was in 1945.”
Ukraine: MP's Son Killed in Car Crash
Ukrainiana comments on the death of another MP's son, caused by reckless driving: “Had he killed somebody else with his car, he would’ve most likely gotten away with it.”
Russia: Making (Some) Sense of LiveJournal
A number of studies of the Russian blogosphere have been produced in the past by various entities. Russian bloggers, too, are trying to make sense of the space they operate in. Recently, LJ user fritzmorgen has drawn a list of issues that, in his opinion, tend to cause controversy among LJ bloggers. He has also assessed his own views, and, in the process, sketched explanations of some of the Russian realities.
Ukraine: Canadians helping out with AIDS prevention
The Natashas draws attention to a Canadian effort to help developing a model HIV/AIDS prevention program in Ukraine in partnership with UNICEF.
Ukraine: Party of Regions lead in public opinion
Ukraine Today comments on a new opinion poll, showing that Viktor Yanukovich's Party of Regions currently rates highest among Ukrainian voters.
Bulgaria: Ukrainian gas crisis caused government fall
LJ user koltashov turns attention to [RUS] a report claiming that Bulgaria's government fell earlier this year due to the gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine: Nato membership in question
Ukrainiana strongly reacts against voices in both Ukraine and the West saying no to the country becoming a member of Nato.
Ukraine: Toying with early elections
Ukraine Today comments on president Yushchenko toying with the idea of resigning in exchange for parliamentary dissolution and combined presidential and parliamentary elections.
Ukraine: Running out of time to dissolve parliament
Ukraine Today draws attention to the coming week being the last when president Yushchenko can constitutionally dissolve parliament before the 2010 presidential elections.
Nabucco: Running out of gas
Der Spiegelfechter comments on [GER] the agreement to build gas pipeline Nabucco and wonders where the gas will be coming from, whereas Der Unbequeme questions [GER] the need of yet another pipeline. LJ user xystos argues [RUS] why Nabucco is a mere mirage, and LJ user tertiaroma sees [RUS] the...
Lithuania: Russian charter challenges loyalty
Lituanica comments on news that a Russian NGO is starting to issue so called Russian charters – a certificate of allegiance to Moscow – to ethnic Russians outside of the country and sees it as a potential threat that state citizens of other countries may declare loyalty to Moscow.
Russia: Seven sisters – a short story
English Russia tells a short story with pictures of the Seven sisters – more known as Stalin skyscrapers – built in Moscow 1947-53, and points to other examples in the former “Eastern bloc.”
Poland: More trouble on the horizon for Euro 2012
Polandian directs attention to more trouble on the horizon for the Polish-Ukrainian joint hosting of the Euro 2012 soccer championships, namely the poor standard of Polish hotels not by far meeting UEFA-criteria.
Russia-Ukraine: State, nation and language
Ukrainiana points out the basic flaw in Russian Premier Putin's pretensions of 17 million Russians living in Ukraine, by stating the fundamental difference between state- and nationhood, language and ethnicity in terms of citizenship.
Russia: Putin and the bikers part II
Voices from Russia translates extracts of and comments an article on Premier Putin's Moscow [Sic!] meetup with Russian bikers, taking time off from the recent Obama-Medvedev summit, as an MC-motorcade was to set off for Ukrainian Sevastopol.
Ukraine: Peculiar pornography prohibition
Natalia Antonova ridicules new Ukrainian legislation outlawing pornography without defining its meaning, and exempting possession for medical purposes.
