· August, 2011

Stories about Ukraine from August, 2011

Ukraine: “Independence Day #20″

  25 August 2011

Odessablog wishes a happy Independence Day to Ukrainian readers: “Be assured that despite the wandering path taken thus far and all the mis-steps, Ukraine is doing OK. It is not Utopia but then, I have never lived anywhere that was. There are hurdles ahead but Ukraine will get to where...

Ukraine: 20 Years of Independence

  20 August 2011

As Ukraine is about to turn 20 years old, Alexander J. Motyl of Ukraine's Orange Blues and Vasyl of uaMuzik sum up the current political and social situation in the country.

Ukraine: Closing Window to West

  17 August 2011

LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about increasing western critique against the trials against former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Timoshenko, and several of her ex-colleagues, and how this – combinded with corruption and bad business climate – is effectively closing the window to integration with the European Union.

Ukraine: Politics, Economy, Euro 2012 and Relations With the West

  17 August 2011

At OpenDemocracy.net, Sergei Zhadan writes in depth on how Ukraine's political and economic situation affects the ongoing preparations for the Euro 2012 football championship, which is less than a year away. Earlier this month, Iryna Solonenko and Peter Rutland wrote about Western policy towards Ukraine.

US-Russia: Reset in the Balance

  14 August 2011

Gordon Hahn of Russia: Other Points of View provides perspective to the gradual decay of US Russia reset policy against the background of the 2008 Russo-Georgian war and increasing political turmoil in Ukraine.

Ukraine: Intellectuals Condemn Tymoshenko Trial in an Open Letter

  12 August 2011

Alexander J. Motyl of Ukraine's Orange Blues comments on an open letter signed by “a diverse group of 28 writers, scholars, and commentators,” in which “they condemn the [Tymoshenko] trial and call on Ukrainians not to be indifferent to the injustice being perpetrated by the Yanukovych regime.”

Ukraine: Basic Language Tips

  12 August 2011

The Kalpak shares some Ukrainian language tips that should “help with basic sign reading that a new visitor to Ukraine will need to do in order to navigate around Kyiv.”

Ukraine: Western Bloggers React to Ukrainian Official's Steve Jobs Plagiarism

  12 August 2011

Serhiy Pishkovtsiy of Blogoreader.org.ua reviews [uk] the reactions of Western bloggers to reports that Ukraine’s Secretary of National Security and Defense Raisa Bohatyryova has plagiarized [uk] Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford graduation speech, and quotes bloggers from The Next Web, The Financial Times, BusinessInsider, Gizmodo and PCWorld.

Syria: World Cities Rally Against and For Bashar

  11 August 2011

Events in Syria are being echoed around the world. Syrians in the diaspora rallied in the majority of the cities in the world, either asking to overthrow Bashar Al Assad and his regime or chanting their love to their leader. Check out this video round up for footage from demonstrations worldwide.

Ukraine: Language Confusion

  8 August 2011

Austere Insomniac thinks that Ukraine's former PM Yulia Tymoshenko's insistence of having Russian interpreted to Ukrainian in the court-case against her is silly, as Russian is her mother tongue, and goes on to discuss language issues in Ukraine.

Ukraine: Time for a Change?

  7 August 2011

Vasyl of uaMuzik argues that it is time for new and independent politicians to enter the Ukrainian political scene, so that the country will be able to leave the conflicts and controveries of current politicians behind.

Ukraine: Courtroom Mudslinging

  7 August 2011

LEvko of Foreign Notes discusses how Ukrainian Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov, appeared as an unexpected witness in the trial against his predecessor, Yulia Tymoshenko, which resulted in loads of political mudslinging.

Ukraine: Donetsk Investigative Journalist's Apartment Set on Fire

  7 August 2011

OpenDemocracy.net reports on today's attempt to burn down the apartment of a Donetsk-based investigative journalist Aleksey Matsuka: “It is widely assumed that the attack was ordered by elements working within the local political and business elite, who have served as the focus for much of Aleksey's investigative work.”