The Ukrainian Week

21 September, 2020	Breaking news	European officials warn Ukraine risks losing visa-free regime, 1.5 billion euros After three years of a hard-won visa-free regime with the Schengen Zone countries, European Union officials say Ukraine could lose it
20 February, 2019	World	The Ukrainian manifesto What should lie at the foundation of Ukraine’s integration into a united Europe so that later on there isn’t an Ukrexit?
6 February, 2019	Politics	The anatomy of Euro-optimism What unreasonable public expectations regarding the EU might get in the way of Ukraine’s eurointegration?
5 February, 2019	Politics	Content, not form What model of European integration Ukraine needs
8 November, 2018	Economics	Exports: A successful shift Ukrainian exports to the EU have reached record volumes and continue to rise sharply. But the potential for economic integration is far from being used effectively.
2 November, 2018	World	Populist panic Do we see an understanding of the Russian threat in the European Union?
27 June, 2016		“We do not accept arguments of countries that try to raise the issue of lifting sanctions against Russia” Vice Premier for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration on her priorities and tools, details of Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO, and Ukraine’s overall position on the international arena
25 January, 2016		The Pillars of European Scepticism In countries such as Spain, France or Germany, public perceptions on Ukraine, the Maidan and the war, are a mixture of big-picture frame alongside much confusion
16 December, 2015		Ukraine: European Success Story The most important challenges are to lay genuinely strong and stable political foundations so that Ukraine never swerves away from its European course of reform regardless of any political uncertainties future elections may bring
12 August, 2014	World	Rebecca Harms: European leaders and US President Obama have to be clear that they do not accept the zigzag policy of Mr. Putin Rebecca Harms, the President of the Greens-European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, is one of EMPs who watch the situation in Ukraine closely. During her latest visit to Ukraine, The Ukrainian Week took a chance to speak to her shortly after her return from Eastern Ukraine.
11 June, 2014	World	Wolfgang Ischinger: Mr. Putin is challenging the very bases of the vision of European integration The Ukrainian Week talks to Wolfgang Ischinger, German diplomat who was the Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for National Dialogue Roundtables in Ukraine, on his work, European and Ukrainian co-existence with Russia, and security threats of the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia
3 April, 2014	News	European Parliament backs decision to cut customs duties on imports from Ukraine About 98% of the customs duties that Ukrainian iron, steel, farm produce and machinery exporters pay at EU borders will be removed by a proposal backed by European Parliament on Thursday.
23 December, 2013	Society	Bohdan Futey: “The beating we saw is not just physical, but mental, too. The government wants to evoke fear in people” US Federal Judge Bohdan Futey talks about the new generation of Ukrainians and threats to Ukraine's independence
20 December, 2013	News	FT: West had been ready to loan Kiev €20bn The west was prepared to give Kiev at least €20bn in loans if Ukraine agreed sign a landmark European Union integration agreement last month. This information is available due to an internal EU document seen by the Financial Times.
19 December, 2013		What Happened to Ukraine? The EU should apply a softer and wiser approach to Ukrainian society in terms of freedom of movement. No Ukrainian citizen should feel a poor cousin in EU countries
18 December, 2013		Janusz Bugajski: Washington needs to send a strong message to Putin not to interfere in Ukraine's internal affairs or risk repercussions Thus far the U.S. reaction to the Ukrainian upheaval has been subdued, as the Obama administration evidently fears alienating Russia, which it needs to pursue its Middle East policies. It is time for the White House to specify its options, as Ukraine stands on the brink of outright conflict
17 December, 2013		Tough Russia and Doubtful Europe Western diplomats have expressed “concern” over the situation in Ukraine. They “invite participants in the conflict to negotiate” but have hesitated to state a clear stance. This is not without reason
15 December, 2013	Politics	The Mother-Empire Awaits. Why Ukraine could not help but find itself in Russia’s grip There was a brief euphoria. The President’s incomprehensible and unexpected manoeuvre has baffled and disarmed both the opposition and the public, not to mention his loyal subordinates.
13 December, 2013	News	Political experts: Yanukovych’s circle wants to get the most from his defeat As President Yanukovych’s team is dawdling with the solution of the political crisis in Ukraine, it is trying to get the most out of his defeat, comments Viktor Nebozhenko, President of the Ukrainian Barometer think tank
13 December, 2013	News	The Economist on Ukraine: The birth of the nation The people on Maidan were defending something far greater than an association agreement with the EU. They were standing in the way of a police state, defending fundamental European values and defying the post-Soviet order imposed by Russia, The Economist writes
22 November, 2013	News	*Hanne Severinsen:* There are so many people under the autocratic surface of Yanukovych regime who want to live in a European society Former co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for Ukraine Hanne Severinsen says that turning point, which Vilnius summit could become for Ukraine, seems now to have been lost by a Regime that only has their private interests to fight for.
19 November, 2013	News	Opposition gets the parliament to vote for European integration laws as the top priority on Thursday On November 21, the Verkhovna Rada will vote on the European integration laws first thing, Speaker Volodymyr Rybak announces.
5 November, 2013	Politics	Dangerous Games Postponed Association Agreement signing may become an effective tool to put pressure on Yanukovych, but will make Ukraine more vulnerable to Russia
1 November, 2013		Bidding Farewell to Russia Ukraine will remain a friend to a democratic Russia in the future. Now, Ukraine and Russia are bound to bid farewell to one another
21 October, 2013	Politics	Ukraine or Tymoshenko? The ex-premier’s intention to run in the presidential election may discourage Yanukovych from releasing her in exchange for the Association Agreement
21 October, 2013	Politics	Usurpation in the Name of Europe Under the cover of European integration, the government has pushed lobbied initiatives through parliament
1 October, 2013	Officially	The Ukrainian Parliament should finalise the creation of preconditions for signing the Association Agreement with the European Union Parliamentary Assembly's written declaration No.554
20 September, 2013		How We Lost Armenia
20 September, 2013		Lithuania’s Foreign Minister on EU-Ukraine Relations Linas Linkevičius: Countries are free to choose whom they want to join. Their decision depends on arguments. When someone lacks arguments, temptation arises to use pressure and blackmailing
17 September, 2013	News	*Radio Liberty:* Oligarchs give Ukraine's President crucial support in EU drive Ukraine's oligarchs have benefited in the past from the Soviet-style, opaque politics. But analysts say they are ready to sacrifice some of that to EU regulation, Robert Coalson reports for Radio Liberty
16 September, 2013	News	Political analyst: Ukraine has two enemies of European Integration - Russia and itself Moscow’s efforts to push Ukraine away from the EU have only led to growing the number of supporters for Kyiv's integration. Now, the Ukrainian government has to roll up its sleeves and make sure the Association Agreement is signed at the Vilnius summit, political consultant Yuriy Kochevenko writes for EurActiv.
15 September, 2013	News	*World Happiness Report 2013*: most CIS countries feel happier than Ukraine Ukraine lands 87th out of 156 in the World Happiness Report 2013, experts estimate for the UN
4 September, 2013	News	*European Integration Index*: Ukraine’s progress slows down Ukraine is losing leadership in European integration progress among Eastern Partnership countries. This conclusion is based on the 2013 European Integration Index for Eastern Partnership Countries, presented by the Renaissance Foundation in partnership with the Open Society Foundations in Kyiv today
6 August, 2013	Politics	Caught in a Zeitnot Developments in Ukraine and the lack of effect from the standard techniques of the Russian World have unnerved Vladimir Putin. This may push the Kremlin to radical steps to disrupt the signing of the Association Agreement and DCFTA with the EU and to eliminate the threat of a possible shift in Ukraine’s foreign policy after the 2015 presidential election
30 July, 2013	News	*Günter Verheugen*: with association agreement Ukraine will no longer be in a limbo between the EU and Eurasian Union Günter Verheugen (SDP), a former European Commission vice president sees “double-standards” in the German government's handling of Ukraine's bid to conclude an association agreement with the EU, EurActive reports.
4 July, 2013	News	*Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius*: The Association Agreement is not just technical negotiations with just another partner; it is a geopolitical process
2 July, 2013	News	Bad news is clouding the EU’s progress in Eastern Europe A series of sex- and-bribery scandals in the new EU states is clouding the EU’s progress in Eastern Europe, reports GlobalPost
2 July, 2013	News	*David Cameron* believes that Ukraine, once known as the bread basket of the Soviet Union, should be admitted to the EU During his visit to Kazakhstan British prime minister said the EU should extend its membership deeper into the former Soviet Union, calling for its borders to run from the Atlantic to the Urals, The Guardian reports.
27 June, 2013	News	*Radoslaw Sikorski*: “If Ukraine will not meet the conditions for signing the Agreement, then we will have some plan B” Sikorski said that Ukraine had “time until the end of the summer, if it wants to sign the Agreement in Vilnius,” reports EurActive
17 May, 2013	Politics	Pretence Integration The Yanukovych regime is sticking to its utilitarian approach to European integration, while presenting it as the pragmatic protection of Ukraine’s interests.
16 May, 2013	News	*Hannes Schreiber*: Yulia Timoshenko`s case depreciates the reforms introduced to the Ukrainian judicial system so far Yulia Timoshenko`s case and its influence on the future of EU-Ukraine relations were one of the biggest issues discussed at the 6th Europe-Ukraine forum held in Budapest.
15 May, 2013	News	European Commission completes steps for signature of Association Agreement with Ukraine European Commission adopted today the proposals for Council Decisions on the Signing and Provisional Application, and on the Conclusion, of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, states the official website of the organization.
3 May, 2013	News	The ECHR decision adds oil to the fire vis-à-vis the signature of Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU, experts say
1 May, 2013	Politics	Petr Mareš: “The harder a country tries and the more efforts it takes the more assistance it will receive from us” Czech Republic, as well as all the Visegrád countries would like to see Ukraine sign the Agreement soon
1 May, 2013		How to Come Forward? Democracy and the rule of law in post-Soviet Ukraine
30 April, 2013	History	Compromise or Capitulation? Ukrainian-European or the Soviet-Russian civilizational model will win out: with the former, Ukraine will quickly catch up with its Western neighbours. With the latter, it will likely cease to exist
29 April, 2013		Good News Is Not Enough In the face of a deep economic crisis in Ukraine, the achievements in Vilnius will matter to all Ukrainians
29 April, 2013	World	Jacek Saryusz-Wolski: “Our standards in human rights and democracy are what matters. If a country wants to come closer to the EU and sign up, it should fulfill these. Otherwise, sorry” Armenia, Georgia and Moldova have much better chances of signing the Association Agreement in Vilnius than Ukraine at this point. But things may change. The ball is on the Ukrainian side
26 April, 2013		Ukraine in the EU: Asset or Liability? Ukraine's joining the EU would dramatically and irreversibly change the political landscape of Europe, end the division of Europe and close the saga of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War
25 April, 2013	News	*Leonidas Donskis*: Germany and France can become a problem for signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement The expansion of the EU thus far was somewhat problematic in terms of reconciliation of political sensitivities; therefore, Germany and France can be against the Agreement.
24 April, 2013	News	*MEP Marek Siwiec*: visa facilitation policy is of crucial importance to convince Ukrainians in importance of EU-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement and Association Agreements
24 April, 2013	Officially	The Parliamentary Assembly Supports Ukraine on the Path to European Integration Written declaration No. 540 \| Doc. 13184 \| 23 April 2013
22 April, 2013	News	The powers of Ukrainian delegation are questioned at PACE Pieter Omtzigt, Dutch politician, member of the Christian Democratic Appeal and member of the EPP Group at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, questions the powers of Ukrainian delegation to PACE after Serhiy Vlasenko, lawyer for Yulia Tymoshenko, was stripped of his MP mandate, reports The Ukrainian Week’s correspondent from Strasbourg.
17 April, 2013	News	*Olga Shumylo-Tapiola*: enlargement carrot will not work in Ukraine as it did in Poland “The positions of all member states are now coalescing around the vision of waiting for the situation on the ground to improve while keeping the option of signing the agreement open,” Olga Shumylo-Tapiola, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, writes in her article published on the website of think-tank.
15 April, 2013	News	*Matthew Rojansky*: scrutiny and criticism of Ukraine’s record on human rights and democracy issues will surely continue after the Association Agreement is signed “Ukrainian officials will find that despite the enormous cost and difficulty involved in completing the Association Agreement, a signing ceremony in Vilnius is only the beginning,” Matthew A. Rojansky, deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, claims in his opinion for CNN.
5 April, 2013	News	*Ambassador Kostiantyn Yelisieiev*: will EU assume responsibility for the consequences of not signing the Association Agreement with Ukraine? Not signing the Association Agreement will be a clear “lose-lose” situation for both the E.U. and Ukraine. Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, the ambassador of Ukraine to the European Union, writes in his opinion for The New York Times.
3 April, 2013	News	*Romano Prodi*: Ukraine is perfectly positioned to become a geopolitical and economic bridge between Europe and Russia “Western interests and values are best served by engaging Ukraine as a solid European partner”, Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission, wrote in his opinion for The Christian Science Monitor.
3 April, 2013	News	*Russian ambassador*: The EU has never offered - and in my view will never offer - full membership to Ukraine. EU has never promised full membership to Ukraine, whereas Eurasian economic union has done it from the outset, Vladimir Chizhov, Russian representative to EU, told in his interview to EurActiv.
31 March, 2013	World	Pawel Swieboda: “If Ukraine fails to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, it will have a hard time returning to negotiations” *The Ukrainian Week* discusses Ukraine’s European prospects with Pawel Swieboda, formerly EU Advisor to the Polish president and currently President of DemosEUROPA Centre for European Strategy
31 March, 2013		Help Yourselves, and Europe Will Help You. Maybe… Does Kyiv truly want to join both the EU and the Customs Union? If it is bluffing, then who is the true partner and who is the fake?
27 March, 2013	News	*Romano Prodi*: Western sanctions could push Ukraine in the arms of Russia Western sanctions could hurt the weakest part of Ukrainian society and push the country in the Russian arms, Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission, noted at the Europe’s Eastern Neighborhood and the Future of the Eastern Partnership discussion held at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington on Marh 14.
27 March, 2013	News	*Romano Prodi*: Ukraine should not be considered a battlefield between EU and Russia It is important for EU to open door for Ukraine without fighting Russia, Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission, noted at the Europe’s Eastern Neighborhood and the Future of the Eastern Partnership discussion held at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington on March 14.
25 March, 2013	News	*Stratfor*: further integration of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia with Europe is becoming increasingly unlikely “Despite its claims to the contrary, the European Union has faced difficulties in its relationships with neighboring states in its periphery, most notably Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia,” notes global intelligence company Stratfor.
19 March, 2013	News	*Amanda Paul*: Ukraine's leadership is totally predictable in one respect - it fails to deliver on its commitments “After the summit held on February 25 in Brussels the EU-Ukraine relations are further deteriorating,” Amanda Paul, Policy Analyst and Programme Executive at The European Policy Centre, argues in her blog on Turkish newspaper Today`s Zaman.
22 February, 2013	Politics	Taking a Break as a Strategy Yanukovych is trying to provoke the EU into not signing the Association Agreement
22 February, 2013	World	European politicians feel that Ukrainian authorities are mucking them about Andrew Wilson, political analyst and Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, talks to *The Ukrainian Week* about the Ukraine-EU Summit and Yanukovych's tactics in negotiations with Brussels
21 February, 2013		Why is Ukraine Unable to Meet the Requirements of Füle’s List? An analysis of the government’s anti-corruption policy serves as a useful example
21 February, 2013	Politics	The “Window of Opportunity” for European Integration Will be Closed by Ukraine The EU is signalling that it is prepared to soften its requirements for the Association Agreement with Ukraine, but Kyiv seems to be willing to abandon European integration altogether
8 February, 2013	Politics	The Sabotage of European Integration The actions of Ukrainian enforcement authorities look like efforts to disrupt the signing of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, but they could eventually prove futile
29 August, 2012	Politics	Getting Rid of Pessimism! Ukrainian society is more European-oriented than political elites think
4 June, 2012	Society	Unspoken Visa Rules The widespread attitude to Ukraine as a corrupt, failing and ever more authoritarian state is also transferred to its citizens
2 June, 2012	World	A Cure for Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner, former French Foreign Minister: "If you want to live in a better world, it's all possible in the EU"
3 May, 2012	History	European Memory Gaps Varying interpretations of 20th century history prevent the movement to acknowledge Communist crimes from spreading throughout Europe
3 May, 2012	Society	A Maximum Security Country Ukrainian prisons are nowhere near European standards
3 May, 2012	Security	Beware! Ukraine is no longer a priority for Western countries
26 April, 2012		Do Ukraine and the EU Need Each Other? It is a thousand times better for Ukraine to be regarded as the weakest link in the EU and NATO than the apple of the eye and the pride of Russia’s satellite world.
20 April, 2012	World	A European Integration Champion That Satisfies the Kremlin The newly elected president of Moldova is a compromise figure for those who want to rally politicians and society around the common goal of European integration and restoring the country’s territorial integrity
7 March, 2012	Politics	The Language of True Diplomacy: the EU Put Political Correctness Aside in Dealing With Kyiv Europe seems to finally have understood who it is dealing with in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president is taking a lot of abuse for his policies from one European official after another
24 February, 2012	World	Diplomatic Advice Wolf Dietrich Heim, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria in Ukraine, talks to *The Ukrainian Week* about cooling relations between the EU and official Kyiv, the prospects of Austrian banks in Ukraine and the future of the eurozone
17 February, 2012	Politics	European Integration For the Sake of Appearance Ukraine failed to make good on its commitments in its first year in the Energy Community and wants to pass the buck to the EU
27 January, 2012	World	The Right to Protection Genevieve Garrigos, President of Amnesty International France, talks about how to defend human rights
27 January, 2012	Politics	The Need for an Internal Factor The country in which tortures and inhuman jail conditions are of a norm could not negotiate on the Association Agreement
27 January, 2012	Politics	PACE is Concerned. What’s Next ? The Draft PACE Resolution outlines the problems with democracy in Ukraine, but does not provide for any sanctions
27 January, 2012	Society	Unreal Realpolitik Cécile Vaissié: “Democratic traditions work only when the government is balanced by an independent judiciary and freedom of speech”
30 December, 2011	Politics	European Hide-and-Seek Following the Ukraine-EU summit, the Ukrainian government was alone in seeing “hidden membership prospects” being offered to Kyiv. The EU, instead, will reserve judgment until after the 2012 parliamentary election
23 December, 2011	Politics	A Backup Plan Association and Free Trade Agreements with the EU should not be segregated
22 December, 2011	Politics	PACE Draft Resolution on Ukraine The Ukrainian Week publishes the resolution to be offered for approval at the Council of Europe session on 26 January
16 December, 2011	Politics	Life After the Summit Dietmar Stüdemann speaks about the upcoming Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv and the need a state has for the rule of the principles of a civil society
25 November, 2011		Slow and Quick Changes Given a realistic chance to sign and ratify an association agreement with the EU, the current political elite in Ukraine has decided to get revenge on their political opponents like in a banana republic
14 November, 2011		Ukraine at a Crossroads The resolution on the situation in Ukraine recently adopted by the European Parliament signified the arrival of a new phase in relations between Ukraine and the EU
7 October, 2011	Politics	Last Warning From Europe At the Eastern Partnership summit, EU leaders indicated that there is a direct link between Ukraine’s European integration prospects and the Yulia Tymoshenko case
6 October, 2011	Politics	A Tango for Two Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira talks about the effect of scandalous trials in Ukraine on the prospects of signing the Association Agreement with the EU
6 October, 2011	Politics	Europe Must Act Now! Ukraine will only be able to avoid turning into yet another one of Moscow’s puppet and the promoter of its interests on the EU border if the EU insists on keeping political processes in Ukraine within democratic limits
6 October, 2011	Politics	Greek Consequences The EU is leaning towards signing an Association Agreement and Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine but ratification will depend on whether political repression stops
27 September, 2011	Politics	YES, We CANnot This time, Europe said a deliberate "No!" during the Yalta Forum, instead of its common "Yes".
16 September, 2011	Politics	A Month Before the Test Dirk Brengelmann, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy at NATO, talks about the Alliance’s strategic interest in Ukraine and the priority of Ukraine’s European integration
2 September, 2011		20 Years of Independence Twenty years after gaining independence, Ukrainians are once again enduring overbearing leaders. Breaking this circle of evil should be the main goal of all future politicians.
5 August, 2011	Politics	Every Reason for Counterrevolution Former French Ambassador to Ukraine, Philippe de Suremain: “Ukraine is the cornerstone of the future Europe”
1 August, 2011	World	Europe is Facing the Other Way Poland has the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) since July. Will Ukraine benefit from this?
20 July, 2011	World	Electronic Democracy Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts: “Building a new democratic state in Estonia and implementing e-government went hand in hand”