All Ukrainian news http://ukraine-observer.com/rss.php © Copyright. The ukrainian observer Sun, 18 May 2008 08:48:49 +0300 en Sun, 18 May 2008 08:48:49 +0300 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss info@ukraine-observer.com info@ukraine-observer.com http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1637 The Skeptic, The Con and the Happy Hooker By Michael Willard When I was 22-years of age, I covered the Florida Land Sales Board for a now defunct newspaper called The Tampa Times. The Board was charged with protecting old ladies from investing their retirement savings in swampland sold by unscrupulous hucksters. While sometimes I wish a naïve moment would visit me—and some would say it does from time to time--I have been a skeptic ever since those days forty years ago, whether it has to do with organized religion or being elevated to honorary positions of distinction. This week, they found me in far-away Ukraine. I was nominated not once but twice as worthy of having my name and information included in Who’s Who publications Who’s Who among Executive Professionals and Who’s Who in publishing tapped gently on my shoulder, though one got my name entirely wrong. Neither letter said what territory these honors covered but, one would imagine, they are intergalactic. One would also assume the purpose of the accolade was to get me to buy the publications. Of course it was tempting. If anyone belongs in those books, I do. While covering the Grammy awards, I once took a whiz next to Ringo Star; and, in the 1970s, I turned down RCA’s request that I interview an unknown singer named David Bowie--the year before he hit it big. I am sure I have done dozens of other things semi-famous. Interestingly, my ever-watchful email system—the one that often warns that mail from my 86-year-old mom might be “junk mail”-- fails to police those offering pseudo-ego boosting awards of the most boring variety. Also, in the last month, I have won three lotteries merely by having an Internet account and a Mr. Bill Johnson (the name changes frequently) wants to give me 10 per cent of the late Jonus Nimbaka’s vast fortune. Mr. Nimbaka, whose middle name happens to be my last name, apparently died in a horrible plane crash in the Heart of Darkness; and his lawyer, Mr. Johnson, is desperately trying to find someone to handle his fortune for a fee of several million. All I have to do, of course, is send Mr. Johnson my banking details. I am not sure which is most annoying, that tribe of con men and women or those offering by email various medical treatments attacking my manhood by suggesting that, at my age, I surely need those little blue pills at discount prices, or the other, even smarmier items. I am writing, of course of those insulting ads—let’s call them “enhancement “ads --contradicting Xaviera Hollander, the 1970’s Happy Hooker, who opined way back then that it was not the gun but the gunner. I find all this white noise rather dreary. This would seem to argue for more stringent spam controls on Internet systems. But then, we at Willard send out our share of missives each week, and one man’s spam is another’s bread and butter. Besides, even this old reporter— Papa Skeptic—once bought a multi-year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine on the sheer hope that its connection with a well-known sweepstakes would better my chances for the Prize Patrol knocking on my door. I believe, at the time, my love of rock music was juiced after a Friday evening drinking session with the boys, and the happenstance landing of “junk mail” in my old fashion tin mailbox, the kind we actually used in the old days before Internet. Contrary to popular lore, P.T. Barnum never said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” But he might just as well have. Most Recent Articles by Mike Willard: What if Russian Troops Were Poised on Ukraine’s Border? Crash, Burn and Rise From the Ashes The Trashing of Mark Penn The Case Against NATO The Polka Dot Election Dead Reckoning news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1637 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=11 Energy, Empire and Ukraine: Q&A with a Washington analyst By John Marone Although Ukraine still holds importance in U.S. foreign policy, Russia has a powerful lobby in Washington DC, according to Zeyno Baran, who heads the Center for Eurasian Policy at the independent Washington-DC based think tank the Hudson Institute. Baran, who has been working as a policy analyst on Eurasian energy and security issues for over 10 years, said the Kremlin will continue to use its growing leverage in the West to regain control over what it considers its area of influence. Earlier this month, Baran was in Kyiv, following her attendance of the NATO Summit in Bucharest Romania. UO: What was the purpose of U.S. President George W. Bush’s recent trip to Romania, Kyiv and Sochi? What, in your opinion, was the result of this trip? ZB: The purpose of President Bush’s Romania trip was of course to attend the NATO summit—his last one as U.S. president. I think he achieved quite a lot, especially on missile defense and additional troops for Afghanistan ... I believe his visit to Kyiv just before the summit was to show solidarity with Ukraine and make it clear to NATO allies that he would push for a MAP [Membership Action Plan] at the summit, which he did very forcefully. His visit to Sochi after the NATO summit was part of his ongoing bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a wide range of issues. He especially sought to reassure him that NATO expansion is not an anti-Russian activity. Now, as for the NATO summit itself, unfortunately Germany and France, and to a lesser degree the United Kingdom, seemed to have strong reservations about damaging their relations with Russia, which made clear that it opposed any MAP for Georgia and Ukraine, two countries it still considers Russia’s "backyard". In the end, both countries received a strong commitment from NATO that they will be eventually accepted as members. Their MAP is probably going to be decided at the December meeting [of NATO foreign ministers]. I do wish that the U.S. had earlier made its position on MAP clearer, so there would have been time to work with Germany and France. The U.S. could have explained how Russia would perceive anything short of MAP as a success of its aggressive foreign policy—and, as a result, NATO would be giving Russia a de facto veto over the alliance’s further expansion. Moreover, I am sure Putin and his successor [Dmitry] Medvedev will try their best to provoke the Georgians into dangerous military action—in its separatist regions Abkhazia or South Ossetia—so that the alliance will continue to remain split on this issue. As you know, the Germans have argued that NATO cannot accept a country that is faced with such territorial divisions—conveniently forgetting, of course, that a divided Germany was accepted into the alliance half a century ago. Russia’s hostile acts in Abkhazia over the last week are therefore not at all surprising. Similarly, I am sure we will see Russian "soft power" effectively at work in Ukraine, which, unlike Georgia, does not have a popular majority in support of NATO membership. We can expect more pressure on the energy issue [i.e. Russian gas imports] and continued political instability. The challenge for Ukraine is to keep this government [of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko] in office until at least the end of the year, so there is no further delay in MAP. UO: Everyone knows that "old Europe" opposed NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia - do you believe that this is a long-term internal policy or a short-term tactic to avoid unnecessarily angering the Kremlin? ZB: I think part of the concern "old Europe" has is that NATO membership may be a first step in EU membership for these countries, and they have no appetite to expand the EU any further. These "old Europeans" are still having a tough time recognizing some of the newcomers both to the EU and NATO —especially countries like Poland and Lithuania -- as equal members that add to the strength of these organizations. There is also already a huge complication with Turkey’s potential membership. But given that NATO has an open door policy, and given the arguments "old Europe" has used in opposing MAP for Georgia and Ukraine, I think it is fairly clear that the main issue is that they did not want to anger the Kremlin. But frankly I cannot see how this dynamic will change in the coming years: Russia will become richer thanks to high oil prices (although recent research suggests that their production has peaked, thanks not least to their excluding Western investment); it will increase its use of energy as a political tool to keep Europe divided; and those who did not want to anger Russia at this summit will be even less willing to do so in the coming years UO: Are there significant US interests (government or private) that also see relations with the Kremlin as more important than those with Kyiv? ZB: I can’t think of anyone in the U.S. wanting to go back to the days of the Cold War, but for many people (both in government and in the policy world), having positive working relations with Russia has become an end in itself. Russia is a major power. It is a nuclear country, has a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and has been helpful in the war on terror. There are also enormous business opportunities [there], especially in the oil and gas sector, which is why U.S. energy giants are part of the lobbying effort to promote closer U.S.-Russian ties. Now, of course, Ukraine is also recognized as a very important and pivotal country. As American grand strategist Zbigniew Brzezinski has said many times, without Ukraine, Russia cannot in the long term control the fate of Eurasia. So Ukraine is critically important for this vast region’s future. And certainly Ukraine itself is important. Its location, the size of its population and of its landmass, and its history, all make Ukraine an indispensable country. Unfortunately there do not yet exist a significant degree of commercial ties between Ukraine and the U.S. due to ongoing concerns over political instability and general issues regarding the rule of law. Corruption has been a major hindrance, especially in the energy sector. Ukraine is also torn between the East and the West, which increases political risk. In sum, while both Russia and Ukraine are important for the US, Russia inevitably takes higher priority. That said, I don’t believe there will be any kind of deals made over Ukraine with the Kremlin. The U.S. is and will continue to remain totally committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, and continue to work with its leadership to further anchor it to the Euro-Atlantic community. UO: Do you believe that Bush came to Bucharest knowing that Ukraine and Georgia wouldn’t be accepted but content that the US had gotten in return other concessions from Russia and other NATO countries? ZB: I am glad you asked this question. Many people are wondering about this. While in Bucharest, I had the chance to talk personally to several European leaders, including their presidents, American officials and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, and this is what I concluded from all these discussions: the US State and Defense departments prepared for the NATO summit saying that they support MAP for Ukraine and Georgia, but did not strongly push for it. This is in part because they knew how difficult it would be to bring Germany around to this position. After all, [German] Chancellor [Angela] Merkel had publicly stated her opposition prior to the summit. Then, shortly before the Summit, President Bush made clear that MAP was critically important for him and he would push for it as much as he could. Usually important decisions like this one are reached well before the delegations arrive at the Summit; in this case, discussion on this issue continued long into the night. I heard from several of the NATO delegations that Bush really made this into a personal issue and, in the end, he did get the alliance to make an unequivocal commitment to Ukraine and Georgia becoming NATO members. UO: In your opinion, is Russia just pretending to cooperate with Europe and the U.S. until it is strong enough to more aggressively assert itself on issues like areas of influence? ZB: Russia is increasingly asserting itself as an alternative to the Euro-Atlantic community. Putin more or less made clear his opposition to the U.S. at the famous Munich speech last year. He also succeeded to a large degree in "dividing and conquering" Europe by working closely with countries like Germany and France, while putting pressure on those that were previously on its side of the fence (e.g. Poland, Baltics). I think Russia’s main strategy is to take advantage of the West being distracted by Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran, while solidifying its position as a major energy producer, transporter and distributor. By the time the EU finally recognizes its considerable vulnerability, Russia will be in a position to dictate gas prices; this also means influence over the politics of these countries. On Iran, which is where Europe and the U.S. have sought Russian support at the UN Security Council, we have seen the Kremlin often siding with the Iranian strategy of buying time—possibly waiting for the Bush administration to leave, betting that the next U.S. president would make a significant policy change. Of course, with time passing and sanctions remaining more or less ineffective, the military option is becoming more likely—at least for the U.S. If the US is further bogged down in the Middle East, and continues to alienate Muslims, Russia can fill this vacuum. We have already seen this with Russia not recognizing Hamas and Hizbullah as terrorist organizations (which the US and the EU do), cooperating with Iran on gas, etc. I don’t think we should see Russia as an enemy, but it certainly is not evolving into a partner. UO: What in your opinion are some of the issues that bind the US, Europe and Russia, which make future cooperation likely? ZB: First and foremost is the threat of Islamist radicalism, which as events from Madrid to New York to Beslan have shown, can affect all three places. Second, and an area in which some cooperation has already taken place, is against weapons proliferation. The US has been instrumental in securing many Cold War-era nuclear plants and weapons facilities located throughout Russia; however, on proliferation outside the former Soviet Union, such as to Iran and North Korea, Russia has not been as helpful. Third, on energy, there are plenty of reasons for future cooperation, if all sides adopt this as a goal: the EU is still the leading export market for Russian hydrocarbons, and Russia has an interest in maintaining stable relations with such a significant partner. Other issues, such as environmental cooperation, do not figure as strongly in trilateral affairs. UO: What is the possibility of the West gaining greater access to Central Asian hydrocarbons via routes that go ‘around’ Russia? ZB: If the Europeans stand united, then I believe the chances are very good. Central Asian countries—mainly Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan—want to send their oil and gas via non-Russian controlled routes to Western markets. They already have most of their hydrocarbons going via the Russian system. For maximum political and economic independence and to obtain the most competitive prices, these countries themselves want to have direct connections to Western markets as well. What is needed is the political will from the West, i.e. not to be too concerned regarding Russian anger over how the West is promoting an "anti-Russian strategy" of direct connections to Central Asian countries and the Caspian Sea region. Frankly it is not about Russia; it is about these independent countries wanting to have multiple options. Russia is already one of the options and a great partner to them. But neither the Central Asian countries nor the Western ones would like Russia—or any other regional power—to have a monopoly over the region’s future. For oil, there is already the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline carrying oil from Azerbaijan’s offshore fields to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan; and the Baku-Supsa pipeline and rail connection to transport oil from the Caspian to Georgian Black Sea ports. Kazakhstan can send some of its oil westward using any of these options. It is committed to send significant amounts of its oil via the extended Aktau-BTC pipeline. Some additional oil that reaches the Black Sea could of course reach European markets via the Odesa-Brody-Plock, but there are still unresolved issues with that pipeline being used in the opposite direction (from south to north}, instead of sending Russian and Caspian oil coming via Russia into the Black Sea. The upcoming May energy summit in Ukraine will once again focus on this pipeline; and I hope there will be significant progress made to attract oil from Kazakhstan. At issue here is Russia putting pressure on producers in Kazakhstan to send their oil via yet another Russian controlled pipeline, the Burgas-Alexandroupolis route, to take oil from the Bulgarian Black Sea coast to the Aegean Sea in Greece. This bring us once again to the question of political will on the part of the Europeans and how committed they are to resisting Russian pressure to do what makes most sense—commercially and politically—for Europe’s own interests. There are several other so-called Bosporus bypass routes that could take Caspian oil reaching the Black Sea to Western markets. On gas, we are mostly talking about Turkmenistan and to a lesser degree Kazakhstan. For some time now there has been talk about connecting Turkmen gas production to the existing Azerbaijani network and sending it westward via the existing pipeline system that goes via Georgia and Turkey to European markets. The Turkmen are interested, as they do not want to send all their westbound gas via the Russian system, but they are too weak on their own to resist the Russian pressure. They need the EU to reach out to them and "pull" the gas from the Caspian to European markets. After Turkey, the Turkmen gas would go to European markets via a new pipeline, Nabucco, that is designed to take Caspian, Iraqi (and eventually Iranian) gas into European markets. There is a lot of political talk about the Nabucco project, and most recently the EU Troika was in Ashgabat and met with the president of Turkmenistan, who committed 10 bcm of gas for the Nabucco project. Of course, there needs to be follow-up, otherwise the Turkmen will come once again under Russian pressure to walk back this commitment. There are other ways for Central Asian gas to get to Western markets without Russian control. One new project is the White Stream pipeline that would transport gas from Georgia via a sub-sea pipeline to Ukraine and/or Romania. There may also be liquefied natural gas (LNG) possibilities. In short, there are many ways. UO: Is Russian influence in Central Asia and the Caucasus waning, or are these being pushed back into Russia’s "sphere of influence"? ZB: I would say the way the West has gone about "democracy promotion" has not been very effective. Democracy is not just about elections. These countries still need basic institution building. They also need time and patience, which is very difficult given the quick results Western countries want to see, and the activities of some of the NGOs. There is too much lecturing without understanding local contexts. Second, the so-called color revolutions [in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan] created a huge sense of insecurity in the region, with Russian propaganda claiming that the U.S. was directly involved, and thus no leader is secure if they cooperate with the West. Of course, since these countries have lived under Russian domination for so long, they don’t automatically choose the Russian way over the Western one, but what Russia offers can be tempting: economic growth without political liberalism and with so-called "managed democracy". Third, as long as corruption remains as high as it is now, and there is little transparency in these countries, Russia will be able to pull these regions closer. Geography matters too: The Caucasus countries are closer to the West than are the Central Asian states, and can conceive of a future as part of wider Europe, with Georgian NATO aspirations already accepted at least in principle by the alliance. Central Asian countries face a much more difficult neighborhood: Russia, China and Iran as three major powers, and Afghanistan and Pakistan as dangerously unstable ones. Unless the West develops clear strategies to attract these countries—such as via energy projects—it will be difficult for them to be truly free from Russian influence. UO: What will be the role of Turkey in development of relations between the former Soviet Union and the West? Is Turkey also in a tug-of-war between East and West? Turkey itself is going through some tough times, and its future direction is uncertain. There is the prospect of EU membership, which keeps the country looking westward. It is also increasingly identifying with Muslim countries and Muslim issues, which draw it into the Middle East. As it borders Iraq, Iran and Syria, there is an inevitable shift of Turkey's focus southward. Then there is the increasingly close relationship with Russia—mainly on energy, but also increasingly on other political issues, which focuses Turkish attention on a possible North-South corridor. And finally, there is the Eurasian identity and prospect. After all, there are common ethnic, religious and cultural elements with the countries to the east. Turkey as a NATO ally and with no significant oil or gas resources of its own is a reliable transit country for Caspian energy to Western markets. Turkey made great contributions to the development of the countries of the former Soviet Union at the beginning of their independence. For example, it has provided tremendous assistance to the militaries of many of these countries under NATO’s Partnership for Peace program; it has opened up good quality schools in many of these counties; it has been a leading promoter of the Black Sea region’s security and cooperation and under the organization called BSEC (Black Sea Economic Cooperation) it has brought together all the littoral countries as well as those from the Balkans, Armenia and Azerbaijan. So, until now Turkey has been a dependable ally and partner for both sides, and hopefully its own internal tensions will not prevent it from continuing to be a positive force in the region. Previous articles: 04/04/08: What's Russia to do with it? 03/24/08: Who's the real maniac? 03/15/08: Krakow, Kyiv and Now 03/05/08: Death in the Metro 02/29/08: Desperate Ukrainians sticking up for themselves 02/22/08: Jail as an alternative to justice 02/13/08: A Thief Ain't a Thief til He's Caught 02/07/08: Much Ado about NATO 02/01/08: Traffic Jam & Parking Bread news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=11 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=4 Peter I and Ukrainian salo By Volodymyr Kharchenko Flowing through Ukrainian pipelines, natural gas, Russia’s most strategic commodity, has been provoking scandals and heated disputes over the past ten years, contributing to the stereotypes that Russians are “stingy guys” and Ukrainians “cunning thieves.” History is a fathomless well of surprises and offers us another scandalous, 300-year-old analogy. Back then, Ukrainian salo (salted pork fat) suddenly became the most odious strategic commodity in Ukraine’s trade relations with Russia. More A Ukraine Love Affair By Ralph H. Kurtzman, Jr. Ralph H. Kurtzman, Jr., Ph.D., a former U.S. Department of Agriculture biochemist and plant pathologist, is one of the world's great mycogolists -- that is, he's an expert on mushrooms. He has made several trips to Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe during which he assisted mushroom farmers become more efficient -- and also collected some great recipes. More news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=4 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=12 Eli Manning Awarded M.V.P. That's my boy! Giants 17, Pats 14 Did anyone know I was (I am) an Ole Miss alumnus? glen 2/4/2008 6:55 AM And what do all those funny numerals mean? I’m in Rome…circa Caesar? Does the average Joe get the connect from reading the funny script, or does he have to be enlightened by the otherwise clueless sport jockey that it’s 42…42…yes! glen 2/3/2008 8:46 PM What they’re doing in the United States today. Super Bowl XLII. What else? More here. glen 2/3/2008 8:29 PM Here in Burshtyn, a much later Sunday Yes I’m in Burshtyn, home I think. In the west of Ukraine, as in Western Ukraine, which I sometimes feel is different than Ukraine. This is the heart of old Galicia-Volynia. A significant part of Kyivan Rus in the 13th Century (think I got that right) whose king, Prince at one time conquered the city of Kyiv. That doesn’t matter so much today. I’ve been on an extended trip to the United States, lived through celebrations of various kinds of Christian holidays here and in the States. So, I write again. Not much, but continuing daily in this space. I won’t go into much right now. Burshtyn I’m told is pronounced a certain way that I invariably get corrected on. Something about stressing the last syllable. I’m told it stands in Ukrainian for the stone we, in American, call Amber. I plan to talk of Burshtyn more, and of its surrounds. Trips by auto along and by the nearby beautiful Dnister River. And even of life in villages here and about. But this Sunday I was at a Ukrainian cemetery. Three people related to me were honoring the resting place of one Nicholas Kropochev, deceased almost two years now, their father. He Russian, allegedly of the Don Cossacks, born in southern Russia, married to Marie, Ukrainian schoolteacher, still with us. At 80 a year before his demise in this small town he still struck a handsome pose, silver haired and with like moustache. A strong man, his grip actually hurt. This, even though the hand that extended was short a small appendage courtesy of action in what is called The Great Patriotic War. The cemetery was new when he was buried that short while ago. My extrapolated number from a small section came to an estimate of 300-325 graves. There were probably less than 50 that short time ago. The thought doesn’t occur that maybe this small town is dying. No, the opposite. While eight years ago the town seemed full of old folks and somewhat run down, my own eyes testify to new youth in the town. Last spring and summer and the one before and I expect this next one, the sight of young women as well as men pushing baby carriages seems dominant. I see young children out my window. Mostly it seems like ages six to twelve, other various young people. Those younger ones seem to have taken a liking to me. When I come in or go out they say an American “Hello” to me. They wave to me as I sit in window view. Heck, these are my friends. Last spring and summer we practiced some, very little, American English together. The time at the cemetery was short. Important I think. I stayed kind off to the back. My age and looks…don’t want anyone to try and plant me. glen Feb. 3, 08 Thoughts on the oil patch on a Sunday morning Headline: “Oil jumps above $90 a barrel”. So it has now happened. When I first heard that scary number, I believe the year was 1979. At that time I was the court appointed trustee of an oil partnership involved in a legal dispute between partners (the limited partners were suing the general partner for theft and mismanagement). I had an interest in the goings on in the “oil patch” and world oil prices. Few people seem to realize that historically oil prices have seldom been above a $22-$28 range. For Americans, pre the 70s when the Texas Railroad Commission determined the price of oil and the oil patch was governmentally subsidized, the barrel price was generally no higher than $3. When adjusted for inflation prices were really much lower than the range cited above (a loose range I’m using as I’m not looking at data). Post the 70s when oil prices became “set” by the OPEC oil cartel, prices rose. Set is in quotes for a reason. The markets largely overruled OPEC since that organization had less true control than did the Texas Railroad Commission. Except for Saudi Arabia’s limited ability to withhold production, the greedy cartel was mostly ineffective. Wars, natural disasters and refinery capacity at any given time have caused some fairly wide fluctuations over the past 30 plus years. Now, with the emergence of China as major oil consumer and demand high due to general prosperity around the globe, supply has become critical. Russia and other Eurasian countries are now heavily into the supplying of oil. Still spare capacity is low. Low in the extreme. This coupled with war in Iraq, genuinely bad happenings in the news daily (Bhutto bombing in Pakistan, the nuclear ramblings and rumblings of the president of Iran, even riots in Amsterdam, etc.) have effect. There is now an extremely high risk factor attached to the genuinely severe problems that would follow an oil shortage. It says here, me, that this risk premium is way, way too high. Even a slight sign of significant improvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan coupled with some modicum of recognition that the world’s economies are moving along nicely by the electorates around this planet would send shock waves throughout the forward contract gambling industry. Moreover, even without such forthcoming tranquility, time will dull the oil traders’ premium. They are now out on a shaky limb. So, soon, oil at or below $30 a barrel and a pox on the hedge funds and forward traders. glen 10/21/2007 9:38 AM Today’s ruminations Well, tomorrow was a long time coming. On the 14th I concluded, “More tomorrow.” I’ve been busy working with the UO, trying to “flange” things up as we say in Mississippi. And I’m still not too riled today. I was somewhat disposed to grumble about the U.S. Congress and its interjecting itself into the President’s and our State Department’s handling (or mishandling if you choose) of the Iraq war with their attempting to pass a (non-binding) resolution on Armenian genocide some 85 years or so ago. That couldn’t have come at a worse time since it upset our longstanding ally Turkey. Not, mind you, that the congress doesn’t have the right to do so, just the timing is bad and acts against U.S. and our current allies interests at present. But, my brother, Mike Willard, beat me to the punch. See his Random Notes column of yesterday America’s Silly Resolution. It’s good to see Mike and I agreeing on something political. There are plenty of serious matters to write about today and maybe I’ll feel serious enough to write about them or new such matters tomorrow. Meanwhile, since last posting I had a conversation with two young Ukrainian English teachers, Alona and Dasha at a local pub recently. They are both only 22 years old but have the large responsibility to teach adult Ukrainians the English language. Neither have yet spent anytime in an English speaking country but their English is very good, though lacking the typical understanding of the idioms one might pick up in London, New York or Sidney. These two occasionally quiz me. Usually about pernicious quirks in our language. Note the our. I guess Americans, the English and the Aussies do, sort of, have a common language. Anyway, “Why can’t the word fruit be fruits if there is more than one?” Their example concerned the situation where one was offering a basket of fruit (fruits) to another for say selection of an apple, an orange or some other fruit. I told them, I hope correctly, that it’s just a peculiarity; there was no rule, that they would just have to learn that the singular and the plural of some nouns were the same. They seemed satisfied. I had a question for them. About custom and not language. I’d just witnessed Ukrainians singing the English “Happy Birthday to you” song while the birthday person was presented with cake and being toasted. Query? Why not a Ukrainian song? Answer: Probably just a fad, plus they said they weren’t aware of a Ukrainian substitute. I have on many occasions witnessed strange things…to me anyway, as a 10-year visitor to the country. All expats can tell stories. For example, why does one occasionally see cans of food stuffs (e.g., a can of corn) sitting unopened in the refrigerator? Why are containers of juice left to warm after coming from the refrigerator? Why is it considered unsafe to drink cold beverages (particularly with ice in it) in cold weather when the vodka comes direct from the freezer to joyous libation in the same weather? There are many more, even legions of stories like this expats can tell. Write me and I’ll insert some of these in Glen’s Place. Ok, enough, perhaps a serious thought will occur before tomorrow. glen 10/18/2007 2:40 PM The Beginning of Glen's Place It’s difficult to warm one’s hands by a microwave oven. We have no gas stove here at the office where I write this morning. Ukraine in mid-October and no communal heat turned on yet. So, the office is by degrees somewhat more comfortable than the apartment. The apartment is cold for other reasons too that I won’t write about. I have good memories of those days from my youth where one and all gathered around the pot-bellied stove centered in the main room of the house. The slight glow through the vent from the coal or wood-fired device was pleasant to view just as even movement of one’s back or front side away as the heat scorched one’s clothes was too, in a way, a good memory. Now, actually those many days were relatively few as they mostly occurred at the homes of my rural relatives on visits. In the many places we lived in our much-traveled military brat lives, my siblings and I were mostly in and around cities and had more conveniences than many of our kin. This is Glen’s Place. What is Glen’s Place? The answer is unknown to me. I’m just going to write and see what happens. I hope to correspond and discuss, perhaps engage in some debate, with readers that wish to respond to what I write. Readers who choose to write will be responded to if their comments require such. That is, if the comments are civil and not inflammatory. I hope and believe most readers will understand what I mean by use of the emphasized word. I use it comprehensively. Frequent readers of Internet exchanges will know instinctively. Bad language, meaning foul and abusive words are not welcome. Spirited debate, even argumentative discourse though is encouraged. In this, a discriminating use of the occasional profanity is certainly not banned. Such use frequently can add flavor and spice and facility, even utility to communication. I am an American. The reader not knowing this will quickly ascertain it. I don’t consider this to handicap me. I say this out the outset for viewers who may have an alternative view. I am a son of the Southland. An American Southerner. Even, an ethnic Southerner, as the editor, journalist, writer, Paul Greenberg of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette has so poignantly, to me, and accurately described himself. The reader needs understand this aspect of person and character. But likely won’t. My views tend to the conservative though more liberal on economic and policy matters. I am neither Republican, at least not true blue, nor Democrat in American parlance. I’ve voted for many more democrats than republicans, mostly because of time and place, and contributed funds to several democrats, but no republicans. Again more due to time and place, plus the fact that I have higher and better uses for any money that crosses my hands. (Remember the story of the man who by mid-life had acquired a considerable fortune but in later life found himself in much more modest financial circumstance. On inquiry, he responded, “I spent it on wine, women and song, I partied, I had fun. The rest I wasted.”) I am a contrarian. Some would say I tend to argue. This some say is the lawyer in me. Not so. It is a birthright. A Willard family get-together invariably produces heated argument and fearsome conflict. Strangely, no physical contact, but plenty of hurt feelings, quickly forgotten and well-healed, ready for new battle at the next least incidence. This is Southern, tribal, clannish nature and tradition, particularly for those of us of Scotch-Irish heritage. I’m not sure why I do so much attempt at explanation in this, kind of, introduction to Glen’s Place. But it is my space you see. But, one more thing. I know that I can be wrong on several things on any given day, but occasionally right or at least partially right on some things too. In this I think I’m like most folks who normally manage to pass each day without too much embarrassment. I’m not too riled about anything right now. As I write I’ve been listening to an album containing Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite, his Mississippi Suite and others that I like which, tends to lull me. Maybe that’s the reason. I’ll change my mood with a little George Jones, maybe some Merle Haggard. Yeah, that the answer. Of course, yesterday, or the day before, I disremember…Al Gore Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize. Al junior, who grew up on a farm in rural Tennessee and went on to invent the Internet, win an Oscar and now conquers the weather. Imagine that, junior, a regular Jack Armstrong*. More tomorrow, when I’m ready and have absorbed the true meaning of “If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me**, I'll write some more. glen 10/14/2007 11:35 AM *Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy was a radio adventure series that maintained its popularity from 1933 to 1951. **A favorite George Jones tune. news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=12 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=139 Bogdan By Glen Willard He didn’t have much for uppers. Facing him, one tooth off to the left, then indiscriminately spreading off to the right, His lowers were full. Could have all been the results of reorganization as a result some prior altercation. I thought not, he seemed just too inordinately nice. And he was too talkative for me. We did not speak the same language. I was handicapped; he wasn’t. He the native in this land, his town Galych. Galych, Halych, foundation town of Galicia. Home of famed King Danylo. He, the first called king, not prince. Founder of L’viv. Conqueror of Kyiv, later also the territory known much later as Muscovy, He, that king prince to guide, somewhat, a period of subservience to the Tatar horde. Skillfully history tells. But only maybe, such being the history of the lands of the Ruthenians as called by much of history. But really a little further south Krylos, the real beginning fortress town of what was to be a significant part of Ukrainian history is found. But I digress, My wife and her sister had some business at the Rada in Galych. I wandered into a local saloon 200 or so meters away from where they were to do their business, The sign just said “Bar, Café” (the apostrophe, my invention). A pleasant enough place on entry. More so later. My 50-hrvynia note caused consternation for the young girl, the waitress, so pretty, behind the bar. With no non-alcoholic beer available I had ordered a hundred grams of dry red wine, in hrvynia a total of 3 for the fine wine. I sat down…unobtrusively of course, I thought, while that young most attractive bartendress scrambled to look for change. Unobtrusive, remember, I sat. In my so-called, ‘cowboy hat’, black colored. My ‘Made in Ukraine’ special and my trupca (pipe) with its aromatic Cavendish blend lighted and doing its aromatiscisams, for benefit of young flesh at yonder bar and her even younger, and prettier accomplice. This ‘ole 65 year old was impressive at this 11:30 a.m. time spot in this new environment. New for this day anyway. But not so different from many an East Tennessee or North Georgia, or even a Delta honky-tonk pre midnight, small time place of disremembrance of all those 10 rules. Comfortable I was. My memories, thoughts, with me alone. My eyes only sometimes remembering to focus on those lovelies not really working at the bar. Working, the word I mean, I think is what they called an active something way back in 6th grade English. These girls were much less active than my 6th grade teacher of subject same. So somnolence continues, even actively progresses, Until Bogdan arrives. He comes over. Vaguely I remember him sitting across the way, The ‘way’, maybe a dance floor later in the dark, past evening, He, not really tall, but not short. A black, maybe real leather jacket, decent to good wool maybe sweater, boots polished…I don’t know all else, shaven, hair cut ok, not clearly drunk. Quickly we establish that we speak no mutual languages. Or at least I thought so. Didn’t matter though, he wanted to join my table…my exclusive, unobtrusive table. He was a nice guy, “Why not?” me says to me self. Ah, mutual languages. None. Turned out that didn’t matter a whit to Bogdan. This guy could talk. I embarrassed sat. And he talked. Talked. And more, he talked. I think he understood, that I didn’t. But, it was conversation of sorts. I on occasion nodded, noting acceptance of a kind. He seemed satisfied at my participation in our colloquy. Era, I think her name arrived. A small conversation, Bogdan gave her some hrvynia, She bought herself a drink. She settled at another table, alone. My language abilities allowed me to confirm that Era was Bogdan’s wife. No more. The conversation continued. Bogdan the same. Talk. Talk. Some animation. I avoided the hand waving the lit cigarette. No apparent concern for Era. He, lost in the importance of what he was telling. Two hours, or about, I spent with the man Bogdan. The girls arrived from the Rada. I left with them. My hat in place. Grinned, waved at the two interesting beings behind the bar and they understood, I believe, that I had enjoyed and that probably they’d see me again. Bogdan too, I guess. Read also previous issue' articles: An American in Perish The Baseball Way to Pleasure and Wisdom What a Fine Mess At My Table The King is Gone- and So are You Speak Truth to Power! news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=139 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1387 Branded by a Pun By John Marone As globalization continues its relentless campaign into the far-flung corners of the planet, one is hardly surprised to find an Irish pub at some cardboard airport in central Congo, or a member of a recently discovered tribe of New Guinea wearing a Michigan State University T-shirt. Ukraine, less than two decades released from the grip of prohibitive Soviet uniformity, has not been spared. And because English has become the unofficial official language of the new world order, its letters are plastered on every inch of Cyrillic-free space in the capital Kyiv - signs, menus, periodicals, advertising and, yes, the names of Ukrainian establishments. English equates to the high tech, professional, trendy and sleek. So why call your nightclub "Boris' Pick Up Palace" when you can lure the sexually frustrated with the name "Decadence". And surely the beans of Coffee House must be of a higher quality than those of a Slavic sounding competitor. Part of this phenomenon stems from Ukrainians' traditional suspicion of anything made in Ukraine. Soviet citizens used to wash their clothes by hand, so if you're going to open up a dry cleaners, call it the German Dry Cleaners, so that customers believe their suits will be handled with care. As for foreign sounding Kyiv medical clinics - all the more - despite the fact that you'd be hard pressed to find a nurse who could even read the label on a bottle of imported aspirin in one of these places. If one's sense of national dignity is stronger, there are more neutral but no less un-Ukrainian words like VIP, Lux, and Elite, which can be tacked on to a brand or store sign. Euro is also a popular appendage, but Ukraine's a part of Europe, isn't it? However, in most cases, Ukrainian business just loads on the English, whether the correct market message is conveyed or not. For example, what sort of association is conjured up by the "Stalker" paper company - invisible ink, ghost graphics or a deliveryman who peeps in the windows of female clients? And how about the Sport Craps Bar? No really, it's not some sh*tty place! A personal favorite is the VD One clothing store, which has at least one outlet conveniently located near a pharmacy. If these guys were doing second hand, there might be a health risk involved. Then there's Lush - not a packaged liquor dealer but a plant store. One can just imagine the three-martini-lunch executive trying to regain his composure by sniffing sago palm behind an umbrella tree before returning to the office. Need a pair of reasonably priced loafers? Go to Welfare Shoes. But be advised: they don't take food stamps. Maybe you prefer to drive there, but your car's broken down. A quick look in a Kyiv phone directory turns up Fart auto repair. Believe it or not they don't have gas. All the same, no one rides for free. That's why I prefer Motor Jeans, which really put my rear end in gear. The unintentional crudities don't stop there, though. Near the circus there is a lovely little plastic lounge called "Asol's - pronunciations differ, but the reader will get the point. Let's not forget the Dart Gallery ... where patrons can presumably launch projectiles at paintings that they don't like. Ukrainians love to see fireworks launched, with displays put on by the city authorities at the drop of a hat. If you want to put on your own display, go to a company called Piro, but first check if they're insured. Casualties, you say? Call Pain medical clinic, whether it hurts or not. As for publishers, they should know better. Surely the people who came up with the name Hard & Soft magazine, which sells computer supplies, should have foreseen misdirected queries from sex tourists. And Happy magazine for expecting mothers might have considered that not all surprises make one happy. Ukrainians should be proud of their linguistic talents, with most knowing at least one foreign language. But the people who come up with English-language names for some of the capital's establishments might do well to consult a native speaker before branding their businesses with a pun. Then again, that would make them more globalized and boring, wouldn't it? Other articles by this author No place like home (April 3) Living on borrowed words (March 27) To beat or not to beat (Mar 18) Seeing red (Mar 4) Borsch ain't spaghetti (Feb 15) For better or for worse (Feb 2) news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1387 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=15 The Fallacy of Corporate Social Responsibility By Michael Willard When I suggest to a CEO that he or she should consider “what’s in it for the company” before embarking on a Corporate Social Responsibility spending spree, I often get that shocked look, the facial contortion that best goes with the phrase “and out from under what rock did you just crawl.” Many CEOs, managing directors and those charged with implementing CSR programs somehow feel CSR is about charity. There is the feeling that if the company contributes to saving the whales (the children, the Florida Manatee, the snail darter) the way to corporate heaven is paved with rose pedals. Maybe it is, but in my business we rarely dwell in the metaphysical, preferring to keep both feet firmly planted in terra firma. We believe that corporations are in business to maximize profits for shareholders, and diversions from this are misguided, even foolhardy. In any corporate social responsibility program there must be a serious objective, and tossing money at a favorite charity project of the CEO’s wife doesn’t quite pass the legitimacy test; unless, of course, it is part of a coordinated sponsorship program aimed at enhancing shareholder value. By and large, CSR begins at home. This is the lesson that some international shoe manufacturers are learning the hard way, only after scandals having to do with virtual slave labor stitching canvas in Far East sweat shops. I am reminded of the old coalmining anthem sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford, “16 Tons”. One line goes something like this: “You haul sixteen tons, whadaya get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter don’t you call me cause I can’t go. I owe my soul to the company store.” Now there was a coal company sorely in need of a CSR program. It conjures up coal camp shacks, lethal mining conditions and a smudge-faced miner who can’t leave the job because he’s too deep in debt to the company’s store where he buys food for his family. On the other hand, the corporate responsible mining company does everything possible to make a dangerous profession safe, including training and modern equipment; and is creatively benevolent to its employees by providing good wages, health insurance and other benefits. If the corporation is manufacturing press releases about its do-good activities around the world, but has not provided for a good work place and the environmental sustainability of its own little corner of the world, its view of CSR is hypocritical at best, and darn near criminal at worse. I am reminded of a Charles Dickens story one of the people I most admire in public relations, Harold Burson, tells about misguided CSR. This PR pioneer refers to the satiric novel “Bleak House”, published in 1853. Harold’s narrative goes like this: “One of Dickens’s most memorable characters is Mrs. Jellaby. She espoused every imaginable worthy cause, her latest the plight of the natives of Boorie-goola-Gha on the left bank of the Niger. She called it her African project and it occupied her near full time. “Then Dickens tells us the state of Mrs. Jellaby’s personal and family affairs. Her house is strewn with paper and other rubbish, the furniture and floors covered with dust and grime. Her children are in a dire state of neglect, badly clothed and unfed. Her son’s head is stuck between the banister railings. “But Mrs. Jellaby doesn’t seem to notice, much less care. Mrs. Jellaby is obsessed with her Africa project. “The lesson of Mrs. Jellaby applies not only to social critics and reformers, self-appointed or otherwise. It applies to executives who must balance the many obligations confronting the modern corporation. A corporation’s first duty, as I see it, is to manage its affairs properly and profitably.” Hear. Hear. If you’d like to respond to this column or communicate anything else on your mind, send e-mail to: mike.willard@twg.com.ua news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=15 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1507 Political musings Oranges and Lemons… By Peter Dutczyn The title of this piece is not just the name of an old English nursery rhyme which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London. The rhyme itself is said to have several meanings, one of which is trade near those churches, and has acquired a few over the centuries. To some extent, it depicts politicians in this country. A handful of worthwhile politicians amid a majority of incompetent and incapable ones at best, and greedy and corrupt ones, at worst. However, it can also be seen as a description of the political situation in the country since 2005: a few reasonable, decent politicians among a myriad of rotten ones, or simply a cynical one that a handful of oranges has duped a lot of lemons. With the Orange Revolution over and Viktor Yushchenko about to take over as president in January 2005, a journalist predicted to me that bickering and in-fighting between the parties would take place. There would be no political “forgive and forget”. Even worse, she said, in-fighting would start within the Orange camp. I did not believe her. Others told me: seen it before, the promises, the talk of reform et al. I was nonplussed. This time it was going to be different, I thought, after all the good guys are in power and they will do what they promised. This was gonna be the real thing! With optimism in abundance and the Party of Regions on the back foot, people were ready to give the new orange rulers time. There was a huge amount of goodwill on the part of the population. But as the months went by, people saw no fight against corruption (as promised) and prices soared. There was no “Bandytam tyurma” (“Prison for bandits”) campaign in reality. Seemingly, it was merely a political slogan. It did not take long for the in-fighting to appear and did not abate till the first Orange government (Yulia Tmyoshenko’s first too!) was dismissed. Tymoshenko versus Petro Poroshenko was the big one, and coupled with the problems of stagflation and people’s high expectations, they reached a crescendo when Oleksandr Zinchenko made accusations of corruption. An inquiry made up Yushchenko’s mind for him and the first Tymoshenko cabinet was dismissed, and Poroshenko along with them. It led to Yushchenko favourite Yuriy Yekhanurov taking over as premier for several months. After the March 2006 parliamentary election the Party of Regions was back in power. And with constitutional reform shifting power to the premier and parliament and away from the presidency, it meant that Viktor Yanukovych was back as prime minister after less than two years away from the post. He did not get the big prize, but the premiership now came with more powers than the presidency. And then there was former President Leonid Kuchma, the man that everyone loved to hate. Well, for a while he laid low but did not become persona non grata in Ukraine or anywhere, for that matter. In fact, he has of late been making regular appearances on one particular TV channel. A political merry-go-round, déjà vu or just political reality? Is all of this just an element of the old adage: “Two Ukrainians, three hetmans (leaders)?” Don’t get me wrong: the 2004 presidential election was undeniably rigged, Yushchenko probably should have won in the first round (then we never would have had the street protests and the Orange Revolution). Since then we have had an early election and the return of Tymoshenko. The summer of 2007 saw the height of cynicism reached. The president and some of his entourage hob-knobbing with Viktor Pinchuk et al, the man whose grabbing of a steel plant in 2004 just before the presidential election in 2004 came in for some tough criticism from pro-Yushchenko campaign ads. Less than three years on and they all seemed to have kissed and made up as they met and reveled in the music of the visiting Elton John. Kuchma was there too, centre stage. Though there is a saying that a nation gets the rulers it deserves, I don’t think this applies to Ukraine. Why? Because as a young democracy the country is going through teething problems. It would be too easy to name jut a few things that need to be tackled (apart from corruption and cronyism): a lack of clear allocation of powers between the different branches of state power, an absence of checks and balances between political institutions and a lack of effective systems in place to prevent abuse and corruption. It is quite revealing that parliamentary speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk, speaking recently during the many political standoffs in Parliament since last October which have paralyzed its work, said: “There are no political parties in Ukraine, just interests of groups”. And he is right. Though it could be argued that the same is true in many countries. Let’s take the United Kingdom. Broadly speaking, the Labour Party and Conservative Party, which have both ruled the country since the 1920s, represent the working class and the upper class, or the poor and the rich, or the unions and big business, respectively. There are probably more variants on this. At least, that was the case. However, since the Conservatives got into power in 1979 Labour has steadily become less leftist. The Tories have become more centrist. In other words, a convergence has taken place. The Labour administration led by Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007 incorporated much of the economic, social and political tenets of "Thatcherism". The comparison with Ukraine is true: a convergence has also taken place. The three biggest parliamentary factions have their business interests and their lobbies and companies. They broadly position and describe themselves as “liberal” and “pro-business”. Looking back, I now think: Kuchma as premier promised a lot, only later to be sacked and duly elected president. He was premier in 1993 and promised reforms but got sacked before he could “implement” them. As president he talked a lot about stability and how everything was going to be fine (though he did not say for whom). Yushchenko (though an effective bank governor) promised reform, was sacked as premier and… However, on the eve of more elections, the early Kyiv mayoral election planned for May 2008 and the presidential election of 2010, what do Ukrainian voters see? Most likely a convergence between political parties motivated not by any desire to run the country better or reach political rapprochement, but by narrow, elitist interests. The Party of Regions has been trying to court Our Ukraine since early 2006 to form some sort of political alliance. Behind the scenes there are said to be continuous talks and negotiations, often unofficial and not publicized, between the various political players and their parties. Yulia Tymoshenko recently hinted at the possibility of closer ties with the Party of Regions, despite the fact that her official stance has been that her bloc will never form a parliamentary majority (and, therefore, ruling government) with the Party of Regions. Some sort of agreement, at least on mutually-advantageous legislation in Parliament and at local council level, is a strong possibility. Yanukovych, for his part, did not refute Tymoshenko’s hints at the possibility of a political union. All of this comes at a time of uneasy relations between the YTB and its coalition partner, the Our Ukraine People’s Self-Defence bloc. The other two main players, the Communists and the Lytvyn Bloc, are more than capable of working in an able manner in search of partnerships. Let’s not forget that the majority of the current elite and MPs also held posts in Soviet times and/or held posts in independent Ukraine. Over 300 MPs are official millionaires. Of course, one could ascribe to the view that there are no permanent allies, just permanent interests. We could use the term “political expedience” as an excuse for, should we say, shaky political relationships and selfish liaisons. But that would be to belittle the voter; the common man whose only weapon is his or her vote. And, of course, all of this is taking place at a time when all the major political players are already thinking about the coming presidential election. However, perhaps we should not have too much faith in politicians. In his film Sleeper, American actor and producer Woody Allen warns that politicians will not save us. The basic premise of the film, set in the distant future, is that the dictatorial leader of a society has been killed by a rebel, but this has not been revealed to the public. The only surviving body part is the leader's nose. The intent of the administration is to clone the leader from this single remaining part. A rebel group led by a charismatic leader called Erno, intends to disrupt this attempt by stealing and "assassinating" the nose. Our hero, played by Allen, is the only man with no identity in this future age, and so is essential to the plot. However, he quickly becomes disillusioned and at the end says: "Don't you see? Political solutions don’t work! It doesn’t matter who is up there, they’re all terrible. That's what I've been trying to tell you! In six months, we'll be stealing Erno's nose!" Perhaps Mr Allen, comedy aside, was trying to tell us something after all… news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1507 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1432 Euro-2012 preparations back on track By Peter Dutczyn A big sporting hello to everyone out there! Hope your club or team is doing well. If not, let’s hope it is playing in an entertaining way. Well, in the last two weeks Ukraine has taken a few big steps towards holding the European Football Championships, which it will jointly with Poland in the summer of 2012. Just to get an impression of the enormity of the event, the European Football Championships is the third biggest sporting event in the world – ranking only behind the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup. Well, in recent months, Michel Platini, the head of UEFA, the European football governing body, has voiced concerns on several occasions about the slow progress being made in preparations by the two neighbours and that they were falling behind schedule. UEFA’s main concern has been the shopping centre next to the main stadium in Ukraine, the capital’s Olympic Stadium. It has demanded that the shopping centre, which has been built over the last two years, be torn down, due to safety and access concerns. The crux is that the final itself, the showpiece event, will be played at the stadium. Poland is to host the opening ceremony of the tournament. For those of you who do not know the area around the stadium, well, it is very “compact” to say the least. It is right in the heart of Kyiv, next to a metro station and in a very built-up, developed area. The stadium has to be modernized too. Well, on March 20, a developer finally started dismantling the semi-built business centre. Work is in still in progress on providing compensation to the investor in the shopping complex, a Russian company. Money and land plots are still in the equation and being argued over. Anatoliy Holubchenko, first deputy Kyiv mayor, said he hoped the stadium would be dismantled by July. This means that the country's main stadium will be ready for the 2012 European Championship. The move is crucial and comes at a time when Italy is waiting in the wings should Poland and Ukraine blow their chance. Italy staged the 1980 European Championship and the 1990 World Cup, so has both the infrastructure and experience to hold such events. Poland too, though a partner, announced recently that it was willing to take two host cities from Ukraine. The Polish Sports Minister said on March 19 that if six Polish stadiums are ready, two of them could take the place of two of the Ukrainian host cities. Each country has four host cities and two reserve cities. The hint was that Lviv has been dragging its feet in finding land and a developer to build a new stadium. The city has a stadium but has decided to build a new one. The city reacted to criticism back in February. Ukrainian Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko said at the time that Kharkiv could replace Lviv as the former seemed to be trying harder to get ready for Euro-2012. However, the Lviv authorities rejected the criticism and announced in early February that an Austrian company, Alpine Bau GmbH, had won the tender to build a new stadium in the “capital” of Western Ukraine. Odessa too has been making good progress in its preparations and, it is said, impressed a visiting UEFA delegation last month. Perhaps the competition between Ukrainian cities is a good thing. It certainly prompted Lviv into action. Kharkiv mayor Mykhaylo Dobkin, whose city is a reserve host, even unveiled projects to be implemented in connection with the championships at the recent fourth Ukrainian annual investment summit in London. Only at the end of last week the prime ministers of Poland and Ukraine sought to alleviate UEFA's fears over the progress of their preparations. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and visiting counterpart Donald Tusk signed an agreement to set up an agency to cooperate on the vast amount of work both countries need to complete. Like modernizing airports and building roads and hotels. Platini gave a cautious welcome to the recent progress by saying UEFA would do "everything necessary" to ensure the tournament went ahead in Poland and Ukraine. However, he added somewhat cautiously that "we will still have to wait a few months to see if things are really improving." Nevertheless, things are moving forward. New stadiums being built in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk are moving towards completion. In late February Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko attended the official opening of a refurbished stretch of the Kharkiv-Simferopol-Sevastopol motorway. Over the next three or four years, Ukraine plans to build seven modern motorways as part of preparations for the tournament. The ambitious plans are expected to cost around 11bn dollars. It is planned to build more lines on the Dnipropetrovsk underground. Clearly there is national pride at stake here. During a visit to Donetsk in February, Yuriy Pavlenko said Donetsk Region was Ukraine's best prepared region. He noted he was certain that Ukraine will be able to complete all preparations on time and that the right to host it will not be given to a different country. Back on the football pitch, there is very little between the top teams of the Ukrainian league. It is still a three-horse race, with Dynamo Kyiv shading it ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk. Although Shakhtar are one point behind in the standings, they have played one game less. Two points behind Shakhtar are Dnipro Dniproptetrovsk. At the weekend all three won, with Shakhtar coming from behind to beat Arsenal 4-2 in the capital. The win comes after a surprising defeat the previous weekend to Tavriya Simferopol. It is strange, seemingly a coincidence, how the date of the start of the Champions League quarter-final matches, the visit by George Bush and April’s Fool Day all converged. Let’s hope there is some really entertaining football on display. Oh, and before I go, a word of praise for Ukrainian boxer Andriy Kotelnik. He is worthy of special note. Thirty-year old Kotelnik, who hails from Lviv, but is based in Hamburg, is a new Ukrainian boxing hero. He beat WBA light-welterweight title holder Gavin Rees at the Cardiff International Arena in Wales on March 22 to win the title. The referee was forced to stop the match in the final minute of the match. Andriy could now be on course for a lucrative fight with Amir Khan. Have a great sporting week! news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php?p=114&c=1432 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php Ukraine became fully-fledged WTO member today KYIV, May 16: Ukraine became a fully-fledged member of the World Trade Organization today. A period of one month after the ratification of the agreement on joining the WTO by the Ukrainian Parliament expired precisely today. It took Ukraine 14 years to become a member of the WTO. In the view of experts, access to new markets, Ukrainian manufacturers' right to defend their export against discrimination and adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to international standards are among the most positive results of Ukraine's joining the WTO. More President hails UK's support for NATO bid, urges more investment KYIV, May 16: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has said that Ukraine values the UK's support for its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Yushchenko said this during his speech at the Royal Institute of Foreign Affairs, Chatham House. Commenting on Ukraine's plans to join NATO's Membership Action Plan at the NATO summit this December, Yushchenko said: "We value very much the British side's support for Ukraine's joining the NATO Membership Action Plan in December of this year." Yushchenko also said that Ukraine's possible accession to MAP does not pose a threat to any country, including Russia. Yushchenko said that joining NATO "falls in line with Ukraine's national interests. We are not seeking to cross Russia's, or any other country's path," he stressed. "We are forming our own idea of security policy," he added. More Foreign Ministry "surprised" by Russia's entry ban for Ukrainian MP KYIV, May 16: The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said it was surprised by Russia's decision to deny Ukrainian MP Vladyslav Kaskiv's entry to Russia and does not understand Russia's reasons for this. "The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry was surprised by the detention of a Ukrainian citizen, MP Volodymyr Kaskiv, at Sheremetyevo-2 airport on May 15. It was even more confused by the reasons for the detention: to deny entry to Russia in order to ensure the country's security," the head of the Foreign Ministry's press service, Vasyl Kyrylych, said at a briefing today. Kaskiv is a member of the propresidential Our Ukraine People’s Self-Defence bloc and has suggested that the Russian secret services were behind the ban. More news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php President still optimistic about future of parliamentary coalition LONDON, May 15: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko still believes in the future of the coalition. He said this after meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London today. "There is still life in the coalition, it has its own political potential and future," he said. He admitted the coalition is at odds over some issues. In particular, Our Ukraine does not approve of the administrative regulation of grain and gas prices, he said. "We do not understand the ban on imports of vegetable oil and grain," he said. He said such discrepancies in views can be removed through negotiations. Yushchenko said that the Our Ukraine faction objects to chaotic privatization and has its own ideas on how to tame inflation. "Such discrepancies can be overridden and simplified within the framework of an open policy and dialogue," he said. More Foreign minister says status of Sevastopol settled "long ago and for good" KYIV, May 15: Recent remarks by Russian officials about Sevastopol and the status of Ukrainian territories have no international legal consequences, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko has said. "Such remarks have no international legal consequences. Whoever speaks about who these territories belong to or do not belong to, these issues have been settled long ago and for good," the minister told journalists in Kyiv on May 14. The foreign minister said that the remarks by Russian officials are "an attempt to politicize" the situation and "disturb Ukrainian-Russian relations". "We are against such a policy," the minister said describing the remarks by Russia's representatives as "absolutely groundless". More news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php Ukraine joins British-French initiative for helicopter modernization LONDON, May 15: Ukraine has joined the British-French initiative for modernizing of helicopters and for training crews for them to take part in peacekeeping missions, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists today. Yushchenko was speaking after his meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, after which a joint statement was signed. According to the joint statement, Ukraine is to begin its participation in the British-French initiative. The initiative is to increase the number of helicopters which could be used in Afghanistan and other international operations. "This is a considerable and clear confirmation of Ukraine's ability to be an important agent in developing EU and NATO operational capabilities," the statement reads. More Prime Minister threatens to terminate partnership with President KYIV, May 14: Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has threatened to terminate her partnership with President Viktor Yushchenko if the Cabinet's activity is blocked. "I warned Yushchenko today for the first time after four months that if things continue this way, I will be no longer a partner and an ally," Tymoshenko said at a rally with the residents of the capital’s Podil district on May 13. She added though that "the coalition will not be re-formatted". Tymoshenko emphasized again that Parliament has still to approve a package of anti-inflationary laws submitted by the Cabinet two and a half months ago. More Ukraine limits Gazprom subsidiary's licence to sell gas KYIV, May 14: The Ukrainian national electricity regulatory commission has limited from five to one year the validity of the licence to supply gas at a free price issued to the subsidiary of Russia's Gazprom, Gazprom Sbyt Ukraina, the commission's resolution No 547 of April 24 2008 states. Gazprom and the state oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny signed an agreement on March 12, according to which, starting from April 1 2008 Gazprom Sbyt Ukraina would annually supply at least 7.5bn cu.m. of gas to Ukraine's industrial consumers. More OUPSD bloc accuses Prime Minister of plotting with opposition KYIV, May 14: The propresidential Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence Bloc has said that the blocking of the parliamentary rostrum on May 13 by the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc resulted from a plot with the opposition Party of Regions aimed at amending the Constitution of Ukraine and that it was also caused by the Cabinet's inability to curb inflation. The OUPSD expressed bewilderment that the YTB had prevented President Viktor Yushchenko from making his annual address to Parliament, which was his constitutional duty, the bloc's press service said. "We think there are two reasons for doing this. First, the inability of the Cabinet's finance and economic bloc to tackle inflation; and second, a plot between the YTB and the Party of Regions aimed at amending the Constitution. Quite apart from the transfer of power to an unstable Parliament, this will threaten the very existence of Ukraine as an independent state," the statement said. More news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php Tymoshenko says energy company Vanco wants to resell Black Sea gas field KYIV, May 13: The US energy company Vanco is holding talks with Russia's Gazprom about the resale of its section of the Black Sea shelf, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said. She told a briefing in Kyiv that "talks on the resale of the shelf are being held now, with Gazprom participating." Tymoshenko said that the Ukrainian sector of the Black Sea contains up to 1.5 trillion cu.m. of gas, which is 30% of the country's energy resources. "The estimated value of this resource is 450bn dollars," Tymoshenko said. "This is the biggest treasure for safeguarding Ukraine's energy balance and security." Tymoshenko expressed surprise that the 12,960 sq.m. Kerch section of the Black Sea shelf "had been handed over to one company". "Ukraine is now deprived of the best, the most effective part of the Black Sea shelf," she said. More news Sun, 18 May 2008 09:11:47 +0300 http://ukraine-observer.com/index.php