Presidential chief of staff Viktor Baloha last week led a breakaway faction from the Our Ukraine party in an apparent bid to open a new front in the power struggle between President Viktor Yushchenko and his erstwhile Orange ally PM Yulia Tymoshenko. Baloha’s decision to unilaterally move against the alliance that formed the bedrock of the Orange parties’ 2007 election campaign is one more example of the contempt he and many Ukrainian politicians display for public opinion and the will of the electorate More

President Viktor Yushchenko visited his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy last week to discuss a new French blueprint for an Association Agreement which could pave the way for greater Ukrainian EU integration, with Paris said to be keen on pushing the pact’s political chapter through at an EU-Ukraine summit planned for September, when France will hold the rotating EU presidency More

Next Sunday Vladimir Putin will hand the Russian presidency over to his anointed successor and take up his seat behind the throne as prime minister and de facto national leader. Critiques of his eight years in office will inevitably focus on the march towards authoritarianism and restoration of Russian national pride, but any objective history of his reign will also credit Putin as the Kremlin leader who lost Ukraine More

Kosovo’s declaration of independence has caused a storm of controversy, with many countries wondering if the same numerical logic could eventually be used against them. Ethnically diverse Ukraine is high on the list nations to have responded with caution to the dangerous precedent being set in the Balkans Subscribe

Ukraine is attracting record levels of foreign investment, making progress in its EU integration bid and posting impressive economic grow stats, but the country remains saddled with a judiciary undermined by allegations of corruption. Will the new Orange coalition be willing and able to reform what is one of Ukraine’s most troubling sectors? More

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko tried to put a positive spin on her Moscow summit last week, but the visit failed to clear up doubts over a range of energy issues including gas trade middlemen and Ukraine’s Gazprom debt Subscribe

Veteran lawyer Oleg Makarov of Vasil Kisil & Partners has been at the forefront of the Ukrainian legal industry since independence in 1991. He believes that while courthouse corruption remains an endemic problem, Ukrainian law firms have nevertheless managed to keep pace with their international rivals over the past 17 years and now stand poised to play a leading role in the globalisation of the domestic economy Subscribe

All clients insist on quality legal support, but when it comes to rates and legal fees, they may express some consternation, particularly in developing markets. A client may ask, “Why should I pay several hundred dollars per hour in a country where the average monthly salary is nearly the same?” It is therefore crucial, for clarity and the satisfaction of both parties, that a legal relationship begins with a discussion of fees Subscribe

Given the large number of Ukrainian firms acquired by foreign investors, it comes as no surprise that the legal framework is tested regularly. Common practice with regard to purchasing large stakes for ownership as opposed to playing the stock market includes the conditions necessary for actually buying, selling and handling the corporate formalities and paperwork. However, both parties at some point have to face state regulatory bodies in order to obtain the permits and solutions required to accomplish their goals Subscribe

Ukraine’s recent WTO breakthrough is the latest positive signal for investors and offers an opportunity to increase foreign investment influx to the country. However, it should be noted that because of an imperfect and inconsistent legal framework, the absence of the practical usage of legal alterations, political instability, and the insecurity of shareholders’ rights, there are considerably increased risks related to doing business in Ukraine. Simply put, one needs local expert advice if investing in Ukraine Subscribe

Ukraine’s real estate climate may seem a little chilly if not cold to the foreign investor due to certain legal restrictions, especially when contrasted with the country’s western neighbours. But the last couple of years have seen some thawing in the investment atmosphere and growth in opportunities for investors to enter the market and prosper, especially in terms of new development projects Subscribe