Alyona Getmanchuk

A Ukrainian court’s conviction of Yulia Tymoshenko on charges of abusing her powers when she signed natural-gas contracts with Russia in 2009, when she was the prime minister, is not necessarily proof that she actually committed a crime.

Nobody, except perhaps President Viktor Yanukovich and his inner circle, really believes in the independence of the Ukrainian judiciary. In fact, this case can be viewed as a new chapter in Ukrainian politics — criminal prosecution for political motives.

Yanukovich had two such motives. First was to get rid of an opposition leader whose presence in the political arena has been a source of acute discomfort for him since the days of the Orange Revolution.…  Seguir leyendo »

In Wednesday’s IHT, two former American ambassadors to Kiev argued that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich’s goal of integrating his country into the European Union was being undercut by his undemocratic actions. Alyona Getmanchuk, director of the Institute of World Policy in Kiev, joins the discussion.

After the first year of Viktor Yanukovich’s presidential term, it is possible to get the impression that Ukraine has been divided in two.

One Ukraine is the one presented by the president and his supporters. This Ukraine is politically stable, and economic reforms are at full speed ahead. The campaign against corruption is among the most effective in the world.…  Seguir leyendo »

While Europeans are talking about how Ukraine has been “swallowed” by Russia, Hillary Clinton is making her first visit to Kiev as secretary of state. Her European tour will also include visits to Poland, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Some European experts might view Clinton’s visit as one to victims of the Russian-American “reset” (Poland, Georgia) or the Armenian-Turkish “reset” (Azerbaijan).

But not everything is as it might have seemed even a half year ago. Ukraine is a different country than it was during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit last year, and even during President Viktor Yanukovich’s visit to Washington in early April.…  Seguir leyendo »