A Farewell to Russia
Democracy may not be the stuff of Viktor Yanukovich's dreams, but the Ukrainian president is quietly strengthening ties with the European Union.
BY RAJAN MENON | JULY 12, 2011
There's no love lost between Europe and Ukraine's ruling regime -- or certainly between the Western press and Kiev. Indeed, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who unseated the pro-Western leaders of the Orange Revolution, is commonly depicted outside his country as an oppressive and reflexively pro-Russian figure. But while there's certainly something to this unflattering characterization, there's a bit more to the man -- and a lot more happening in Ukraine than the authoritarian picture most commentators paint.
It's certainly true that democracy in Ukraine is now under severe pressure. My conversations with Ukrainian civic leaders and investigative journalists during a visit last month left little doubt that they feel squeezed. The government gives them significantly less leeway to probe hot-button issues such as pervasive corruption than they had under the previous administration. Journalists who run afoul of the government often get called in for "chats" with the authorities, and their organizations are subjected to audits and inspections that hinder their work. What's worse, in the long term, there is no countervailing force to check Yanukovich and company should they decide to become even more undemocratic.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.........................
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