Ukraine's Prime Minister Honcharuk was wiretapped at his meeting with the National Bank. who did that?

Photo: the National Bank of Ukraine

On January 15, 2020, the recordings of Prime Minister Honcharuk meeting Deputy Head of the National Bank Rozhkova and some other high officials were leaked. PM calling himself "incompetent in economics" and saying that "President has primitive understanding of economy" made headlines. Who was interested in that?

2020 Budget Draft by PM Honcharuk's Government - Zelenskyy's Team Show Their True Worth

Electing Zelenskyy President, Ukrainians had big expectations. He explicitly implied that corruption of Poroshenko's government was ruining lives of ordinary people. One of his mostly circulated bigboard slogans proclaimed "end of the poverty epoch". What did Ukrainians get instead?

August 29, the first sitting of Ukrainian Parliament: what happened?

On August 29, 2019, the first sitting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 9th convocation was held. As President Zelenskyy's "Servant of the People" party got the majority vote at the election on July 21, 2019, they became the stars of the day. But was it any good?

Presidency of Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Is His Party Under External Control?

We intentionally abstained from covering the results of the Presidential election right after the winner was announced. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s team was believed to be anti-establishment, we wanted to dig into the relations inside the team a bit deeper than the general knowledge.

Why Did Ukrainians vote for Zelenskyi?

On April 21, 2019, Ukraine elected its new President. However, are there many people actually supporting him?

What are details of embezzlement of the military equipment procurement for Ukrainian Army?

In October 2017, a journalist investigation on massive embezzlement in the defence industry was published. Some of the presented facts were known as early as in 2015, however, the general picture became clear in 2017 only. It was striking, to say the least. To procure the necessary military equipment and parts, numerous shell companies were used. They were operated by the families of state officials. A chain of companies was aimed not only to get the equipment quietly, but also to inflate its final price for the Ukrainian defence. The President's team managed to retort the corruption accusations by alleging that journalists wrecked a covert scheme of secret parts obtaining - as many countries are reluctant to sell arms to any country that is, in fact, at war.

Why does every post-Soviet country need lustration?

Communism had strong policy against any dissident: reeducation. If it did not work, then extermination. The society felt it and people eagerly introduced self-censorship. Even without direct order, they always realised what the party wanted them to do - and they did it.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156570804952410&set=a.10150373425752410&type=3&permPage=1

In 1990 multiple protests took place in then Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. People wanted freedom. People wanted independence. At the same time, young commies were building their career to reach the nomenclature top.
In 1990 Voronin, a student of the Institute of History, Taras Shevchenko University, criticised student that went on a hunger strike against the communist government.
Later he became a co-author of Dmytro Tabachnyk, a notorious pro-Russian historian and 2010-2014 Minister of Education. In Yanukovych times he got his civil servant post.

The lustration should have prevented such people from reaching any post in the government.



Story is based on the post by Vakhtang Kipiani: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156570804952410&set=a.10150373425752410&type=3&permPage=1

Opinion: What's wrong with the civil society in Ukraine?

Despite its own notoriety for corruption and nepotism, the Government is successful at assaulting the civil society in Ukraine. Why Ukrainian NGOs cannot find general support among citizens?

Can criticism of the Government be treated as the treason?

Alongside numerous other think tanks, Uqraine.com often criticises President Poroshenko and his Government.
The Presidential Administration demonstrates that any criticism is unacceptable for them labeling any critic as a "Russian agent".
Where is the truth?

Why Russia started blockade of the Sea of Azov

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Sea_map.png

Report on Eastern Ukraine war developments.

In August 2018 Russia de facto started blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov:
- to spread panic in Mariupol (Donetsk Oblast);
- to gain support for occupation of land between Donetsk & the Crimea;
- to cut any possible NATO Navy support;
- to undermine Ukraine's trade.

Why Return of Medvedchuk to the Ukrainian politics is so dangerous?

In his memoires, François Hollande, former president of France, writes that in Russia's war against Ukraine, Putin applies strategy of weakening Ukraine and expecting pro-Russians coming to the power.
Under certain circumstances, it may happen sooner than anyone would predict.
Viktor Medvedchuk comes back to the Ukrainian political stage.

Independence Day of Ukraine & Poroshenko's Agenda

Just before the 27th anniversary of proclamation of the Independence of Ukraine, Oleh Medvediev, leading political strategist of President Porosohenko's team, gave an interview revealing the reasons of Poroshenko's previous actions and his future plans.
Some of the ideas were simply astonishing.

"The language of war: Semiotic studies in UIF” by Halyna Yavorska

It is not for the first time that Ukrainian Institute for the Future organises an event arousing interest.
On the one hand, research in the field of war semiotics is particularly relevant for the current Ukrainian society. On the other hand, the National Institute for Strategic Studies is notorious for its sluggishness. Previously members of Uqraine.com think tank had unpleasant experience with Ukrainian Institute for the Future – mostly due to overstated expectations. However, we found some time to review their event one more time. It was “The language of war: Semiotic studies in UIF” by Halyna Yavorska, Doctor of Philological Sciences, the National Institute for Strategic Studies. The event was also supported by Crisis Semiotic Studios.

Current developments in Ukraine (June 2018)

Since early 2018, the team of Uqraine.com think tank focused its activities on several topical issues.

Having high expectations concerning the civil service reform, we assigned several people to participate in the competitions for the post at ministries. Unfortunately, not only it appeared to be a hoax, it happened to be a huge one. Without proper training, and which is worse, without required authorities, new staff is expected to elaborate reforms – but strictly within the scope of the Government’s Programme. The latter being vague and populist, the young reformers seem to be doomed.

On January 22, 1918, Ukraine Proclaimed its Independence

Ukraine celebrates its Independence on August 24. This is the date of 1991 proclamation which was part of the USSR dissolution.
But earlier in the 20th century, Ukraine also proclaimed its Independence. After the fall of the Tsarist Russian Empire and the Great October Revolution led by Lenin, the Government of Ukraine (then called the Ukrainian People's Republic) saw no more possibility to keep any ties with Russia and issued the 4th Universal proclaiming the Independence.

Why Corruption of Poroshenko's Government is Perceived So Painfully in Ukrainian Society?

Most Ukrainians will agree that corruption has long traditions in Ukraine - at least it has been a common tradition for several centuries already to give "a present" to an official as a gratitude for his/her service.
Why then the issue of corruption is that sharp today?

Report on Current Political Situation in Ukraine - September 2017

A list of major event shaping Ukrainian reality; analytics; forecast.

What War Inside Ukraine Is Really About

What does Ukraine fight for? Is this arable land, industry of Luhansk and Donetsk, or resorts of the Crimea?

Widespread lack of understanding of the Russian aggression roots is a hugely important issue. Primitive analysts and shallow journalists pretend the war is about geopolitics, losing Soviet ties with Russia, cravings of the Russian-speakers etc.

Next Generation of Komsomol Simulates Reforms Devising, or How to Undermine Reforms in Ukraine

Civil society in Ukraine: instead of uniting field experts, NGOs play in "reforms" bringing no result to the country that struggles to #StopRussianAggression. Meanwhile President Poroshenko seems to be using this weak point to protect his own & his business partners' interests.

Most Ukrainian NGOs exist in their own ecosphere completely closed for the field professionals. Those NGOs create panel discussions, organise round tables - but their efforts are meaningless while there is no initiative to implement their groundwork.

Digest and Analysis of the Major War Events, Tragedies and Prospects in Ukraine in May 2017

May 2017 was a very strange month in eastern Ukraine war. The shelling of the Ukrainian Army positions intensified every other day. But some days were incredibly quiet. Yet the situation distinctly worsened after President of the USA Donald Trump had phone talk with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Due to the strange Russian tradition, the heaviest shelling took place May 9, 2017, when Russians celebrate their Victory in Europe Day.