12:14
4.4.2014
Lesya Orobets, the Verkhovna Rada lawmaker who last week decamped from Yulia Tymoshenko's Batkivshchyna, has teamed up with the Democratic Alliance party to form an electoral bloc ahead of city elections in Kyiv.
Orobets, who is running for mayor against the likes of Vitali Klitschko, said today she wants to create a new political model in Kyiv that can serve as template for the rest of Ukraine.
"That's why I decided to join forces with the Democratic Alliance," she said. "They've been demonstrating new standards and approaches to politics for a long time."
Orobets is 31; the heads of Democratic Alliance, Vasyl Hatsko & Viktor Andrusiv, are 31 and 30. All three played an active role in the Euromaidan protests. During and since, Democratic Alliance has been harshly critical of "establishment" opposition figures like Klitschko and Batkivshchyna's own Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who they say have failed to represent, or even understand, the interests of the public.
Elections for mayor and the 120-seat Kyiv City Council will be held together with the presidential vote on May 25.
12:36
4.4.2014
Excellent AP article pointing out that Crimea residents will no longer be able to take advantage of Ukraine's significant advances in public health policy -- like methadone clinics, which helped turned around Ukraine's record-high HIV infection rates for the first time in 2012.
Across the Black Sea peninsula, some 800 heroin addicts and other needle-drug users take part in methadone programs — seen as an important part of efforts to curb HIV infections by taking the patients away from hypodermic needles that can spread the AIDS-causing virus.
But Russia, which annexed Crimea in mid-March following a referendum held in the wake of Ukraine's political upheavals, bans methadone, claiming most supplies end up on the criminal market. The ban could undermine years of efforts to reduce the spread of AIDS in Crimea; some 12,000 of the region's 2 million people are HIV-positive, a 2012 UNICEF survey found.
Russia's official advice to addicts? Quit cold turkey. (Russia's HIV rates went up 11 percent in 2013.)
Across the Black Sea peninsula, some 800 heroin addicts and other needle-drug users take part in methadone programs — seen as an important part of efforts to curb HIV infections by taking the patients away from hypodermic needles that can spread the AIDS-causing virus.
But Russia, which annexed Crimea in mid-March following a referendum held in the wake of Ukraine's political upheavals, bans methadone, claiming most supplies end up on the criminal market. The ban could undermine years of efforts to reduce the spread of AIDS in Crimea; some 12,000 of the region's 2 million people are HIV-positive, a 2012 UNICEF survey found.
Russia's official advice to addicts? Quit cold turkey. (Russia's HIV rates went up 11 percent in 2013.)
12:50
4.4.2014
European Union ministers say the bloc must stay ready to impose more sanctions against Russia over its seizure of Crimea, but now is not the time for further measures. Speaking at an informal EU foreign ministers meeting in Greece, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said “Europe must not relax.” He described the situation as still “very dangerous” because Russia continues to have thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border and has made only a “token,” or symbolic, withdrawal. However, Hague said it was not yet time for the EU to impose sanctions targeting Russia’s economy. Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans also said the situation remains tense, but cautioned against imposing new sanctions now. The EU and the United States last month imposed sanctions targeting Russian individuals over the Crimea annexation.
13:09
4.4.2014
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service spoke to shoppers in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv who are boycotting Russian products amid tensions over Moscow's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.
13:38
4.4.2014
14:08
4.4.2014
It's been a while since we've heard from Dmytro Bulatov, the Automaidan activist who was kidnapped and brutally tortured in January.
Now the interim government's Minister of Youth and Sport, Bulatov met with hockey enthusiasts, parents, and local officials on April 3 for a touchy conversation on the future of one of Kyiv's most hallowed sports halls -- the Vanguard complex, one of the best Soviet-era sports facilities and the training ground for world hockey greats Alexei Zhitnik, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Dmitri Khristich.
The complex, badly in need of reconstruction, was mired in allegations of fraud and mismanagement under the Viktor Yanukovych regime. But Bulatov promised to resurrect the complex, and to do so with public input. He urged the sometimes testy crowd to cooperate on delegating authority and thinking beyond personal interests.
When they objected, he shot back: "Everyone on Maidan was fighting so that people would have the right to make decisions. Now you're telling me, 'You're the minister, make the decisions yourself.' Tell me please, where's the logic?"
14:11
4.4.2014
No football diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia. From our news desk:
A football friendly between Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Kyiv has been cancelled due to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The match had been scheduled for July 24 to inaugurate the Russian team's new stadium in Moscow's Tushino district.
Spartak Moscow said on its website Friday that cancelling the match was a joint decision by the two clubs.
The website said Spartak will announce later which club it will play in the inaugural game.
Dynamo Kyiv's president was quoted as saying in March it would be inappropriate to play the Russian club amid high tensions between the two countries.
Pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted during mass protests in February, and Russia responded by seizing Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
The match had been scheduled for July 24 to inaugurate the Russian team's new stadium in Moscow's Tushino district.
Spartak Moscow said on its website Friday that cancelling the match was a joint decision by the two clubs.
The website said Spartak will announce later which club it will play in the inaugural game.
Dynamo Kyiv's president was quoted as saying in March it would be inappropriate to play the Russian club amid high tensions between the two countries.
Pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted during mass protests in February, and Russia responded by seizing Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
14:15
4.4.2014
Via Reuters and UNIAN. Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says Ukraine has been holding "emergency" talks with neighboring European countries on the possibility of importing natural gas from the West.
The talks were being held after Russia announced steep hikes in the price Ukraine must pay for Russian gas.
Moscow raised its gas tariff for Ukraine twice this week, almost doubling it in three days.
Yatsenyuk said Friday the talks were exploring the possibility that Ukraine could receive "reverse" flows of gas from EU countries, such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland.
Yatsenyuk has condemend the Russian price hikes as a "political" punishment of Ukraine following the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February.
Ukraine relies on Russia for 50 percent of its gas needs, and also acts as a transit country for Russian supplies to the EU.
Moscow raised its gas tariff for Ukraine twice this week, almost doubling it in three days.
Yatsenyuk said Friday the talks were exploring the possibility that Ukraine could receive "reverse" flows of gas from EU countries, such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland.
Yatsenyuk has condemend the Russian price hikes as a "political" punishment of Ukraine following the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February.
Ukraine relies on Russia for 50 percent of its gas needs, and also acts as a transit country for Russian supplies to the EU.
14:20
4.4.2014
Ukrainian Navy cadets in the Crimean port of Sevastopol today held a formal ceremony of depature before leaving the Black Sea peninsula for Odesa.
Roughly 120 cadets, all students at the city's famed Nakhimov Higher Naval Institute, have opted to leave the school following Russia's military annexation of Crimea. Moscow plans to reopen the school as a Russian institution and gave Ukrainian cadets the option of staying. Many chose to leave, and will continue their studies at the Odesa National Maritime Academy.
Belgian photographer Julie David De Lossy spent time with the Sevastopol cadets in 2012.
You can see a gallery of her photos here:
14:27
4.4.2014
From the news desk:
The United Nations’ special rapporteur on minority issues has announced a visit to Ukraine to investigate the concerns of the country’s minority communities.
Rita Izsak is expected to visit from April 7-13. In a written statement, the Hungarian expert said she intends to “consult widely with national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities to hear first-hand their issues and concerns.”
She said recent developments in Ukraine “make an impartial assessment of the actual situation on the ground essential.”
Izsak is expected to visit Kyiv, Uzhgorod, Odessa, and Donetsk. The statement said she has also requested access to Crimea, which is under Russian control.
Since the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russia’s annexation of Crimea, concerns have been raised about possible threats faced by Ukraine’s ethnic minorities.
Rita Izsak is expected to visit from April 7-13. In a written statement, the Hungarian expert said she intends to “consult widely with national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities to hear first-hand their issues and concerns.”
She said recent developments in Ukraine “make an impartial assessment of the actual situation on the ground essential.”
Izsak is expected to visit Kyiv, Uzhgorod, Odessa, and Donetsk. The statement said she has also requested access to Crimea, which is under Russian control.
Since the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russia’s annexation of Crimea, concerns have been raised about possible threats faced by Ukraine’s ethnic minorities.