Early elections were designed to oust Kyiv’s mayor, but he may yet have the last laugh More

Tymoshenko risks over-exposure as she goes centre-stage again in the mayoral elections More

International allies rally round Ukraine as Russian rhetoric raises regional tension More

It’s time to move on from 15 years of constant constitutional instability Subscribe

Reform of the regulations governing land sales hindered by political in-fighting Subscribe

Council of Europe figure offers Tymoshenko government a helping hand More

Women aren’t just dominating politics - they also outnumber men in the workplace More

US Ambassador William B. Taylor assesses Ukraine’s NATO bid in the wake of Bucharest Subscribe

Russia’s increasingly visible contempt for Ukrainian statehood should unite Europe More

Parliamentarians take an uncharacteristically united stance on ratifying WTO membership More

Latest rift within the Orange coalition will see the two blocs compete for the capital Subscribe

Orange ties to Kuchma era strongman Viktor Medvedchuk remain strong Subscribe

Family ties seem to be helping Ukraine’s politicians avoid financial transparency Subscribe

Ukraine’s EU ambitions undermined by disappointment with recent arrivals Subscribe

Orange envy and in-fighting could cost the coalition Kyiv - and a lot more besides More

Price rise fears stoked as IMF forecasts annual inflation at 20-22% for 2008 More

Kyiv Mayor’s election chances strengthened by lack of single Orange candidate More

NATO summit sidesteps definitive Ukraine decision but offers clear commitment Subscribe

Despite its size and strategic importance, Ukraine’s destiny has often been decided by others Subscribe

Free trade zone negotiations underline the EU’s status as Ukraine’s leading trade partner Subscribe

Ukraine’s NATO fate will be decided in Brussels, Berlin and Moscow, not Kyiv More

Anxieties over currency stability prove ungrounded as greenback rallies More

Bush visit and NATO summit promise to clarify Ukraine’s geopolitical position Subscribe

Ukraine’s environment under threat from industrial waste, household refuse and traffic pollution Subscribe

Ukraine’s bid for NATO MAP splitting regional opinion and exposing historic divides Subscribe

Spring is here again in Ukraine and it’s time for yet another election campaign. With snap elections to elect the new mayor of Kyiv on the horizon, it will soon be time to dig out flags, dust off banners and head to your local political rally. What was once a season synonymous in Ukraine with an explosion of greenery and mini-skirts has in recent years become the traditional start of the electioneering season, a shift which reflects an enthusiasm for democracy that not everyone might share but which is nonetheless changing the way the governing and the governed interact in today’s Ukraine More

One feature of Yulia Tymoshenko’s second premiership has been the quick rise of petroleum prices. Similar price rises occurred in her first her term as well, causing Tymoshenko to accuse oil product traders of collusion and to attempt to get the situation under control through tough administrative methods. Nevertheless, this time the Prime Minister is not so rigid and along with requests to examine traders’ actions, Tymoshenko is trying to improve the situation through negotiations More

Three years ago Yulia Tymoshenko burst onto the world scene as the improbably attractive and iconic hero of the Orange Revolution. She has since lost office spectacularly and seen her international profile drop almost from view before returning to power on a wave of popular support. As she approaches the hundred day mark of her new administration, just what does the rest of the world think about Ukraine’s remarkable PM? More

Ukraine’s spring political season will open with another round of unscheduled elections. This time, Kyiv’s mayoral office and legislative seats are all up for grabs following a vote by parliament to call snap city elections in the Ukrainian capital Subscribe

Next week will see Yulia Tymoshenko pass the hundred day mark since she was theatrically voted in as Prime Minister last December. Since returning to office the fiery reformer has thrown herself into a programme of social spending and anti-corruption measures that has jolted the country out of its political slumber and now threatens to provide new impetus to the Orange ambitions first given voice during the 2004 revolution which she helped lead More

The latest stage of the rumbling gas wars between Russia and Ukraine seems to be over, and for once Ukraine appears to have come out on top. On March 12, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko oversaw the signing of a new agreement between the Russian gas monopolist Gasprom and Ukraine’s national gas company, which kept the price for Russian gas well below market levels and paved the way for the removal of murky intermediaries which Tymoshenko has long campaigned for More

Ukraine is fast becoming world-famous for the beauty and elegance of its well-dressed ladies, and the arrival of spring traditionally means even more fashion shows and catwalk cascades than usual across the country as the latest batch of young designers and established big-name stars tout their collections. However, while globally recognised designer labels continue to dominate at street level, more and more discerning Ukrainians are dressing in creations by domestic designers as the local fashion industry transforms itself from housewife’s hobby into a multi-million dollar business Subscribe

President Yushchenko last week announced plans to mark next year’s 350th anniversary of the Cossack victory at the Battle of Konotop with a string of commemorative events. This latest example of the President’s passion for Ukraine’s forgotten history is particularly poignant as the victory in question came against a huge invading Russian army and yet remains a largely unknown event, highlighting the role played over the centuries by Kremlin censorship in preventing Ukrainians from exploring their own history Subscribe

The rumbling conflict between Yushchenko and Tymoshenko finally went public last week in spectacular fashion as the two traded insults and accusations over the handling of the gas row with Russia. As a result the President now finds himself at a crossroads in his political career. He risks losing his reputation as a champion of democratic values if he pursues a policy of employing constitutional loopholes and nouveau-Soviet administrative resources in his bid to oust his erstwhile ally More

After more than a month of continuous blockades and numerous negotiations over Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, the Ukrainian parliament returned to work March 6. A reluctance to face new elections was widely credited with having helped persuade opposition deputies to reach a compromise which nevertheless appears to mean that the country’s NATO membership plans will be shelved once more More

The Cold War between the government of Yulia Tymoshenko and Yushchenko’s Presidential Administration heated up last week with speculation mounting that a breakaway faction led by Yushchenko’s chief of staff Viktor Baloha would attempt to initiate a vote of no confidence in parliament as part of a bid to remove Tymoshenko from office Subscribe

World Tuberculosis Day will be observed this year on March 24. That might seem to have little to do with Ukraine’s development efforts, but the connection is real and will become more evident over time Subscribe

Since independence millions of Ukrainians have left their homeland in search of a better future in the EU. The number of people who migrate for better job opportunities abroad has been falling in recent years, but the question remains as to how many might leave if and when Ukraine finally gains membership of the Union Subscribe

Last week saw yet another round of Russian-Ukrainian energy debt accusations and cut-off threats, producing the latest flurry of “Gas War” headlines in the international press. Russia’s repeated use of the self-same energy weapon has succeeded in dividing successive Ukrainian governments, with those in power seemingly unable to take the final step away from the Russian embrace and switch to a transparent, market-oriented relationship. Isn’t it time to start paying world prices and disarm Russia’s energy arsenal once and for all? More

Ukrainian officials secured a financial boost from European financial institutions last week to help finance the improvement and modernisation of the domestic power sector. The four-stage project will involve a EUR 300 million loan and help facilitate better energy distribution throughout the country, allowing Ukraine to get the most out of its domestic power-generating potential More

The Economics Ministry unveiled plans last week for a special economic zone on Snake Island in the Black Sea. The move is part of an on-going dispute between Ukraine and Romania over the demarcation line between the territorial waters of the two countries, with the tiny island playing the role of Ukraine’s ambitious frontier outpost More

With a new government in power in Kyiv and the presidential election campaign gaining pace in America, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US Oleh Shamshur discusses the possible implications for bilateral relations and assesses the potential impact of Ukraine’s WTO and NATO membership bids Subscribe

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

After years of alternating between flirtation and hesitancy, the European Union is showing signs that it is finally ready to adopt a far more direct approach towards Ukraine. Considering the huge strides made by Kyiv in the field of democracy-building since 2004, warmer relations are more than justified and may end up providing the EU with its greatest triumph yet More

The privatisation of Odessa Port Plant (OPP) is again under threat of failure. Despite widespread interest in acquiring the plant, the enterprise remains at the centre of a political struggle, with the State Property Fund (SPF) postponing announcement of the hotly-anticipated tender More

This week will see Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Hryhoriy Nemyria welcome a high-level European Commission delegation to Kyiv for the formal beginning of negotiations on a Deep Free Trade Area (DFTA) agreement. After the success of the recent WTO membership talks, is Ukraine finally ready to take relations with the EU to a new level? More

Last week saw former Minister of Transport Mykola Rudkovskiy turn up at a Kyiv courthouse in a wheelchair to face charges of embezzling state funds. The usually robust Rudkovskiy is the latest in a long line of Ukrainian political figures to fall suddenly ill when faced with the prospect of being investigated over corruption allegations More

Ethnic tensions grew in Ukraine’s semi-autonomous Crimean region grew last week following an act of mass vandalism which saw over two hundred Crimean Tatar gravestones destroyed. The attack appears to have been calculated to provoke an escalation in the stand-off between the peninsula’s minority Muslim Tatar and majority Christian Slavic populations Subscribe

Kyiv City Administration has announced plans to change the face of the Ukrainian capital over the next few years. Responding to President Viktor Yushchenko’s proddings, Kyiv city hall has turned its attention to improving Kyiv’s infrastructure and making the Ukrainian capital a model of urban planning Subscribe

President Yushchenko was in Moscow last week for crucial talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine’s gas debt, energy trade middlemen and Kyiv’s NATO ambitions. While the talks ended in apparent compromise, the absence of detail left observers unsure of exactly what had been agreed Subscribe

This month President Yushchenko and Prime Minister Tymoshenko will travel separately to Moscow for energy talks, with Russia threatening more cut-offs and price hikes if Ukraine dares follow through on threats to cut murky middlemen out of the trade and raise transit tariffs. The outcome of the 2009 presidential campaign may hinge on whether Ukraine’s two rival Orange leaders can put aside their energy policy differences and maintain a united front More

Valentyna Semenyuk appeared to be heading out of office last week following a move by the new government to replace her as head of the State Property Fund with a loyalist committed to the ambitious Tymoshenko privatisation programme. However, Semenyuk received a reprieve in the form of a Presidential decree as Viktor Yushchenko moved to reassert his authority over his erstwhile Orange ally as the power struggle between the two entered a new phase More

Ukraine’s film industry all but collapsed after independence but the recent improvement in the political and economic climate has led to a relative boom in the industry over the last few years and Ukraine is now emerging as a unique and inexpensive, place to make movies Subscribe

Whoever takes George Bush’s place in the White House following the US presidential elections later this year, the odds are that they will continue to build ever-closer relations with Ukraine. Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama have all visited the country and each has shown personal interest in strengthening US-Ukrainian engagement Subscribe

Ukraine received a yellow card from UEFA in late January over the slow progress in preparing the country ahead of Euro 2012, with a growing number of rivals lining up to replace Ukraine as host nation. The next six months will be crucial in determining whether Kyiv officials can cut through the bureaucracy, with news of a solution to the Olympic Stadium crisis offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise depressing situation Subscribe

The return of Yulia Tymoshenko to power has not been greeted with the kind of international fanfare accorded the Orange Revolution three years earlier, but nevertheless there is reason to believe that an equally great political watershed may have been reached More

Huge queues of heavy goods lorries have stretched along both sides of the Ukrainian-Polish border for the past two weeks as a Polish customs workers’ labour dispute threatens to throttle Ukraine’s lucrative transit trade More

Yulia Tymoshenko’s late January visit to Brussels, where she met with high-level officials from the European Union, the European Parliament and NATO, has changed international perceptions of Ukraine. It is now Tymoshenko – not Viktor Yushchenko – who is seen by Brussels and Washington as carrying the torch and the hopes of the Orange Revolution More

The battle for the soul of Ukraine is currently being fought on many fronts, from the political arena to the country’s classrooms and universities. As passions have flared in the past few years the debate has generated a number of new monuments to the most controversial figures in Ukrainian history – and the trend looks set to continue in 2008 More

As UEFA officials expressed concern over the lack of progress in Euro 2012 preparations by co-hosts Ukraine and Poland last week, German footballing legend Franz Beckenbauer opened up a public discussion on potential alternative venues for the championships when he stated: “If Germany is asked it would surely be ready. The infrastructure is perfect.” Subscribe

The arrest of alleged Russian mafia figure Semyon Mogilevich on the streets of Moscow in late January made headlines globally. It also provoked a string of denials from the key figure in Ukraine’s energy dealings with Russia and thrust the activities of energy trade intermediary RosUkrEnergo into the spotlight once again Subscribe

The Ukrainian government seems to be making progress on the three major pillars of its westward integration strategy: entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and further economic integration with the EU. This push has been largely down to the unified front among political leaders in Kyiv, bringing to an end the often contradictory and confusing policies of the past few years Subscribe

Ukraine’s recent application to join the NATO Membership Action Plan has provoked a new round of threats and indignation from the Kremlin. It would be ironic but certainly not unprecedented if Ukraine’s largely uninterested population were driven into the NATO camp by the arrogant posturing of Moscow and the rhetoric of Ukraine’s Russophile minority More

President Yushchenko used his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week to urge international players to invest in Ukrainian energy sector in what was the latest attempt to arrange alternatives to Russia’s regional energy stranglehold More

The Tymoshenko government has begun the New Year with a flurry of activity, but as attention focuses on the ruling Orange coalition, one question is being increasingly asked around Kyiv - where is Yanukovych? His current low profile has fuelled rumours of a rift within the Party of Regions and led to speculation that we could be about to witness a major political shift in the industrial heartlands of the east More

The fragility of democracy has been on brutal display in recent weeks. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan and the violent riots and contested election in Kenya have tempered hopes for progress in these two countries and both scenarios highlight the threats posed to the global current democracy-building process and appear to support the need for civilised handovers of power in transition countries like Ukraine Subscribe

The December enlargement of the Schengen zone to include the bulk of the European Union’s new former Eastern Bloc member states has created the largest single, unified border on the continent’s history and made Ukraine the EU’s major border partner. Fears are rising that the appeal of visa-free travel across Europe will lead to a rise in people-trafficking and illegal immigration via Ukraine’s infamously porous frontiers Subscribe

Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko literally hit the headlines last week after news leaked out that he had allegedly punched Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetskiy at an official meeting. This latest scuffle between members of the elite has led to renewed demands that state officials behave in a manner more befitting their status Subscribe

In the past two years the Ukrainian warehouse storage market has seen huge growth in the number of high-quality facilities on offer, but the sector is still far from capacity. The major stumbling block to further exponential growth now appears to be the absence of land reform legislation needed to free up strategically located land plots Subscribe

With its free press, engaged electorate and thriving civil society, Ukraine is starting to look more and more like a functioning modern European democracy. The weakest link in the chain now appears to be Ukraine’s parliament, where rampant corruption and brutish tactics continue to overshadow the progress being made by the rest of the country More

Last Wednesday the European Union signed a ground-breaking agreement with Ukraine that is expected to give the green light for the country to join the World Trade Organisation, a move that could also pave the way for a comprehensive free trade accord between Kyiv with the EU More

The rising numbers of traffic police dotting Ukraine’s towns and cities has been the subject of heated debate in recent weeks as efforts to clean up the force and reduce accidents on the country’s deadly roads gather pace. Will the new administration be able to score a public victory to bolster the cause of reform, or will the experiment end in stalemate and frustration, as similar attempts did in 2005? More

Democracies periodically hold elections, but only on occasion do they become special elections which usher in genuine change. Elections associated with a widespread public embrace of the need for change can prove to be revolutionary in their consequences, but only when politicians show the will to follow through on their campaign promises. Yushchenko’s political legacy will now depend on his ability to cooperate with the reform drive of the Tymoshenko government Subscribe

Protests were held in western Ukraine last week over a tough new visa regime introduced by Poland which will make effectively it harder for those living close to the border to continue moving freely between the two countries. The demonstrations come as officials in Kyiv attempt to negotiate a new deal which would ease fears over the new barriers Ukrainians face when travelling in the newly-expanded Schengen zone Subscribe

Last week’s row over the British Council’s operations in regional Russian cities provoked the latest Kremlin outburst against perceived Western arrogance, illustrating yet again both Russia’s historical insecurities and its continued readiness to use foreign enemies as totems in order to galvanise domestic support for the regime Subscribe

Former Dynamo Kyiv trainer Oleksiy Mikhailichenko was named new national football coach last week, maintaining a stultifying tradition of reliance on Dynamo loyalists who served under Ukraine’s great tactician Valeriy Lobanovskiy. As a result a mere handful of personalities have dominated the top coaching positions in the sport for the past decade, spreading inertia and thwarting the emergence of a new generation of Ukrainian coaching talent Subscribe

Ukraine switched to a parliamentary-presidential system in early 2006 following changes to the constitution agreed to at the height of the Orange Revolution. However, after months of political conflict focusing on the constitution, the document is about to come under the microscope once more as part of a reform process that may see the country’s political system changed once more, with power swinging back away from parliament towards the presidency Subscribe

The President recently proposed that parliament forego its annual winter holidays and work on throughout January. While the move is unlikely to be popular with politicians, it would certainly be a step in the right direction More

The new government began the New Year attempting to implement its campaign pledge to return the Soviet-era savings which Ukrainians lost after the 1991 collapse, but will its efforts prove enough to appease voters and silence the many detractors who labelled the proposition wholly unrealistic? More

Can the return of Yulia Tymoshenko to government in Kyiv pave the way for better relations with Russia, or will the two countries’ iconic political leaders clash once more? More

Three years after mass street protests brought down a corrupt regime, progress in the fight for justice and equality before the law remains almost non-existent. Can Yulia Tymoshenko’s new government finally make an impact on the tangled web of institutional corruption that continues to dog Ukraine? Subscribe

Ukraine’s new Orange coalition government took power in mid-December, with a cabinet composed of appointees of the ruling BYUT and Our Ukraine/People’s Self-Defence blocs Subscribe

One of Ukraine’s most remarkable cultural treasures and unlikely tourist attractions was under threat last week after the Israeli government announced plans to try and secure the removal of an important Jewish tomb in central Ukraine to Israel Subscribe

Ukraine is gripped by Europe’s worst AIDS outbreak, but corruption among the state bodies charged with leading the fight against the epidemic is suspected of hindering efforts to stem the tide Subscribe

As a year of political chaos and crises draws to a close, Yulia Tymoshenko appears to hold all the trump cards. In 2007 she was able to lobby successfully for new elections and then triumph at the polls, confirming her status as the early favourite for the 2009 presidency and continued dominance of the Orange camp. The question now is whether she can translate these gains into a firm grip on government More

2007 proved a year of political earthquakes and constitutional ambiguities, with the country’s institutional framework often struggling to function under the burden of competing pressures applied by warring political factions. However, amid all the stage-managed protests, bribery allegations and judicial deadlock there are signs that a more mature democratic culture might finally be taking root in Ukraine More

Thousands head to Kyiv for stage-managed protests as Yushchenko disbands parliament, but Ukraine wins the right to co-host Euro 2012 Subscribe

The renewed Orange coalition installs their speaker but fails at the first attempt to have Tymoshenko elected PM Subscribe

Tymoshenko visits America to call on the democratic world’s support for new parliamentary elections, while in Kyiv the real estate boom finally peaks Subscribe

The battle of the “Two Viktors” intensifies, while controversial new energy regulations place a strain on much-needed energy sector foreign investment Subscribe

The public slaying of a suspected mobster with ties to Yanukovych raises fears of a return to banditry, while defections in parliament threaten to provoke a constitutional crisis Subscribe

A last-minute compromise deal sets elections for September and rescues Ukraine from the brink, resolving months of deadlock Subscribe

Ukraine mourns worst ever mining disaster and remembers the victims of Stalin’s genocide, while talks eventually produce renewed Orange coalition Subscribe

Huge electoral gains place Tymoshenko in the coalition driving seat but talks drag on all month, while a land grab scandal engulfs Kyiv’s mayor Subscribe

The election campaign dominates the headlines as Tymoshenko marches east in a bid to steal a portion of Yanukovych’s core vote Subscribe

A phosphorus spill following a train crash in western Ukraine causes panic, UMC rebrands to MTS and summer ends with the election campaign gradually gathers pace Subscribe

The chances of a renewed Orange coalition succeeding now appear to rest almost entirely on the ability of Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko to co-operate. Alternatively, any deterioration in their smouldering love/hate relationship could spell the end for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions More

Scuffles broke out in the Ukrainian parliament last week as PMs fought over the election of the new session’s parliamentary speaker. Attempts to block the vote ultimately failed, and the election of leading Orange coalition figure Arseniy Yatsenyuk as speaker makes the return of Yulia Tymoshenko to the prime minister’s office appear increasingly likely More

Last weekend’s Russian parliamentary elections marked the final break with the lip service paid to democratic principles during the early Putin years. Will the international community now refrain from grouping the former Soviet republics together and acknowledge that the boundary between European democracy and Eurasian authoritarianism has moved eastwards to the border separating Ukraine and Russia? More

Almost two months after the country went to the polls in snap parliamentary elections, members of Ukraine’s two Orange parties finally signed a coalition agreement November 29, paving the way for the formation of a new government this week and a return to the prime minister’s office for Yulia Tymoshenko More

Ukraine looks set to absorb renewed price hikes for the natural gas it receives from Russia’s Gazprom in the new year, threatening to fuel further inflation and hit the country’s gas-reliant heavy industries hard Subscribe

Russia staged parliamentary elections last weekend as the first step in an elaborate plan to allow Vladimir Putin to remain effectively in control of the country following the end of his second term as president next year. What will this mean for relations with Ukraine? Subscribe

The worsening bilateral relations between Kyiv and Moscow over the past three years have made life increasingly difficult for the millions of Ukrainians living and working in the Russian Federation, but with patience and a little intellect it is still possible to succeed north of the border Subscribe

Almost two months since Ukraine’s recent snap national election the members of the country’s new parliament finally gathered on November 23 to be sworn in as deputies, but the question of a future coalition government remains very much unresolved More

The Party of Regions has long based its election campaigns on promises of stability. However, the spoiling tactics consistently adopted by the party over the past seven months expose the hypocrisy of their stated commitment to stability for the threatening talk it really is More

Last week, Ukraine kicked off a year of planned events to mark the 75th anniversary of the 1932-33 Holodomor terror famine. With efforts increasing to have the famine recognised internationally as an act of genocide, there were also renewed calls for the Pulitzer Prize committee to posthumously strip Holodomor denier Walter Duranty of his award Subscribe

When Ivan Plushch attended a recent Shakhtar Donetsk football match his appearance fuelled a new round of rumours about a possible broad coalition between Our Ukraine rebels and the Party of Regions, reflecting the fact that the VIP enclosure at the Donetsk stadium is fast becoming one of the focuses of Ukrainian political life Subscribe

Ukrainian officials were faced with a long term ecological disaster last week when a storm sank or broke up a number of Russian oil tankers, sending thousands of tonnes of heavy fuel oil spilling into the sea in the region of the Kerch Straights, which separates Ukraine from Russia More

This weekend Kyiv will witness services in honour of the millions who perished in the 1932-33 Holodomor famine. However, the 3rd anniversary of the Orange Revolution looks set to pass by relatively unnoticed. Is there really nothing to celebrate? More

President Yushchenko has seen his popularity tumble since coming to power in 2005, but his efforts to gain recognition for the Holodomor both at home and abroad may well prove one of the enduring legacies of his presidency More

President Yushchenko last week launched a scathing attack on the heads of Ukraine’s traffic police as statistics highlighted the human cost of the country’s chaotic road network. Will proposals, including a hike in driver fines, prove effective? Subscribe

Ukraine is currently stuck in no man’s land. She no longer fits into Eurasia, but at the same time, Western policy makers, politicians, businessmen and journalists are reluctant to change decades of stereotypes to re-adjust their mental maps of Europe to include Ukraine. It is high time to recognise the country’s European credentials Subscribe

More than a month after Ukraine’s early parliamentary elections, the country is still waiting for the real work to begin. However, there are signs that when the curtain finally goes up on the new parliament, a fully functioning government may take centre stage More

Anyone who remains in any doubt as to the ability of Ukraine’s fledgling democracy to enforce the will of the electorate need only ask Oleksandr Moroz, who will surely confirm that it’s a force to be reckoned with More

Argentina’s new president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the latest high-flying politician to project a stylishly feminine public persona. From France’s Segolene Royal to Ukraine’s Yulia Tymoshenko, more and more women politicians are shunning the power suits and donning designer gear, but is this a sign of self-assurance or a return to old stereotypes? Subscribe

The EU has called on Ukraine to do more to prevent the spread of false travel documents that are being used to enable migrants to pass through the country and enter the European Union illegally Subscribe

Do you remember the recent film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ which stars a New York fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly played by Meryl Streep? Well, eat your heart out Meryl as you pale compared to Yulia Tymoshenko, who is quite simply Prada on steroids Subscribe

Ukraine’s claim to a small, sparsely inhabited island beyond the Danube estuary may hold the key to greater energy independence and a wealth of natural resources. The ruthless pursuit of this rocky outcrop illustrates the increasing strategic importance of Black Sea energy resources for countries throughout the region More

Crimea’s enormous international tourism potential has long been smothered by political uncertainties and competing local interests, but a deal struck last week to bring a top international hotel chain to the peninsula may mark the beginning of a new era for the Crimean tourist trade More

Ukraine’s complex cultural divide has been variously defined as linguistic, religious, geographical and historical in character. As far as the Russian Orthodox Church is concerned, it also depends of which Patriarchate you give your loyalty to Subscribe

For the past few years Poland has been Ukraine’s closest foreign ally and the most vocal advocate of Kyiv’s Euro-Atlantic integration. What will the recent change of government in Warsaw mean to this special relationship? Subscribe

The appearance of a self-proclaimed “neutral” tent settlement on Independence Square following on from the September 30 elections is the latest development in the evolution of Kyiv tent tactics, a form of people power protest that has become as Ukrainian as salo and borsch Subscribe

This year’s election’s could mark a crucial watershed in Ukraine’s history. But this depends on Viktor Yushchenko getting it right. And as events have shown since his election, this is where the problem lies Subscribe

For centuries Ukrainian nationhood was suppressed and even erased. Its renaissance over the past twenty years is to be broadly welcomed, but urgent action needs to be taken to rein in an extremist fringe which has interpreted this renewed sense of identity as license for appalling excesses More

With court battles now out of the way and a coalition agreement in place, Yulia Tymoshenko stands poised for a return to power. Can her bloc now scale the remaining hurdles, and once in office, what can we expect from a renewed Orange coalition? More

Russia’s progress towards democracy has been thrown into doubt by Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian management techniques. Can it survive his entry into parliament? Subscribe

As Ukraine prepares to usher in a new parliament, a spat at an oil refinery involving gangs of armed men highlights the energy woes the new government must confront Subscribe

President Yushchenko announced last week his intention to push for laws criminalising the denial of the Ukrainian Holodomor terror famine of the 1930s. This would be the latest step initiated by Yushchenko in addressing the crimes of the Soviet era, but it also threatens to infringe on freedom of speech Subscribe

Lviv is an ancient city with a history as a crossroads of international trade. Can it keep pace with the global economy of the new millennium? More

Russia is approaching what everyone expects will be yet another stage-managed farce of an election. Does that mean Russians are envious of Ukraine’s democratic breakthrough? Not at all, or at least the majority would never admit to it More

Official elections results released last week appeared to confirm the victory of the country’s Orange coalition, but a court challenge from the Communist Party is delaying the final publication of the vote count More

The death toll from a natural gas explosion that rocked an apartment building in Ukraine’s eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk has reached 23, including seven children, Ukrainian emergency officials conformed October 19, as work to clear the wreckage continued More

Lviv is at the fulcrum of growing cross-border trade with the EU and stands to benefit as Ukraine’s relations with Brussels improve Subscribe

Lviv is fast emerging as the country’s tourism hotspot, reflecting both the growth in popularity across Europe of city break holidays and the rising profile of post-Orange Ukraine Subscribe

Lviv is a city of paradoxes, famed for its multicultural old Europe roots and yet synonymous with inward-looking contemporary Ukrainian nationalism. However, the tourist potential of its unique bohemian charm coupled with its close proximity to the European Union are combining to give the city a new lease of life Subscribe

Ukrainians are viewing the Euro 2012 football championships as a chance to transform the nation. The ambitious plans of host city Lviv look set to change the capital of west Ukraine forever, but will they meet with wider European approval? Subscribe

The unveiling of a new monument to controversial nationalist idol Stepan Bandera in Lviv is just the latest example of the leading role the city plays in the revisionist trend at the root of Ukraine’s ideological divide Subscribe

Ukraine’s religious freedoms make it fertile ground for the world’s evangelical churches, and one American group is now offering business support as part of its efforts to win over potential converts Subscribe

Ukraine took a tentative step towards greater energy independence last week when the country signed a new five nation agreement committing them to an oil pipeline bypassing Russia More

As Ukraine edges closer to a new Orange coalition, members of the defeated Party of Regions must be wondering how long they can remain loyal to their controversial and nationally divisive leader More

Despite the political convulsions of the past three years, population figures released last week for 2007 registered the first positive balance between birth and death rates since independence. Experts caution that this is not the end of the country’s demographic crisis but merely some temporary relief More

As Ukraine waited for the official results of the September 30 elections to be announced, speculation grew of an imminent unveiling of an Orange coalition headed by Yulia Tymoshenko Subscribe

Even in a world as colourful as the Ukrainian political scene, Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetskiy stands out. His perceived eccentricity has earned him the popular nickname ‘Lyonia Cosmos’, but with a scandal over mass land giveaways threatening to engulf him and few political allies on the horizon, rumours are mounting that the capital’s top official is preparing to sell up and get out Subscribe

Russia and Ukraine were once considered almost indivisible by many, but the two countries are increasingly distancing themselves from one another. Nowhere is this more apparent than in attitudes towards the atrocities of the Stalin era Subscribe

Yulia Tymoshenko’s spectacular gains in last month’s elections have been interpreted as a sharp rebuke to the Party of Regions. They also represent a biting response from the electorate to the leadership of President Yushchenko, and offer him little choice but to commit himself to a new Orange coalition with Tymoshenko increasingly calling the shots Subscribe

A new Orange coalition, supported by a parliamentary majority, would be the first time Ukraine has a consolidated Orange power-base Subscribe

As a new Orange coalition government began to look increasingly likely last week, Russia’s Gazprom announced that unless Ukraine paid huge debts it had accumulated over the last eighteen months it would turn off gas supplies just as it did at the start of 2006 More

The President’s call for a broad political compromise among the country’s leading parties may sound admirable to outsiders, but to Ukrainians who have placed their faith in the democratic process it is little short of a kick in the teeth More

This week will see events marking the 65th anniversary of the founding of the WWII-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Today Ukraine remains deeply divided about the legacy of this controversial guerrilla force Subscribe

Coalition talks continued throughout last week among the parties to have made it into the new parliament, with opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko snubbing President Yushchenko’s surprise appeal for a compromise between her bloc and the Party of Regions Subscribe

Initial reactions from local and international observers on the preliminary results of Sunday’s vote were cautious but optimistic More

Preliminary reports suggest that Sunday’s snap elections passed off without the mass fraud many had predicted. It is now imperative that isolated vote rigging allegations are dealt with and a new coalition formed without delay More

Plans have been announced for major renovation works on Independence Square to take place in 2008. This will be the latest in a series of transformations of the famous Kyiv landmark that have mirrored the growing pains of independent Ukraine More

Dnipropetrovsk tycoon Viktor Pinchuk’s formation of a London-based holding company in preparation for an IPO is being widely viewed as a smart move that will see the former Interpipe Holding group go multinational More

Results stated are preliminary and based on data provided by the Ukrainian Central Election Commission at the time of going to press on Monday, October 1 at 1.00pm. Final results are expected to be announced within ten days. Subscribe

Over 25% of Ukrainians would be happy to leave the country and settle abroad, according to a national survey conducted in September. Those that do leave are finding life in the West better than ever before with its booming employment markets Subscribe

Despite a stronger than expected showing from Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko on Sunday, margins were tight and the final decision may well end up being made in the courts Subscribe

Ukraine’s fledgling democracy may be maturing, but the country’s politicians appear as keen as ever to buck the trend, as this selection of choice comments from the past two months of campaigning demonstrates Subscribe

With less than a week to go before Ukraine goes to the polls, there remains much muttering and resentment that an election is being held at all. There is, however, more cause for optimism than many believe More

Ukraine will receive approximately 3,000 international election observers, who will monitor the conduct of the poll across the country and stay on sharp lookout for fraud More

Ukrainian politicians are always sure to turn their attention to the agrarian sector when elections are near - albeit temporarily More

As Russia begins preparations for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, a heavyweight appointment from a strategic oil project indicates a strong commitment to the event More

Opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is in her strongest position since losing the premiership in 2005. We find out why she believes voters will back her come September 30 Subscribe

Cows engage in spoiling tactics / New helicopter twist / Billboards attack political ethics / The accidental politician? / Internet hackers enter campaign / Yushchenko’s ad campaign criticised Subscribe

Party of Regions leading light Yuriy Miroshnichenko discusses economic policy, relations with the EU and the threats posed to a fair vote on September 30 Subscribe

Last week the deal was struck for the Chornobyl Nuclear Plant to receive a new steel covering to finally seal it off from the outside world Subscribe

The election campaign of 2007, perhaps more than any other in Ukraine’s modern history, has seen voters inundated with promises and pledges. But can the rival parties meet their campaign commitments once in power? Subscribe

Pollsters are unanimous that the Party of Regions, BYUT and the Our Ukraine-Self-Defence Bloc will take the lion’s share of seats in the coming elections, but any fringe parties that manage to pass the 3% threshold could hold the keys to power in the new parliament Subscribe

Ukraine’s creative community has had a field day over the past three years with the country engulfed in populist politics, personality cults and the often infantile posturing of its fledgling party political classes Subscribe

The election campaign has yielded neither new faces nor particularly original ideas, but that is no reason to assume that the September 30 ballot will not transform the political landscape More

The Tymoshenko Bloc has gone on the offensive prior to the September 30 parliamentary vote and focused its election campaign on the core Yanukovych-supporting regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. But can this assault on the Party of Regions’ stronghold bridge the great Ukrainian divide? More

Yanukovych calls for record turnout / EU calls on election observers / Minister blasts NATO referendum plan / Accusations of supernatural tricks / Russia caves in to poison pressure Subscribe

Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and election rival Yulia Tymoshenko both offered up their visions of post-election relations with the international business community last week. Both promised closer relations with foreign investors but the audience saw little evidence of hard policies in the making Subscribe

Administrative abuses, vote-rigging allegations, vandalism and even violence are all threatening to plunge the elections into disrepute. Is Ukraine’s democracy strong enough to defend itself? More

After years of election campaigns run by Russian spin doctors, Ukraine’s parliamentary candidates are now increasingly looking to American spin doctors, with all three major front runners in the current election battle employing US campaign advisers Subscribe

President Yushchenko announced last week that the country has engaged three international agencies to improve its image abroad. It could prove a Herculean task Subscribe

Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions stand accused of everything from asset-grabbing, vote-rigging and media-muzzling to political poisoning, yet millions are preparing to vote for them in the forthcoming elections. Just what is underpinning the undeniable appeal of this self-styled party of power? Subscribe

A legally dubious session of the Verkhovna Rada last week raised doubts over the governing coalition’s commitment to elections and revealed signs that if results do not go its way, Ukraine could be in for more debilitating political deadlock Subscribe

Ukraine turned sixteen last month, yet the country seems perpetually trapped in an adolescent circle of argumentative historical posturing. Can Ukraine finally grow up and come to terms with its troubled past? More

A grand total of 4,755 candidates from 21 parties have now been registered for the September 30 vote Subscribe

Doubts over the government’s ability to fairly conduct privatisations resurfaced last week as critics alleged that Rinat Akhmetov bought an increased share in a state energy firm at below market price Subscribe

Viktor Prokopenko, the last surviving member of Ukrainian football’s ‘holy trinity’ of top coaches, passed away in August at the age of 62, leaving behind a thriving domestic football scene increasingly dominated by foreign managers and players Subscribe

The parliamentary election campaign was struck by more spoiling tactics last week as attempts were allegedly made to divide the Our Ukraine Bloc through the use of dubious legal loopholes Subscribe

As Ukraine’s parliamentary campaign reaches its half-way point, there are increasing concerns that some may not want a free and fair election More

Non-participation by the disillusioned masses in the elections could mean that their views end up unrepresented and their enemies in power More

Ever since the 2004 Orange Revolution the outside world has grown accustomed to viewing Ukraine as a bi-polar country divided more or less equally into Russian and Ukrainian speaking sides. Is this simplified understanding set to become outmoded? Subscribe

International hospitality companies are slowly improving service standards in Ukraine, but let’s face it - there’s a long way to go yet More

An OECD report states that Russia’s vast natural resources have fuelled its success, but Ukraine’s more balanced economy could yet win through More

The Orange camp’s promise to end politicians’ parliamentary immunity could turn out to be one of the biggest vote-winners in the election More

Putin’s vehement opposition to US missile defence in Europe is seeing Ukraine torn between its desire to grow defence links with the West and its close ties with Russia More

As two major members of the Orange camp form an alliance for the upcoming elections, the question now is how Yulia Tymoshenko will react to a new force that is likely to be competing for the same voters Subscribe

Early statements downplaying the severity of the July 16 phosporous spill lead to criticism of the authorities’ handling of the accident as Transport Minister is called upon to resign Subscribe

A toxic cloud of deadly phosphorous spreads across the countryside near Lviv after a train derailment, causing fears of widespread contamination More

As a result of years of government cover-ups and lies under the Soviet regime, Ukrainians are still apt to disbelieve the official version of anything. Bring on the conspiracy theories and urban legends! More

Even if the September elections go off without a hitch, will rushed legislative reforms be enough to ensure another long and painful aftermath? More

The steady flow of FDI and increased investment by existing players demonstrate that business isn’t worried by the political crisis Subscribe

Russia’s recent flexing of foreign policy muscle, most notably its withdrawal from the CFE arms treaty, have many commentators talking of a new Cold War emerging - so where does this leave Ukraine? Subscribe

The capital’s prodigious growth and development presents the danger that the rest of Ukraine could be forgotten and left behind More

As unconfirmed reports resurface of terrorist training camps operating in Crimea, the need to resolve long-standing historical conflicts on the peninsula is becoming ever more apparent More

Recent success in fundraising activities by Kyiv’s international business community are a welcome indicator that Ukraine is losing its cynicism towards charitable organisations More

Simplified visa requirements for Ukrainians entering the Schengen zone are hoped to come into force by the year end Subscribe

Official surveys and government data may show that the vast majority of Ukrainians are still far below EU levels of wealth, but increasing evidence on the streets continues to suggest otherwise More

Yushchenko proposes a two-chamber parliament and shorter governmental terms More

The latest agreement to hold elections on September 30 appears to be holding, but anything could - and probably will - happen More

The spread of HIV/AIDS in Ukraine could have profound economic effects More

Ukraine’s rate of HIV infection is already the worst in Europe, yet these official statistics could only be the tip of the iceberg as cultural taboos discourage many from testing or taking basic precautions More

As the real estate boom continues unabated, Kyiv’s green surroundings are in danger of disappearing forever. Is it necessary when there are so many derelict buildings and vacant plots in built-up areas? More

Last week saw the ongoing political crisis reach a new level of drama as both sides mobilised troops and the Rada was emptied by a hoax bomb threat. A deal was struck, but how long it will hold is anybody’s guess More

After setbacks in Iraq and elsewhere the West is increasingly reluctant to engage in nation building, leaving Ukraine’s pro-democracy forces dangerously More

The crisis is over. No, it’s not over. Oh, wait, it’s over again... Expect a few more twists and turns before any elections happen More

If you ever wanted to know what ‘political technology’ means then simply watch events unfold over the coming weeks and months and witness underhand campaign tactics at their very worst More

Business Ukraine is proud to present its first special issue focusing on Ukraine's banking industry More

The EU’s lack of resolve at its summit with Russia is the worst possible message it could have sent to the Kremlin. Has it failed to learn that appeasing direct threats to democracy never works? More

The warring parties remained locked in negotiations over the election date last week as assassination plot allegations emerged More

The popular image of Ukraine is increasingly of a country divided, but are these differences really so exceptional and isn't it time to focus on what unites the people of Europe's youngest democracy? More

The upheavals in Ukraine, Turkey and France show that democracy is no panacea to historical and ideological divisions More

Ukraine’s unparalleled sacrifices during World War Two remain largely unacknowledged in the western world More

The President and Prime Minister finally agree on new elections, but no revision of Yushchenko’s June 24 date is yet announced More

Nationalist sentiments flare in Russia as NATO and EU back Estonia’s decision to relocate controversial statue More

The financial and human costs of the world’s worst nuclear accident still remain hard to evaluate More

Who needs budget airlines when Ukraine’s internal network is right here? The prices are nice, but don’t expect to be pampered More

Yushchenko faces impeachment moves as government politicians continue to oppose new elections and street protests wear on More

The United Nations believes that economic and community revival is the only way to end the legacy of the Chornobyl disaster More

The Shelter Implementation Plan for Chornobyl will see the construction of a massive mobile shelter designed to enclose the shattered reactor for at least a century Subscribe

Following the recent appointment of Ukraine as co-host of the Euro 2012 football championships, attention is now firmly fixed on the practicalities of preparation and the benefits the event will bring Subscribe

Ukraine got its best piece of good news in a long time last week as UEFA announced the surprise decision to award it the 2012 European Football Championships along with Poland More

The political battle for power shifts focus to the Constitutional Court More

Ukraine’s success with Poland in winning the race to host the Euro 2012 tournament has given the country a great goal to work towards More

Not much has thus far been heard from Moscow on Ukraine’s latest political battle. Is this a sign of the new phase in relations the diplomats have been talking up? Subscribe

Peter takes a (very) early shot at predicting both the election date and the winner. So remember, you read it here first More

British businessman awarded for years of contribution to the plastics recycling industry in Ukraine More

The latest political war between the President and Prime Minister is being seen as nothing less than a struggle for control of Ukraine’s strategic direction More

Yushchenko stands to lose in an election with a weak party and few friends in the Rada. Yanukovych stands to lose by risking his coalition. So why the confrontation now? More

Revolution? What revolution? Most Ukrainians are too busy getting on with life and business to take the politicians too seriously any more More

Whether the deadlock is ended by elections or not, failure to respect rule of law and lack of stability remain the underlying problems that need to be solved More

We polled a few of Ukraine’s local and international business people to get their views on the ongoing political turmoil More

As the political elite jockey for position to determine who will ultimately control the new Ukraine, switching sides isn’t uncommon More

Growing government faction puts Yushchenko under unprecedented pressure to dissolve the Verkhovna Rada and go to the nation More

A privatisation deal hits trouble as allegations of corruption are levelled, Ukraine continues dual EU-Russia foreign policy More

The death of Niyazov in Turkmenistan could usher in a new era in the struggle for control of energy supplies which could benefit Ukraine More