Section: The Centre for Eastern Studies (Poland)
Zelensky’s Ukraine: the mechanisms of power are failing
President Volodymyr Zelensky gained full power under a year and a half ago, but it is already becoming increasingly difficult for him to implement his declared political goals. This is due to the increasingly weak control he wields over his own Servant of the People party, his incompetent choice of collaborators and, more broadly, his lack of a...
How did 5 million hectares disappear? Secret land privatisation in Ukraine
On 6 November, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, announced during the presentation of the results of the economic audit of Ukraine that 5 million hectares of agricultural land had disappeared from state ownership. He thus confirmed the words of the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre (also named, the State...
Ukraine: a Constitutional Court verdict ignites a political crisis
During a closed session on 27 October, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CC) issued a ruling that has halted the functioning of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (Ukr. NAZK). This body is one of the key institutions responsible for fighting corruption, which was created after the Revolution of Dignity. The court also found...
The growing role of Ukraine on the Central European gas market
According to data from Ukrtranshaz, the operator of Ukraine’s underground storage facilities, the country has accumulated 27 bcm of gas in them as of 16 September, which is the largest volume in 10 years. According to the head of Naftogaz, Andriy Kobolev, the volume of the stored gas may reach 28 bcm before the heating season begins. In...
Ukraine: relations with Belarus suspended
On August 28, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, announced that “at present, all contacts with Belarus have been suspended [and] will be unblocked only when we find out that they do not bring political, reputational and moral damage to Ukraine.” One day earlier, Mr Kuleba had also stated that Kyiv would join the EU’s...
The act on the land market – a key step towards the development of Ukrainian agriculture
On 28 April, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the Act on introducing an agricultural land market in Ukraine. The document envisages that the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land will be partially lifted on 1 July 2021 and entirely lifted from 2024. As a consequence, for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine, the free...
A pillar of the system? The political phenomenon of Arsen Avakov
The change of government in Ukraine in 2019 has boosted the political position of Arsen Avakov, the longest-serving interior minister in the history of independent Ukraine (he has been in five consecutive governments since February 2014). He was the only member of Volodymyr Hroysman’s cabinet to remain in office following Volodymyr...
Neither a miracle nor a disaster – President Zelensky’s first year in office
20th May marked the end of Volodymyr Zelensky first year as President of Ukraine. Thanks to the clear victory of his Servant of the People party in the snap parliamentary election held in July 2019 and the establishment of the government of Oleksiy Honcharuk the following month, Zelensky swiftly gained full power. …read more Source:: Centre...
Endangered heritage
As a result of the changes of borders in the 20th century, a large proportion of Poland’s cultural heritage found itself on the territory of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. Over the centuries, many cultural goods were created on the erstwhile eastern territories of Poland which the contemporary Polish state, like the other two countries,...
How the COVID-19 pandemic will develop in Ukraine
According to data compiled by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, by 27 March more than 200 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed nationwide, with five fatalities. However, there is a risk of the epidemic soon developing on a much larger scale. …read more Source:: Centre for Eastern Studies...
