Eastern Partnership

Ukraine, the EU and Russia: Win, Don’t Whine

It is understandable that European leaders are angry with Russia for spoiling the EU’s Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius by pressuring Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to “suspend” signing of Ukraine’s EU Association Agreement. Moscow’s hardball tactics created a diplomatic debacle for the EU, as President Putin (yet again) violated his self-serving maxim of non-interference in countries’ internal affairs by yanking Ukraine from the EU’s open door at the eleventh hour, just as he had done earlier by forcing Armenia to choose the Eurasian Customs Union over the EU. Putin’s closure of Russian markets to Ukrainian exports and his threat to raise natural gas prices struck at the heart of the personal interests of many of the oligarchs who dominate Ukrainian politics; these tactics also infuriated European leaders as economic blackmail aimed at sabotaging EU foreign policy.

Ukraine and the Eastern Partnership

Get Knocked Down, but Then Get Up Again: Why the EU Shouldn’t Be Pessimistic about Ukraine

Eastbook.eu

Just days before the long-awaited Vilnius Summit, the “Black Thursday” decision by Ukraine’s government to postpone further steps towards signing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union triggered a wave of “disappointment” throughout the EU’s political and policy establishment. European Parliament opposition leader Hannes Swoboda called the move “deplorable” , while on Twitter, Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt bitterly concluded that “the politics of brutal pressure evidently work.” Perhaps most tellingly of all, EU ambassador to Ukraine Jan Tombiński was photographed “holding his head in despair” during a critical parliamentary voting session.

Breaking the “Natural Law” of Gas Deliveries. The Mechanism of the Reverse Flows in Ukraine and Europe

With regard to Russia’s energy pipelines, there has long been a view that gas must flow from east to west. Of course, barring human intervention, gas—like water—merely follows the path of least resistance, whether for natural (or political, in the case of energy markets), reasons. As its European importers continue to find other alternatives, Russia has sought to intervene to ensure the continued observance of its “natural law” that gas will always flow from east to west. Yet thanks to the efforts of Ukraine, a country faced with a particularly difficult energy transit relationship with Russia, west-east flows are now a reality, with EU member states Germany, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia exporting gas in the reverse direction.

Shale gas perspectives for Ukraine: where does illusion end and reality begin?

The effects of the recent revolution in North American shale gas are now being felt in Europe, as both states and energy companies rush to be the first to reap the promised benefits of the region’s reserves. The Ukrainian government—making positive headlines for a change—has seized the momentum, calling for a new European energy future that will break the chains of Russia’s energy monopoly in the region.

About gas and Gaza: commonalities of real and pipeline wars

The news streaming into our living rooms from the television screens have lately been about two major issues – Gaza and gas. Before Christmas, Israel opened another page in the blood-stained history of its conflict with the Palestinians by launching an attack on the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip, allegedly to destroy the militants’ capability to fire missile to the Israeli cities. When the New Year celebrations were ending, Russia shut down gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, alleging that the latter was stealing transit gas instead of paying its debts and agreeing to a new price.

Ukraina – Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit?

Kas apelsinivärvi koalitsioon Ukrainas saab ja jääb elujõuliseks või mitte? Tänane uudis Ukraina oranži koalitsioonileppe allkirjastamisest Julia Timošenko Bloki (BJUT) ja Meie Ukraina-Rahva Omakaitse (NUNS) vahel annab lootust optimismiks.

Lepe kiideti heaks BJUTi ja NUNSi parlamendifraktsioonide ühisel koosolekul. Dokumendiga olid nõus kõik fraktsioonidesse kuuluva saadikud, välja arvatud üks. Eriarvamusele jäi Meie Ukrainasse kuuluv senine Julgeolekunõukogu sekretär Ivan Pliuš, kes on pika karjääriga poliitik, Juštšenko perekonnasõber ja mõningatel andmetel ka Ukraina presidendi vaimne isa poliitilises plaanis.