Geoffrey Pyatt: “There will be no Cold War 2.0”

“How much everything has changed since January,” is the first thing Geoffrey Pyatt, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, says when we meet to speak to him again. Back then, we discussed sanctions against the “political regime” that was still in place, and the EuroMaidan as a chance which the West and Ukraine cannot afford to waste. Almost ten months later, The Ukrainian Week speaks to Mr. Ambassador about the war with Russia, the US assistance to Ukraine, and the vital priorities for the new Ukrainian government.

Back to Black?

The parliamentary election may bring only few “new faces” to parliament

The Communist Party May Be on Its Last Legs, But Social Populism is Still Alive

The electoral fiasco of the Communist Party in Ukraine does not mean less demand for social populism. It only brings to the political arena new players that are better fits for the new structure of Ukrainian society

The Freebooters in the Seas of Gold

Discussions about effectiveness of sanctions made fruitful grounds for speculations by those inclined to fish in troubled waters. Some representatives of French business openly ignore the EU restrictions declaring readiness to invest in Crimea and other partnerships with Russia

A New World Order

Nearly everything was predictable at the latest PACE session. Everything except confusion. It was felt not only in the speeches of adequate participants in the debates on Ukraine but virtually in everything. Strasbourg’s usual calm betrayed anxiety and unmistakable perplexity over what to do next – with the war, with Ukraine and Russia and with the entire world

The Ex-President’s Baggage

A slew of hindrances prevent the money stolen by Viktor Yanukovych and his regime from returning to Ukraine. These must be removed as soon as possible

Have No Illusions

With the old election law in place, the parliamentary campaign cannot radically upgrade the Verkhovna Rada now. Still, it will make it more adequate to the challenges faced by the state

What is Behind Special Status for Donbas

The “special status” of the Donbas within Ukraine can turn it into an impoverished criminal reservation. This will help Moscow conceal its occupation of part of the neighbour’s territory and legitimize its presence in the region

Inevitable Rehabilitation

Sovietism is deeply rooted in the Donetsk prairies. Unless it is liquidated, the region will see no progress or solution to the current situation

In-Depth Defence

The advance of Russians in the Donbas has halted the movement of the Ukrainian army eastward and intensified the panic in our rear. However, the shock will soon pass, and society may have no option but to prepare for a cold winter and a lengthy military confrontation

Lustration Over the Ocean

Ukrainian activists are pursuing the lustration of state organs of professional frauds. Yet another place where lustration of corrupt individuals has to occur is among the Diaspora of the United States

Mission Possible: Survival Without Russian Gas

Ukraine is able to stand its ground in a gas war, even if it continues for years. The biggest threat, though, is to get hooked on Russian gas once again in exchange for a discount from Gazprom

Between Munich-2 and the Truman Doctrine

Russian aggression against Ukraine has forced the world to choose between two ways of handling the aggressor. Each was tested in the 20th century

Yehor Sobolev: “Lustration has been blocked”

Chairman of the Lustration Committee speaks about the government’s tricks, the Kremlin’s agents and the need to rebuild government agencies from scratch

tReasonable Doubts

The Parliament inherited from Yanukovych holds an imminent threat to Ukraine, yet the breakup of pro-European coalition is potentially as dangerous

Fixing the Donbas

If the “Donbas pacification plan” announced by Petro Poroshenko is to be implemented effectively, the region’s administrative map could be redrawn more sensibly

In the Army Now: Answering Many Why’s

The Ukrainian Army after 23 years of “ingenious” military reforms and three months of warfare in Eastern Ukraine

Yehor Firsov: “Living in a new way? We’ll see”

The Ukrainian Week talks to the Donetsk-born Yehor Firsov, the youngest MP in the Verkhovna Rada, about recipes for rapid career growth in politics, the bazaar atmosphere in parliament and the helpless Rinat Akhmetov

A Heavy Mace for Mr. Poroshenko

What the new President should start with to meet expectations of his voters

Vitaliy Kovalchuk: “The agreement on close cooperation between UDAR and Poroshenko has not been voided by anyone”

The chairman of the UDAR faction in parliament speaks about the roots of the Poroshenko-Klitschko union, the need for an early parliamentary election and the tests of power

Andrey Illarionov: “The aggression against Ukraine will inevitably end in a redrawing of Russia’s borders”

Andrey Illarionov, a former advisor to Vladimir Putin, talks to The Ukrainian Week about the prospects of Russian imperialism, the efficiency of Western diplomacy and the possible consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war

Donbas: The Revenge of the Proletariat

Russian weapons have transformed separatist-controlled territories into a battlefield. The locals support the rebels for promises of order and Soviet values. The region could quickly become the new Transnistria

The Birth of New Political Reality

Presidential elections are merely a prologue to the dramatic overhaul of political landscape

Who's in control of the rebellion in Donetsk?

The question "who controls the separatists in the eastern Ukraine?" has no categorical answer. The insurgents of Donetsk don't have a single command centre. In fact these terrorist groups are controlled by a number of different individuals who often don't see eye to eye.

It’s Not the Winning, But the Taking Part That Counts

Why some candidates are running in the campaign without a chance to win it

The Myth of Russian-Speaking Regions

If Russian becomes the second state language or even acquires official status in part of Ukraine’s territory, this will aggravate the discrimination of the Ukrainian-speaking majority and will ease the Kremlin’s expansion