AREA STUDY UKRAINE IV GOVERNMENT

1

624

201

5 A

RET

E-ZO

E L

LC

bull Flag ndash anthem ndash national symbols bull Administrative divisions bull Constitution and legal system bull Executive branch bull Legislative branch bull Judicial branch bull Political parties and main political figures bull US diplomatic representation bull Representation in international organizations bull International treaties

IV GOVERNMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk

bull Kravchuk supported Ukrainian independence movement After the failure of the coup attempt by Soviet Communist hardliners in August 1991 he expressed unqualified support for independence

bull He was elected president in December 1991 but lost reelection to Leonid Kuchma in July 1994

bull Nuclear disarmament Ukraine has no control over its nuclear arsenal (DW)

bull 1992 Administration reform

bull Kravchuk failed to avoid corruption in the privatization of the industry Ukrainian annual inflation reached thousands of percents Millions of loans given by the semi-government banks defaulted

bull Kravchuk refused to retain the common armed forces and currency inside the Commonwealth of Independent States

bull Rather than NATO expansion Kravchuk wanted Ukraines participation in building a new inclusive security architecture for Europe

bull In 1994 Leonid Kravchuk joined the powerful business and political group Kiev Holding or the Dynamo Group led by oligarchs Viktor Medvedchuk and Hryhoriy Surkis formally organized as the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united)

born January 10 1934 Żytyń Wielki Poland (now Ukraine) President of Ukraine from 1991 to 1994

Bio For 30 years a Communist Party functionary he converted to nationalist politics after the collapse of the Soviet regime In 1958 Kravchuk graduated from the Kiev TH Shevchenko State University and joined the Communist Party He taught political economics in Chernivtsi and began a political career rising in the 1980s to top posts in the propaganda and ideology departments for Ukraine He became chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet in July 1990 and as such he soon became the effective leader of the republic

bull Flag ndash anthem ndash national symbols bull Administrative divisions bull Constitution and legal system bull Executive branch bull Legislative branch bull Judicial branch bull Political parties and main political figures bull US diplomatic representation bull Representation in international organizations bull International treaties

IV GOVERNMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk

bull Kravchuk supported Ukrainian independence movement After the failure of the coup attempt by Soviet Communist hardliners in August 1991 he expressed unqualified support for independence

bull He was elected president in December 1991 but lost reelection to Leonid Kuchma in July 1994

bull Nuclear disarmament Ukraine has no control over its nuclear arsenal (DW)

bull 1992 Administration reform

bull Kravchuk failed to avoid corruption in the privatization of the industry Ukrainian annual inflation reached thousands of percents Millions of loans given by the semi-government banks defaulted

bull Kravchuk refused to retain the common armed forces and currency inside the Commonwealth of Independent States

bull Rather than NATO expansion Kravchuk wanted Ukraines participation in building a new inclusive security architecture for Europe

bull In 1994 Leonid Kravchuk joined the powerful business and political group Kiev Holding or the Dynamo Group led by oligarchs Viktor Medvedchuk and Hryhoriy Surkis formally organized as the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united)

born January 10 1934 Żytyń Wielki Poland (now Ukraine) President of Ukraine from 1991 to 1994

Bio For 30 years a Communist Party functionary he converted to nationalist politics after the collapse of the Soviet regime In 1958 Kravchuk graduated from the Kiev TH Shevchenko State University and joined the Communist Party He taught political economics in Chernivtsi and began a political career rising in the 1980s to top posts in the propaganda and ideology departments for Ukraine He became chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet in July 1990 and as such he soon became the effective leader of the republic

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk

bull Kravchuk supported Ukrainian independence movement After the failure of the coup attempt by Soviet Communist hardliners in August 1991 he expressed unqualified support for independence

bull He was elected president in December 1991 but lost reelection to Leonid Kuchma in July 1994

bull Nuclear disarmament Ukraine has no control over its nuclear arsenal (DW)

bull 1992 Administration reform

bull Kravchuk failed to avoid corruption in the privatization of the industry Ukrainian annual inflation reached thousands of percents Millions of loans given by the semi-government banks defaulted

bull Kravchuk refused to retain the common armed forces and currency inside the Commonwealth of Independent States

bull Rather than NATO expansion Kravchuk wanted Ukraines participation in building a new inclusive security architecture for Europe

bull In 1994 Leonid Kravchuk joined the powerful business and political group Kiev Holding or the Dynamo Group led by oligarchs Viktor Medvedchuk and Hryhoriy Surkis formally organized as the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united)

born January 10 1934 Żytyń Wielki Poland (now Ukraine) President of Ukraine from 1991 to 1994

Bio For 30 years a Communist Party functionary he converted to nationalist politics after the collapse of the Soviet regime In 1958 Kravchuk graduated from the Kiev TH Shevchenko State University and joined the Communist Party He taught political economics in Chernivtsi and began a political career rising in the 1980s to top posts in the propaganda and ideology departments for Ukraine He became chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet in July 1990 and as such he soon became the effective leader of the republic

Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk

bull Kravchuk supported Ukrainian independence movement After the failure of the coup attempt by Soviet Communist hardliners in August 1991 he expressed unqualified support for independence

bull He was elected president in December 1991 but lost reelection to Leonid Kuchma in July 1994

bull Nuclear disarmament Ukraine has no control over its nuclear arsenal (DW)

bull 1992 Administration reform

bull Kravchuk failed to avoid corruption in the privatization of the industry Ukrainian annual inflation reached thousands of percents Millions of loans given by the semi-government banks defaulted

bull Kravchuk refused to retain the common armed forces and currency inside the Commonwealth of Independent States

bull Rather than NATO expansion Kravchuk wanted Ukraines participation in building a new inclusive security architecture for Europe

bull In 1994 Leonid Kravchuk joined the powerful business and political group Kiev Holding or the Dynamo Group led by oligarchs Viktor Medvedchuk and Hryhoriy Surkis formally organized as the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united)

born January 10 1934 Żytyń Wielki Poland (now Ukraine) President of Ukraine from 1991 to 1994

Bio For 30 years a Communist Party functionary he converted to nationalist politics after the collapse of the Soviet regime In 1958 Kravchuk graduated from the Kiev TH Shevchenko State University and joined the Communist Party He taught political economics in Chernivtsi and began a political career rising in the 1980s to top posts in the propaganda and ideology departments for Ukraine He became chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet in July 1990 and as such he soon became the effective leader of the republic

Leonid Danylovych Kuchma

bull In the 1994 Kuchma defeated Kravchuk His popularity steadily declined however as his reforms failed to improve the countryrsquos economy

bull 1994 - 1996 nuclear disarmament

bull In 1999 he was reelected president though observers alleged voting irregularities

bull In 2002 the opposition called for Kuchmarsquos impeachment after the authentication of audio tapes that allegedly implicated him in the 2000 murder of the dissident journalist Georgy Gongadze and revealed his approval of the sale of a radar system to Iraq in violation of a UN Security Council resolution He was cleared by the Constitutional Court to seek a third term

bull In 2004 Kuchma backed the candidacy of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych against Yushchenko Kuchma called for a new election to settle the crisis Yushchenko won the new election ordered by the Supreme Court and Kuchma left office in January 2005

bull In March 2011 he was charged with abuse of power in connection with the murder of Gongadze but the case was dropped in December of that year when a judge ruled that incriminating recordings made by Kuchmarsquos former bodyguard were not admissible as evidence

Born August 9 1938 Chaykyne Ukraine USSR Second president of independent Ukraine (1994ndash2005)

Bio Kuchma worked as an engineer serving as Communist Party secretary (1972ndash82) and a technical manager in Baikonur Kazakhstan From 1986 to 1992 he served as the general director of Yuzhmash the worldrsquos largest rocket-construction firm in Dnipropetrovsk Kuchma became prime minister (1992ndash93) and his administration supported increased privatization free trade and closer ties with Russia Kuchma clashed with Kravchuk over economic policies and resigned from the post after one year In 1993 Kuchma was appointed chairman of the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko

Sep 2004 dioxin poisoning in an apparent assassination attempt

Dec 2004 - Jan 2005 Mass protests the Orange Revolution followed election fraud Yushchenko was eventually confirmed as the winner the following month

May 2005 a fuel crisis

Sep 2005 he replaced his entire cabinet accusing it of incompetence A power struggle escalated in early 2007 when parliament passed laws that seriously curtailed Yushchenkorsquos authority

September 2007 elections Yushchenkorsquos Our Ukraine party finished third behind Yanukovychrsquos Party of Regions and the party led by Yuliya Tymoshenko Alliance with Tymoshenko gave them a large enough majority to form a government with Tymoshenko as prime minister

January 2010 presidential elections Yushchenkorsquos popularity had plummeted and he received only about 5 percent of the vote

February 2010 Yanukovych would replace Yushchenko as president

Born Feb 23 1954 Khoruzhivka Ukr USSR President of Ukraine (2005ndash10)

Yushchenko graduated from the Ternopil Finance and Economics Institute in 1975 He briefly served in the Soviet army the Soviet State Bank and in the Agro-Industrial Bank of Ukraine He was the first deputy chairman of the board at Bank Ukraina (1990) and the governor of Ukrainersquos national bank (1993) In 1999 he was appointed prime minister credited with helping Ukraine emerge from a protracted financial and economic crisis In 2001 Kuchma abruptly dismissed Yushchenko who in response formed a broad-based democratic coalition called Our Ukraine

Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych Born 9 July 1950 Yenakiieve Ukraine President of Ukraine (Feb 2010 to Feb 2014)

2006 Yanukovychrsquos Party of Regions won the parliamentary elections and Yushchenko was compelled to name Yanukovych prime minister Yanukovych lost that post in 2007 to Yuliya Tymoshenko In January 2010 Yushchenko was eliminated (5 votes) in second runoff Yanukovych won a narrow victory International observers found the poll fair Tymoshenko refused to accept that April 2010 Black Sea Fleet deal amp comment that Great Famine of 1932ndash33 was not genocide October 2010 a decision by the Constitutional Court greatly expanded the powers of the presidency 2011 Tymoshenko was charged with abuse of power and sentenced to 7 years in prison In 2012 her interior minister Yuri Lutsenko received 4 years both prosecutions were considered politically motivated October 2012 the Party of Regions won the parliamentary elections April 2013 association agreement with the EU Yanukovych pulled out of the deal triggering a scramble among EU leaders and sparking a wave of popular protests in Kiev

Bio Viktor Yanukovych served as prime minister (2002ndash05 2006ndash07) and president (2010ndash14) of Ukraine Yanukovych was born to a poor family in the industrial Donets Basin and spent some time in jail for rape In 1969 he worked in heavy industry rising from mechanic to executive During that time he attended Donetsk Polytechnic Institute (now Donetsk State Technical University) earning a degree in mechanical engineering (1980) he also joined the Communist Party The 1990s were a period of uncertainty in the Donetsk region organized crime was rampant In 1997 he became governor of Donetsk province During his time in that post he earned a law degree from the Ukrainian Academy of Foreign Trade (2000) In 2002 he was appointed a prime minister Yanukovych who did not speak Ukrainian prior to his appointment shared Kuchmarsquos desire to maintain close ties with Russia

Olexander Turchynov

Feb 2005 appointed head of the SBU (domestic security agency) to reforming SBU along Western lines he pledged to illegal wiretapping of phones and revive the populations trust in the agency But he lost the job after only seven months when Yushchenko sacked most of his cabinet He became deputy prime minister in Tymoshenkos second government (2007 ndash 2010)

Born 1964 in Dnietropetrovsk Interim president from 23 Feb to 25 May 2014

Turchynov studied metallurgy joined Komsomol and the Democratic Platform and headed one of Ukraines first independent news agencies Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union he founded a political think-tank In 1993 he became economics aide to Leonid Kuchma and co-founded Hromada Party together with Pavlo Lazarenko and Tymoshenko Turchynov is the right-hand man of Yulia Tymoshenko since the mid-1990s

The Fatherland Party became opposition to Kuchma and Yanukovych In the 2004 Turchynov helped run the Yushchenkorsquos campaign He has played a key role in organizing the protesters self-defense forcesldquo during Euromaidan Turchynov is not entirely trusted or respected by the protesters in Kievs Independence Square He stood for mayor of Kiev in 2008 but lost badly

23 Feb 2014 designated as acting President of Ukraine following the impeachment of Viktor Yanukovych

25 Feb 2014 assumed the (Presidential power of) command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

14 Apr 2014 asked Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon for the UN support regarding the crisis in eastern Ukraine Ban Ki Moon replied that peacekeepers may be sent in should Russia withhold its veto

Turchynov tried to negotiate with insurgents and even proposed to hold referendum on the same day as elections (25 May) In the Donetsk region some 74 percent of respondents said they consider acting President Oleksandr Turchynov to be illegitimate

Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko born September 26 1965 Bolhrad Ukraine USSR (now in Ukraine) President of Ukraine (2014 - )

May 25 2014 Poroshenko coasted to a landslide victory easily topping Yuliya Tymoshenko In spite of overwhelming evidence of Russian military involvement in Ukraine Putin denied any role in the conflict Summer 2014 offensive drastically reduced the area under rebel control September 2014 Poroshenko agreed to a cease-fire that was frequently tested by both sides October 2014 in parliamentary elections pro-Western parties claimed victory December 2014 Ukraine dropped its non-aligned status pledged to work toward NATO membership January 2015 Fighting intensified during a rebel offensive hundreds of civilians were killed in a few weeks February 2015 MINSK II - French Pres Franccedilois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel Poroshenko Putin Hollande and Merkel outlined a 12-point agreement that would bring an end to fighting in the east

Bio Poroshenko was raised near the Moldovan border He studied law international relations and international economics in Kiev at Taras Shevchenko National University In 1993 he became CEO of Ukprominvest and in 1996 he founded Roshen a confectionery manufacturer In 1998 he was elected to the Ukrainian parliament representing Vinnytsya as a Social Democrat in Kuchmarsquos government

Poroshenko founded the Solidarity party in 2000 before helping to establish the Russophile Party of Regions He switched his allegiance to the Our Ukraine party of Viktor Yushchenko in 2001 and was named head of the parliamentary budget committee In 2005 Poroshenko was appointed national security secretary in Yushchenkorsquos cabinet (reshuffled 7 months later) 2006-7 he headed the finance committee 2009ndash10 served as foreign minister In 2012 Poroshenko resumed his affiliation with the Party of Regions when he became minister of trade in Yanukovichrsquos cabinet After 2012 legislative elections Poroshenko returned to the parliament where he co-chaired the committee on cooperation with the European Union

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION OCT 2014

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION OCT 2014

bull The 2012 legislature had become especially discredited because at the height of the revolution it voted in favor of a package of reforms which if implemented had the potential to turn Ukraine into an outright dictatorship

bull Because a number of MPs changed political allegiances the lsquooldrsquo legislature has been able to adopt a

number of important laws since the revolution including on European integration the Anti-Terrorist Operation in the East the lustration of discredited officials and anti-corruption policies

bull After two political parties withdrew their support for the ruling coalition in July president

Poroshenko was finally able to call a new election

bull The 26 October election was held under a parallel mixed electoral system according to which 225 MPs were elected from closed nation-wide party lists and the remaining 225 in single-member districts

bull Of the six parties elected to the new parliament through the proportional section of the ballot five are at least in their declarations squarely in favor of comprehensive reform and of European integration

bull The election was exceptionally well assessed by the (OSCE) However voting was not conducted in areas that are within the legal borders of Ukraine but that are currently not controlled by the central authorities in particular Crimea and some of the most populated parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions The 27 seats assigned to the single-member districts of these areas will remain vacant

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION OCT 2014

5 threshold

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION OCT 2014

bull The 2012 legislature had become especially discredited because at the height of the revolution it voted in favor of a package of reforms which if implemented had the potential to turn Ukraine into an outright dictatorship

bull Because a number of MPs changed political allegiances the lsquooldrsquo legislature has been able to adopt a

number of important laws since the revolution including on European integration the Anti-Terrorist Operation in the East the lustration of discredited officials and anti-corruption policies

bull After two political parties withdrew their support for the ruling coalition in July president

Poroshenko was finally able to call a new election

bull The 26 October election was held under a parallel mixed electoral system according to which 225 MPs were elected from closed nation-wide party lists and the remaining 225 in single-member districts

bull Of the six parties elected to the new parliament through the proportional section of the ballot five are at least in their declarations squarely in favor of comprehensive reform and of European integration

bull The election was exceptionally well assessed by the (OSCE) However voting was not conducted in areas that are within the legal borders of Ukraine but that are currently not controlled by the central authorities in particular Crimea and some of the most populated parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions The 27 seats assigned to the single-member districts of these areas will remain vacant

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION OCT 2014

5 threshold

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION OCT 2014

5 threshold

PETRO POROSHENKO BLOC

Solidarity (2001-2002) The party was founded by Petro Poroshenko Many deputies elected in 1998 for the Peasant Party of Ukraine and Hromada joined the new parliamentary faction Based on his parliamentary faction Poroshenko eventually established the Party of Ukraines Solidarity In 2000 that party merged into what would become the Party of Regions and Poroshenko became a Party of Regions deputy

Petro Poroshenkorsquos Bloc Ties to the lsquoold guardrsquo and softer on Russia Comprising the Solidarity Party ndash founded in 2001 ndash and Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschkorsquos UDAR party President Poroshenkorsquos Bloc was formed in August 2014 The party has a Christian-liberal pro-Western profile and garnered 2182 of the votes slightly fewer than the Peoplersquos Front but is still the strongest in parliament with 132 seats Poroshenko a businessman who served as foreign minister in 2009-10 and was elected president in May 2014 has been criticised for gathering many lsquoopportunists and members of the old guardrsquo around him to secure broad support for his party which advocates a peaceful solution to the Donbas conflict and a softer position on Russia Poroshenko negotiated and is therefore committed to the September Minsk ceasefire agreement whereas the Peoplersquos Front and Self-Help had no hand in it and are thus free to criticise it

Program Leaders Yuriy Stets Yuriy Lutsenko Vitaly Klitschko

KIYV MAYOR VITALY KLITSCHKO born 19 July 1971 Belovodsk Kyrgyzstan

Mayor of Kiyv head of the Kiev City State Administration and former professional boxer He is the former heavyweight champion Klitschko was the first professional boxing world champion to hold a PhD degree Klitschko became actively involved in Ukrainian politics in 2005 and combined this with his professional boxing career until his departure from boxing mid-December 2013 He is the leader of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (now Poroshenkorsquos Bloc) and a former Member of the Ukrainian Parliament Klitschko was one of the dominant figures of the Euromaidan protests During these protests he retired from boxing

Klitschko is in favor of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union He sees the European Union as Ukraines model for our future political and economic developmentrdquo He believes Viktor Yanukovych and his government were deliberately destroying the integration (into Europe) prospects of Ukraineldquo and that Ukrainian politicians have no right to let them rule after 2014 Klitschko is also in favor of NATO-Ukraine cooperation Klitschkos main concern is social standards and the economy of Ukraine He believes the issue of language is not the top priority Klitschko wants less corruption and more transparency in Ukrainian politics He also advocates lower taxes to stimulate the economy Klitschko did accuse in October 2011 President Yanukovych and the Azarov Government of doing everything to manipulate the rules to stay in power longer furthermore (in December 2011) he assert(ed) every statement of the government as a continuation of lies and disinformationldquo He has also taken part in rallies for former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko release

THE PEOPLErsquoS FRONT

bull lsquoHawkishrsquo attitude to Russia pushing for the use of force to resolve the conflict in Donbas

bull Liberal-democratic pro-European bull Peoplersquos Front ndash founded in 2014 ndash came first with

2214 of the votes However due to Ukrainersquos hybrid electoral system which combines first-past-the-post-seats with proportional representation it is only the second strongest in parliament with 82 seats Yatsenyuk has declared that the governmentrsquos lsquoultimate goal is Ukrainersquos EU membershiprsquo to which end lsquoradical changesrsquo are needed

The party was founded in March 2014 by Yatsenyuk (Prime minister) and Turchynov (Chairman of the Verchovna Rada) Several high-ranking members of Ukrainian territorial defense battalions who at the time were fighting in the War in Donbass were made part of the Partys military council (though not full party members) Many high-ranking Fatherland members became founding members of the party including Lyudmyla Denisova Arsen Avakov Pavlo Petrenko and Andriy Parubiy

Poroshenkorsquos Bloc vs Peoples Front We should be going into the elections together with the President but I am not satisfied with the party of President Poroshenko So we are different in camps although we share the same viewpoints for the sake of change and reformsldquo

Arseniy Yatsenyuk Tetiana Chornovol Oleksandr Turchynov Andriy Parubiy Andriy Teteruk

Arsen Avakov Viktoria Siumar Vyacheslav Kyrylenko Liliya Hrynevych Yuriy Bereza

Program

SAMOPOMICH (SELF-HELP)

Samopomich (Self-Reliance) pushing for lustration stronger defense and lsquofull sovereigntyrsquo Originally founded by Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadoviy in 2004 the reform-minded pro-European Self-Help party attracted 11 of the votes (33 seats) ndash mainly from western and central Ukraine ndash placing the party third Claiming to translate lsquoChristian moralityrsquo into lsquoUkrainian realityrsquo and calling for strengthened defense and restoration of Ukrainersquos lsquofull sovereignty throughout the countryrsquo as well as lustration in the public sector the party attracted reform-minded voters with lsquoEuromaidanrsquo sympathies Self Reliance is led by the incumbent mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi It was founded in 2012 and identifies with an ideology of Christian morality and common senseldquo

Program Hanna Hopko Semen Semenchenko Oleksiy Skrypnyk Oksana Syroyid Viktor Kryvenko

Odessa blast Suspects arrested (March 12 2015)

THE OPPOSITION BLOC The Opposition Bloc ndash pro-Russian coalition with close ties to Yanukovych The other side of Ukrainersquos political spectrum is clearly pro-Russian With 388 of the votes the Communist Party of Ukraine fell below the 5 threshold for the first time since it was founded in 1993 as the direct descendant of the Communist Party of Ukraine a branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Opposition Bloc remains the only pro-Russian opposition party in parliament Founded in September 2014 the coalition party comprises six groups with strong ties to Yanukovychrsquos former government The bloc is led by Yuiry Boyko ndash former vice-prime minister and energy minister under Yanukovych ndash who claims that his party is lsquothe voice of eastern Ukraine the industrial party of the countryrsquo The bloc advocates a peaceful solution to the Donbas conflict and gained 943 of the votes (29 seats) placing it fourth The partys 2014 election program was social-liberal and pro-Russian The partys platform envisages protecting the status of Russian as a regional language The party wants maximum decentralization for Ukraine The party want a non-aligned status for Ukraine and prevent it from becoming a NATO member In the War in Donbass the party advocated to end the conflict by peaceful means and by negotiating with Russia The party rejects the March 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia and wants peace in united Ukraine within the borders of 1991 Leader Anatoly Kornienko | Program

OLEH LYASHKOrsquos RADICAL PARTY The Radical Party lsquowild cardsrsquo sponsored by oligarchs The Radical Party was founded in 2010 as the Ukrainian Radical-Democratic Party and has had its current name and leader Oleh Lashko since 2011 The party came in fifth with 744 of the votes (22 seats) Sponsored by oligarchs and with few ties to Euromaidan activists Lashko and his MPs are seen as wild cards likely to behave lsquounpredictablyrsquo in Ukrainersquos Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Lashko promoted the partyrsquos radical populist profile on oligarchic TV and favors the use of force to resolve the conflict

Program

The Radical Partyrsquos rise suggests that the countryrsquos politics are skewing more and more populist After the Maidan Revolution in February Russia claimed that the countryrsquos far-right parties Svoboda and Pravy Sektor enjoyed significant support In reality their presidential candidates each won less than 2 percent of the popular vote in May But months of war and hardship have radicalized many Ukrainians And populists like Lyashko are now benefiting from that voter anger The party emphasizes the need to take on Ukrainersquos internal enemies mdash separatists and corrupt officials mdash and to rearm the country with nuclear weapons

Lyashko Mocks Detained Defense Chief Donetsk

Presidential candidate Lyashko kidnapped his rivals

Like his electoral competitors Lyashko thinks Ukraine ought to enter the European Union and NATO So to separate himself from the pack he has branded himself Ukrainersquos anti-oligarchic leader promising credits for small and medium-sized enterprises and vowing to push rich businessmen out of Ukrainian politics

FATHERLAND

Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) from driving force to smallest party in Verkhovna Rada Yulia Timoshenkorsquos Batkivshchyna party was founded in 1999 and was one of the most important political parties in Ukraine until 2014 when Yatsenyuk left and founded the Peoplersquos Front Votersrsquo support fell to 568 (19 seats) down from 13 in the May presidential election The centre-right pro-European party advocates a military solution to the conflict in Donbas Program laquoУкраїна переможеraquo

1960 - Born in Dnipropetrovsk industrial city in eastern Ukraine Trained as engineer and economist 1990s - runs United Energy Systems of Ukraine and becomes very rich 1999-2001 serves in energy ministry but falls out with government of Leonid Kuchma 2004 - Kuchma candidate Viktor Yanukovych elected president but result widely condemned as rigged Huge Orange Revolution street protests led by Tymoshenko and ally Viktor Yushchenko defeat Yanukovych in a blow to Russia 2005 - Tymoshenko becomes PM but relations sour with President Yushchenko 2010 - Yanukovych beats her in presidential election 2011 - Jailed for seven years for abuse of power over gas deal with Russia February 2014 - Released from prison hospital BBC Yulia Tymoshenko

UNRECOGNIZED ELECTIONS IN DONBASS Unrecognized lsquoelectionsrsquo in Donbas with predictable outcome On 2 November 2014 pro-Russian rebels held lsquoelectionsrsquo in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk peoplersquos republics although the Minsk protocol stipulated that local elections were to be held in December In both lsquopeoplersquos republicsrsquo the pro-Russian separatist leaders claimed victory and were sworn in as presidents Ukrainersquos President Poroshenko condemned the elections as illegitimate and urged Russia lsquonot to recognize the so-called elections because they are a clear violation of the 5 September Minsk protocolrsquo EU High Representative Federica Mogherini called the vote an lsquoobstaclersquo to peace and said the EU would not recognize it Only Moscow backed the vote saying it lsquorespects the will of the people of south-eastrsquo Ukraine

Voter turnout in Donetsk Oblast (situated in the Donbass) in the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election

Light green colored parts of the Donetsk Oblast took part in the Ukrainian parliamentary election purple coloured parts in the 2 November Donetsk Peoples Republic elections and yellow parts took part in neither

OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES

Peoples Movement of Ukraine Ukrainian Republican Party Assembly Ukrainian Social Democratic Party (before 2012) Fatherland Forward Ukraine Ukrainian Peoples Party Republican Christian Party Reforms and Order Party Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists Our Ukraine European Party of Ukraine

Communist Party of Ukraine Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine Peasant Party of Ukraine Party of Regions Labour Ukraine Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine Ukraine ndash Forward

Socialist Party of Ukraine Party of Greens of Ukraine Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (United) Community Peoples Democratic Party Agrarian Party of Ukraine Christian Democratic Union Liberal Party of Ukraine Youth Party of Ukraine Solidarity (phantom party) Motherland Defenders Party

PRO-WESTERN PRO-RUSSIAN SWITCHING

INTERPOL ndash UKRAINIAN POLITICIANS

Viktor Yanukovych Misappropriation embezzlement or conversion of property by malversation if committed in respect of an especially gross amount or by an organized group

Mykola Azarov Misappropriation embezzlement or conversion of property by malversation if committed in respect of an especially gross amount or by an organized group

Iurii Kolobov Misappropriation embezzlement or conversion of property by malversation if committed in respect of an especially gross amount or by an organized group

Georgii Dzekon (identity unknown)

Source Interpol

MYKOLA AZAROV

15 Jan 2015 Interpol Red Notice for misappropriation embezzlement or conversion of property by malversation if committed in respect of an especially gross amount or by an organized group

Source Interpol

Azarov resigned 28 January 2014 amid heavy riots and the Euromaidan protests According to his cabinet Azarov was quoted saying that In order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise for the sake of the peaceful settlement of the conflict I have made a personal decision to ask the Ukrainian president to accept my resignation from the post of Ukrainian prime ministerldquo Azarov flew to Austria to join family members in a private jet hours after quitting As of 23 February 2014 Azarov is based in the Russian Federation On 29 March 2014 during a party congress Azarov was expelled from the Party of Regions

Prime minister in Yanukovychrsquos cabinet 11 March 2010 ndash 28 January 2014

IURII KOLOBOV Source Interpol

Minister of Finance February 28 2012ndash February 27 2014

Kolobov has worked for the State Savings Bank of Ukraine the BTA Bank the Finance Company Kibrit State Export-Import Bank of Ukraine (UkrExImBank) and the National Bank of Ukraine

In 2012 he was appointed Minister of Finance On 25 Sep 2014 Ukraine opened a criminal probe into Kolobov he is accused of illegally transferring a $450000 fee to Russiarsquos state-run VTB Capital as a kickback for the 17 December 2013 UkrainianndashRussian action plan Five days later a criminal probe into Kolobov was opened for embezzling Ukrtelekom

Since 3 July 2014 Kolobov is in the international wanted list for abuse of power Russian prosecutors refuse to extradite Kolobov to Ukraine

INTERPOL

Wanted by the US 8

OUTLOOK 2015

Beleaguered government faces severe obstacles in 2015 Coalition governments in Ukraine tend to be fragile and the lsquoEuropean Ukraine Coalitionrsquo will face further Russian economic and military pressure on the one hand ndash with the threat of gas crises a lsquoCrimean Corridorrsquo offensive from Russia and potential intensified fighting in the Donbas lsquorepublicsrsquo ndash and calls for lustration and wide-ranging reforms on the other Any compromise regarding Moscowrsquos control over Crimea Donetsk and Luhansk could challenge the pro-European course and create rifts in the coalition At the same time the lustration process could split the coalition between hardliners and those advocating a softer approach In addition to this Ukraine is on the verge of financial collapse which would end its access to international capital markets The EU granted a financial support package worth up to euro11 billion to Ukraine in March 2014 to assist the transition process and stabilise the economy Yatsenyuk stated on 16 December that to lsquoovercomersquo anticipated difficulties in 2015 Kiev has a lsquodesperate needrsquo for international financial support On 8 January the Commission proposed to provide a further euro18 billion of macro-financial assistance adding to euro16 billion within the euro11 billion package from 2014

US AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE

April 2014

July 2014 Geoffrey R Pyatt Ambassador to Ukraine (August 3 2013 - )

Bruce Donahue Deputy Chief of Mission

March 2014

FBI Contacts

US REPRESENTATION TO UKRAINE

USOSCE Statements on the Crisis in Ukraine bull Vienna Austria bull Ambassador Ian C Kelly bull Deputy Chief of Mission Carol S Fuller

Current USAID Projects

The US Mission to the OSCE is composed of representatives of the Department of State the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Defense Department and of the joint CongressionalExecutive Branch Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe also known as the Helsinki Commission) The Mission was established in 1975 shortly after the OSCE was created by the Helsinki Accords The Mission represents the United States in the Permanent Council of the OSCE as well as in the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) The Mission also monitors implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty in the Joint Consultative Group (JCG) and represents the US in the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC)

Office of the US Trade Representative

Nataliya Mykolska appointed deputy minister of economic development and trade

FBI Legal Attacheacute James W Price

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN UKRAINE Delegation of the European Union European Bank for Reconstruction and Development International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Ukraine International Finance Corporation International Monetary Fund Resident Representative Office in Ukraine International Organization for Migration Mission in Ukraine (IOM) NATO Information and Documentation Center NATO Liaison Office in Ukraine Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Project Coordinator in Ukraine Science and Technology Center in Ukraine UN High Commissioner Mission for Refugees in Ukraine Belarus and Moldova United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Office in Ukraine World Bank Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine Canadian International Development Agency Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency International Renaissance Foundation British Council United Nations Development Program United Nations Swiss Cooperation Office MATRA Program ndash the Royal Netherlands German Technical Cooperation Office (GTZ) Source MFA Ukraine

UKRAINE IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Source MFA Ukraine

Cooperation with International Organizations Council of Europe UNESCO NATO BSEC UN peacekeeping activities

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

Full list with links

OSCE MISSIONS Arms control Border management Combating human trafficking Combating terrorism Conflict prevention and resolution Democratization Economic activities Education Elections Environmental activities Gender equality Good governance Human rights Media freedom and development Military reform and co-operation Minority rights Policing Roma and Sinti Rule of law Tolerance and non-discrimination

OSCE MISSION MANDATE The monitors are mandated to contribute to reducing tensions and to help foster peace stability and security The Mission engages with authorities at all levels as well as civil society ethnic and religious groups and local communities to facilitate dialogue on the ground The Mission will gather information and report on the security situation establish and report facts in response to specific incidents including those concerning alleged violations of fundamental OSCE principles

Decision No 1117 Mar 2014 Fact sheet Mar 2015