Section: Atlantic Council (USA)
Now’s the Time to Block Nord Stream 2 and Step Up Ukraine’s Energy Diplomacy
Ukraine—a county that rejected aggression and militarization when it broke away from the Soviet Union—is fighting three wars today: the front in the east against an expansionist power, the battle within to defeat cronyism and corruption, and an economic war to reorient trade flows and modernize its economy. The world’s attention, as well as...
EU Renews Sanctions on Crimea but Overlooks Plight of Crimean Tatars
In April 2016, Crimea’s de facto authorities banned the Crimean Tatar Mejlis—the organ of political representation for Crimean Tatars on the peninsula—under the pretext of “extremism.” Increasingly, Crimean Tatars seem to be framed as “extremist” just for being themselves.A historically nonviolent community, Crimean Tatars were the most...
The Painful Journeys of Ukraine’s IDPs
Two years ago this past April, the words “internal displacement” first appeared in the Ukrainian media. The term was brought by UN agencies that, along with local nongovernmental organizations, worked on a legal framework to regulate the phenomenon, which was completely new to Ukraine. Before then, journalists, volunteers, and even government...
Germany’s Socialists, Russia’s Fascism, and Ukrainian Deaths
On June 15, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak informed NATO that Ukraine had suffered 623 battle deaths in its war with Russia in 2016.This astoundingly large figure—which amounts to three to four deaths per day—demonstrates conclusively that Russia and its proxies have no intention whatsoever of adhering to the Minsk...
The West Was Wrong about Ukraine’s New Government
It is too early to draw firm conclusions, but Prime Minister Volodymyr Groisman’s and Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko’s early moves indicate that Ukraine is still on the reform path.There was understandable pessimism when Groisman assumed office in April with a new government that did not include the previous cabinet’s...
Ukraine’s New Reform Plan Is Better but Not Radical Enough
Two months ago, the Ukrainian parliament appointed Volodymyr Groisman as the country’s new prime minister. “I will show you how the country should be managed,” he said in his appointment speech. Groisman’s predecessor Arseniy Yatsenyuk was widely criticized for lacking a detailed action plan, so the new prime minister began managing...
Ukraine’s Grassroots Transformation of Education
In today’s globalized world, education is perhaps the greatest challenge in a developing country. To keep pace with new technology and innovation, young people must possess not only basic skills but also be proactive, creative, innovative, and able to adjust quickly.According to the New Vision for Education report compiled at the World...
Counting Sheep Is Courageous, Soulful, and Important: A Review
“Counting Sheep” is a “guerrilla folk opera” that guides audiences on an immersive and soulful journey through Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity.Its creators are Mark and Marichka Marczyk who met and fell in love in Kyiv during the protests of 2013 and 2014. Mark is a talented Canadian musician of Ukrainian heritage and Marichka Kudriavtseva...
Ukraine’s Oligarchs Own the Media, but Public Broadcasting is Shaking Things Up
Last year, after years of debate and lobbying on the issue, public broadcasting was established in Ukraine. In a country suffering from a serious crisis of trust in the media, it looked like a chance to regain people’s faith.The dramatic decline in citizens’ trust in media started in 2014, when central Ukrainian TV channels first...
Great Expectations: Aspirant Nations See NATO Enlargement as Vital to Europe’s Stability
NATO membership for countries in the Balkans and for Georgia is crucial for the stability of Europe and will send a clear signal that Russia does not have a veto over the alliance’s enlargement plans, panelists, including officials from Macedonia and Georgia, said at the Atlantic Council on June 8. “The accession process into NATO has...
