Section: Atlantic Council (USA)
The Revolutionary Path to Reform for Ukraine’s National Police
Ukrainians are growing increasingly impatient with Ukraine’s lack of reforms. But the country’s police reforms are working, says Khatia Dekanoidze, the newly-appointed chief of the Ukrainian National Police.How does she know?”The number one tool to…measure effectiveness of police is trust,” Dekanoidze said on...
Ukraine: Society No Longer Willing to Compromise with a Compromise
Whoever directed the show in Ukraine’s parliament on December 11—when a ruling-party coalition parliamentarian dragged Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk from the podium—may have achieved their objective: there was no serious discussion of the government’s record that day. As a result of internal and external compromises, the current...
“Ukraine is a work in progress by Putin,” Says General Wesley Clark
Retired US Army General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, has campaigned since 2014 to convince Western governments to provide lethal aid to Ukraine to fend off Russia’s occupation of 9 percent of its territory.In a wide-ranging interview, he talked about why this hasn’t happened and about Russian President...
Should Ukraine Forget Its History?
On November 25, 2010, while on a state visit to Kyiv, Israel’s President Shimon Peres stated that, “If Ukrainians were to ask me for advice, I would say: forget history.” Coming from the president of a country steeped in history, the comment was at first glance bizarre. Directed at a country embroiled in seemingly endless...
Thank You, George!
In his 2011 essay, “My Philanthropy,” George Soros described his approach to charitable giving. “I relish confronting harsh reality, and I am drawn to tackling seemingly insoluble problems,” he wrote. Indeed, it is with a consistent determination, generosity, and unwavering faith in Ukraine’s potential that Soros...
Memo to Presidential Candidates: The Putin Problem Isn’t Going Away
Foreign-policy challenges will keep the next commander-in-chief up late. Analysts focus on the threat that Islamic State poses to the United States and its allies, but the Putin problem is unlikely to fade. As the candidates gear up for the next round of debates—slated for December 15 and 19—it’s time to take stock of the threat the Russian...
Battle for Donetsk Airport: Haunting Documentary Captures Ukrainian Resilience
A haunting message from a Ukrainian soldier closes “Airport Donetsk,” a documentary about the 200-day siege that ended in January 2015.”I can’t sleep at all,” said the downcast survivor. “I see them…I see my guys in my dreams.”He was one of a dozen Ukrainians and Russians interviewed for this film...
Russian Military and Mercenaries Directly Implicated in Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners
Ukrainian human rights activists believe that over 87 percent of Ukrainian soldiers and half the civilians who have been taken prisoner by Kremlin-backed, pro-Russian militants in the Donbas have been subjected to torture or ill treatment. Additionally, in over 40 percent of the so-called “interrogations,” key roles were played by...
Even in Theater, War and Displacement Has No Room in Ukraine
As I was walking up Kyiv’s colorful Andriyivsky descent on December 6, three explosions pierced the quiet evening. No one stopped examining the myriad souvenirs on sale in the booths lining the street, no one showed any fear or ran for cover. On the third explosion, one exasperated man exclaimed “Who the hell is blowing up those...
Biden to Ukraine: “The United States stands firmly with the people of Ukraine”
“Today Russia is occupying sovereign Ukrainian territory. Let me be crystal clear: the United States does not, will not, [and] never will recognize Russia’s attempt to annex the Crimea,” US Vice President Joe Biden said in a December 8 address to Ukraine’s parliament.The parliament gave Biden a standing ovation. Geoffrey...
