Andrei Sakharov's Theory of Symmetry

It has been a quarter of a century since the passing of Andrei Sakharov a Nobel Prize winning physicist, dissident and civil rights activist, and I sometimes wonder how little has changed in Russia since then? Particularly since Russia's invasion of Crimea and its incursion into the Donbass region with some of the finest of its elite troops and hired mercenaries from over four-thousand kilometres away. These actions on behalf of the Kremlin, while now different from those which were part of Sakharov's “theory of symmetry” on Soviet society, have created much of the same effect as during Soviet times.

Additionally, the West's reaction to the Kremlin's “debonaire terrorist” attitude towards Ukraine and all aspects of international law has resulted in the Russian rouble being the worst currency in the world. I a typical isolationist and Soviet mentality, there has been a call to make it illegal for retailers to advertise the price of their goods in any currency other than roubles. Paired, with this the Kremlin is recruiting a whole new echelon of “patriotic snitches” known as “stukachi” in Soviet times; let's not forget that the Russian Orthodox Church has played such a role for the Kremlin since the passing of Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow.

While many individuals would probably never remember such a day, the day that I heard of Andrei Sakharov's death is frozen in my mind's eye like it was yesterday. In the mid to late 1980s I became extremely active in the Ukrainian-Canadian students' movement, both in helping to revive Ukrainian Student's Clubs at the universities I attended and taking an active role in the Ukrainian Canadian Students' Union, hereafter SUSK, leadership as Vice-President Laurentian as the position was then called. As anyone who knows me I have always tried to maintain contact with friends wherever we end up on the face of the planet and in December of 1989 while studying at McGill University and in my official position with SUSK I was informed by colleagues in Ottawa that we would be having a visiting scholar from Ukraine who had spent a semester at the University of Alberta, and who was returning to Ukraine, via the standard route in those days – Montreal – Moscow -Kyiv.



Our Visitor – My Task

After his stint at the University of Alberta in Edmonton Vasyl Yaremenko travelled eastward before returning to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the USSR. A good friend of mine Wally Barabash drove him from Ottawa to Montreal where he delivered a talk on the situation and revival of the Ukrainian language in Gorbachev's period of “perebudova”. While our visitor stayed with well-known Holodmor historian professor Roman Serbyn, my friend Wally stayed with me until he had to drive Vasyl Yaremenko to the now non-existent Mirabel Airport some sixty-five kilometres north of Montreal and designated as our international airport of the day.



The day he was to leave was a cold sunny and bright December day. Vasyl Yaremenko had made one request of myself and Wally before he drove him to the airport. It was a simple request and one that was not uncommon for the time. It was to help him in selecting a boom-box for his son Bohdan. Clearly it would have to run on the 220 alternating current which electric and electronic devices operated in that part of the world.


Vasyl Yaremenko told me the price range he had budgeted for the day before Wally and I picked him up at Professor Serbyn's. This was not something I was not familiar with and thus I selected two electronics stores located proximate to Roman Serbyn's home, knowing both the quality of goods sold at the store and understanding the possibility of haggling with the shop-keep.


The News

When we walked into the shop cluttered with wall-to-wall electronics the first thing the three of us heard was the familiar hourly call signal of RFE/RL for shortwave broadcasts. It turned out that my first choice of shops was that of a former Refusenik who had managed to emigrate under the work carried out by Nathan Sharansky. It was then that we heard the news, in that cluttered but welcoming shop, that Andrei Sakaharov had died. He was sixty-eigth.


The four of us looked at one another. It was like the end of an era. Sakharov had embodied so much energy that was totally against what the entire Soviet system stood for. We all looked at one another, there was a complete silence in our space, with the exception of the announcer's voice, of the other relevant news from that part of the world. A part of the world still captured under the yoke of Moscow – in an evil system of domination and subjugation.


The shop-keep held his fore-head in his right hand when he heard the news, Yaremenko shook his head, stating that this was a great loss for freedom loving people everywhere, but particularly in the USSR.


It took a little while to shake this, but clearly longer for Yaremenko and the shop-keep. Once the initial shock wore off, I together with Wally took the time to narrow down the selection of the appropriate unit. Then we left the haggling on the price to the two, pretty-well peers, to work out the price. The entire haggle session which lasted about ten minutes was carried out in the Russian language and eventually Vasyl Yaremenko made a decision with our help. We walked out of that cluttered shop with a boom-box which would be appreciated in the future by his son Bohdan.


I'll never forget that day that when I heard of Andrei Sakharov's passing.


Before and After

Andrei Sakharov while in the Soviet Union fell very much in line with what was Dwight Eisenhower's concept of Atoms for Peace. The role he had as a physicist who understood his own nuclear undertaking came out in the early 1960s against nuclear proliferation. As time went on, Sakharov was branded as an enemy and traitor of the Soviet Union. Interesting now Moscow has returned to such labelling and ostracizing of their critical members of their society. Today, if Sakharov were still here he would face the same shit he faced when he protested against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He would be against Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and that is twenty-five years after his death we should honour him.


As for the decisions I made with Vasyl Yaremenko, I would learn about that connection during the summer of 1990.


During a SUSK planned trip to Ukraine in the summer of 1990 which started on July 1, I would learn of some close connections on a trip that meant a great deal to me. The first connection was primarily a connection with my deceased father. He unlike many who had travelled to the new world by ship had made a decision to fly to Canada his adoptive home after the great war.



My father flew from Brussels to Shannon, Ireland. This was followed with a hop to Gander, Newfoundland, and then on to Montreal. At about the same age as he was coming to the “New World” I was flying in the opposite direction with stops in Gander and Shannon. Howecer, my final stop in Kyiv and not Brussels, my paternal homeland.


Our Ukrainian student contacts of the day had contacts in Kyiv whom we would eventually be staying with for our first few days in Ukraine's capital – Kyiv.


On the first day of our stay I was introduced to a number of students and even one who I had know as one of the first graduands of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program – Ivan Tkachenko whom I had met the in Ottawa the summer before, while I was employed at the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa. When our small group of six students finally met Ivan and his family we were instantly introduced to his like-minded friends.


A Visit to Kharkivskiy Massiv

While it never really hit me at the time, during my first visit to Kyiv in July of 1990, I was getting some extremely privileged experiences. Ivan Tkachenko's father walked us from their flat on Gorkovoho, now Antonovycha, over to Pushkinska Street and through Shevchenko Park on that muggy July afternoon the day of our arrival. Ivan's father, a film maker, told us of how Jews were marched along Volodymyrska and then north to Babyn Yar. As we walked past 33 Volodymyrska Street my fellow student and friend playfully opened the door what was still the KGB HQ in Ukaine and fired off a few snaps with his camera. None of the officers were thrilled with his antics, and they followed him out on to the street as we passed his camera amongst our group, denying any such “espionage” had taken place.


We then went to the sight of the Church of the Tithes, looked out on Podil and Obolon'. In 1990 Ivan Tkachenko clearly stood out. He was wearing a pair of long-shorts with the cartoon character “Yosemite Sam” blazing his guns and clearly a shout out to the people of Ukraine of 1990.


While chronology doesn't matter in this retelling of this tale, eventually we all ended up at an apartment at Kharkivskiy Massiv. At the moment we arrived there we only knew we were at Bohdan's place and that his parents were at their “dacha”, or cottage.

Right to Left - Top to Bottom: Bohdan Yaremenko, Ivan Tkachenko, Yuriy Tatukh, Greg Kindiak, Nadia Homonko, Kateryna XXX, XXX XXX, Vasyl Pawlowsky, Serhiy Taran, Roman Ivanus

It was not long after we arrived there, our host Bohdan put on some music and we were invited to have some drinks. In less than half an hour of being there, one of my fellow Canadian students asked Bohdan where he had gotten his “boom box”. Of course he went on to explain how his father had been in Canada a few years earlier, and how this guy Vasyl had picked out such a great piece of equipment for him. In all honesty, it didn't take me or anyone else to realize the connection and that I had been a principle of advising Bohdan Vasylovych on this particular product for his son.


Full Circle - 25 Years Less a Year

As we all know, Viktor Yanukovych – for anyone with normal vision, understood him as both a criminal and vassal of Moscovia decided to change Ukraine's publicly declared vector towards Europe, towards one aimed in a different direction; that of Tsar Putin's Eurasian Economic Union as a manner to re-establish the Soviet Union in USSR 2.0.



When it became clear that Yanukovych was not going to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, Mustafa Nayyem called on students to come out to Maidan, Kyiv's main square, though I think he is given too much credit for this movement as new generation had come to fruition from the Orange (R)evolution. They were not going to be fooled again, and it wasn't simply his call to action, but their own initiative and the witnessing of empty promises of Viktor Yushchenko, the poster boy of democracy in Ukraine. Unfortunately, too much credit is being given to people like Nayem who may be great at what they did and do professionally but are far from ready to be involved in politics in a still very immature political culture with no party discipline and no political checks and balances.



While, many like to credit Nayyem with what happened and what started the EuroMaidan movement – they are all mistaken and have oversimplified the situation and once again catapulted, a number of individuals who are popular, into politics for the wrong reasons. This,which seems to have bevcome a phenomenon of Ukraine's last two revolutions, will once again retard political development in Ukraine. It is equally as stupid as Yulia Tymoshenko's populist tact of utilizing Nadia Savchenko as a political candidate in their retarded and non-democratic but populist list system.



A few days after Nayem, purportedly started the Euromaidan movement via Facebook, there was a brutal crack-down on the peacefully protesting students on Maidan.



When that happened, my old acquaintance, Bohdan Yaremenko, then in Ukraine's Foreign Service and then posted in Istanbul, called a spade a spade. He equated the crack down on student's on Maidan as being the same as the Nazi regime upon Jews in Germany during the Third Reich. He wasn't far off, but given the criminal regime of Yanukovych then he was recalled from Istanbul and his political post.



Let's Not Repeat Mistakes

I hope for the sake of those who died of the Heavenly Hundred and those who are continuing to die in the Donbass region, that those who've been elected to the Verkhovna Rada will continuously check themselves and the reasons they are there. They must all realize that if they become complacent in the requirements for change that there are still plenty of civic watch-dogs ready to snap at their heels, and if necessary, bite them in the ass.



The newly formed Cabinet of Ministers has been in principle been given carte-blanche for a year. How well the government will perform will not only be their responsibility, but that of the VR in ensuring that required reform legislation is passed. Though we've seen a similar scenario, where some good legislation made it through the VR, though it was never implemented or enforced – and when people broke the law they were never punished. This has to change if Ukraine wants to move forward, and not besmirch those who have paid the ultimate price.



There is unfortunately a group of members of Ukraine's VR that will do everything possible to throw a spanner into the works and make it more difficult to pass legislation. The extremely unimaginative and ass-backwards thinking group that calls themselves the “Oppositional Block” consists of twenty-nine members in the Verkhovna Rada. A good number of these individuals are dubious characters and leftovers from Yanukovych's criminal regime who should all be sitting in prison for their voting behaviour on January 16, 2014, for a package of laws which would restrict practically any type of civil dissent and give law-enforcement agencies wide-ranging powers to suppress such dissent. This legislation came to be known as the “Dictatorial Laws” passed on Black Thursday.



To not repeat many of the same mistakes made in the past in particular on deputies who've been elected to the VR – is that their immunity which puts them above the law must be eliminated immediately. This immunity is similar and a hold over to a period when Sakharov postulated a “theory of symmetry”. “...Our state is similar to a cancer cell – with its messianism and expansionism, its totalitarian suppression of dissent, the authoritarian structure of power, with a total absence of public control in the most important decisions in domestic and foreign policy, a closed society that does not inform its citizens of anything substantial, closed to the outside world, without freedom of travel or the exchange of information.”


This quote of Sakharov's is the exact direction to which the Russian Federation is returning. A Russian Federation guided by a KGB crony with a Napoleon Complex.

Supporting Rule of Law: Quick Wins

While, Ukraine is making very valiant efforts to breakaway from its Soviet legacy, the most important changes it must make are in Rule of Law. This is something I have written about in the past, though at this time, I would like to direct you all to my fellow Canadian, Daniel Bilak's opinion piece in the Kyiv Post called Nine Quick Wins For Justice.


While, I am not an expert on legal matters, I can support those matters that I felt effected my decade experience living in Ukraine. We all know that i will agree with QW1, as it is something I have stated above.


QW2: I remember when I was still working in journalism and about to make my way back to librarianship/information services at one of Ukraine's leading law firms in early 2003 when Ukraine's new Civil Code came to light. I saw many things where the conflict of interest of the State and private interests created expenses to many parties which were unnecessary.


QW3: The issue of judges in Ukraine must be investigated, not only at the level that Bilak mentions but at all levels. Transparency and rule of law are once again important. In 2001 I had a family member in a regional city whose husband wanted to take things into his own hands and use a third party outside of the law. I convinced her and him to work with civic organizations in that city to resolve their issues.


QW4: Yes, the issue between civil servants and public masters needs a change, both between the understanding of those civil servants and on behalf of citizens expecting service and not being dictated to. Ukraine could benefit by removing up to three layers least of duplication in services which are to work for society and its people.


QW5: Over ten years ago there were projects supported by TACIS and other organizations for such important aspects of Ukrainian life. Unfortunately, internal corruption of the system, never let those project come to fruition.


QW6: Please remember that volunteerism and civic activism has been by many as a way to ingratiate themselves and close family members. I know this for a fact and I have plenty of evidence to prove it. Let's be careful with this area. I know it inside and out.


QW7: I know this area personally having spent easily close to five times at a least for equivalent services in Canada – and that was in the best case scenario. Along with this from a Canadian point of view; the idiocy of company seals and stamps is nonsense and an additional cost creating a nonsensical industry of stamps.


QW8: Under the current situation, the rule of law is not being satisfied.


Finally Daniel Bilak's “Quick Win's” and I hope that there will be an appropriate implantation of these Quick Wins.

QW9: Communication is key. There are plenty of top notch NGOs which I had the great opportunity to work with. Communication was always their key and they have trained many along the way. I hope that as in the past that the government of Ukraine and it's advisers continue to listen to the tell of the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation.


I'm not someone dislocated from the needs many of us have had for a quarter of a century. I hope that those new “foreign” members of the government will make sure these matters are implemented, and they will bear the necessary fruit.


Foreign Input

Ukraine must take the proper steps that Ukrainians from abroad have taken for so many years. Ukraine, somehow always rejected a Jewish model. A model of inviting Ukrainians and foreigners to build a nation. Those who reject this approach are simply out to lunch, but at the same time only wanting to garner more than they are worth. This same approach of barring new approaches to investment took place during the 2012 Euro bid and unfortunately the transparency that is necessary will not tell us all who Sadoviy really is? I experienced this personally therefore I have a great scepticism of what Samopomich involved with Sadoviy is. If you followed the matter in 2012, you will have to wonder? Is Samopomich a criminal organization as all other political parties. I hope I am wrong, but at the same time I will love to say – I told you so. I have very little trust in Sadoviy and his team in terms of professionalism based on my personal professional experience.


Now,when experience is important, we again have the Soviet approach towards a new government that wants to gather the best people possible. Let's make every possible moment count for Ukraine's new government. Let's help Ukraine move as far away as possible from a theory of symmetry.

Vasyl Pawlowsky Independent Consultant

The commentary of this was first published on the WPawlowsky.com site.

The V4 Must Help Ukraine Win its Struggle for a Democratic Future

In the near future I will be having guest posts from contacts I have globally. The first of these guest posts is below.

By Volodomyr Valkov

In November 2013 Ukraine was peacefully preparing to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union at the Vilnius summit. Back then it would have probably been considered an absolute hallucinating nonsense to say that in just several months Ukraine would be swallowed by the murder of civilians, outright annexation, terrorism, military conflict, missile fire, and crashing planes.

In a matter of a few months Russia has stolen a huge part of Ukraine’s territory, forever introduced the reality of terrorism into the hearts of many Ukrainians, orchestrated a separatist movement in eastern Ukraine, and started the process of creating two grotesque breakaway republics known as the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. The most recent and most somber consequence of this political whirlwind is the tragic loss of lives in the downing of flight MH17.

There are important conclusions that we need to draw from the crisis in Ukraine. First, Russia (as in Vladimir Putin and his circle) has zero tolerance for the democratization of the post-Soviet space, especially in neighboring Ukraine. After all, Ukraine transports 80% of Russian gas to Europe, is the second largest buyer of Russian gas after Germany, has over 1,800 defense enterprises – some of which have unique capabilities in the indigenous production of ships, submarines, missiles, and other armaments – and possesses valuable human capital and large reserves of fertile land, important minerals, and natural resources.

All of Ukraine’s assets would be easy to control if Viktor Yanukovych had stayed in power. Yanukovych and his pro-Russian successors were supposed to oversee Ukraine’s accession to the Eurasian Union. Yanukovych almost completely eroded Ukraine’s defense potential, maintained Ukraine’s astronomic energy inefficiency, increased the presence of Russia’s military base in Crimea, amended the Constitution to usurp power, limited civil liberties, and was about to sell Russia control over the Ukrainian gas transport system.

The second lesson is that international security is a fragile concept. A difficult conflict can develop very quickly, affecting many more states that the warring parties themselves. The shocking way in which the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 has rapidly affected many different countries is a demonstration of the unpredictable, gruesome nature of conflict in a globalized, interconnected world. In a matter of days, the supposedly limited conflict has instantaneously spilled over to the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Great Britain, South Africa, the United States, Canada, and Germany.

Most likely, even the Russian side did not anticipate that the MH17 disaster could have ever been produced by terrorists under its control. Nevertheless, Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, and the ideological and material sponsorship of the military fighting in eastern parts of Ukraine, including the supply of sophisticated weaponry to these terrorists, has irresponsibly claimed the lives of too many innocent people.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has been given different names, including hybrid war and proxy war. The main point is that it is, in fact, a war. Currently, the war is limited, but the fate of MH17 demonstrates the susceptibility of this war to expansion.

The countries of the V4 must take important lessons from this tragedy. Their own experience of Soviet rule and thus a deeper understanding of Putin’s actions, must serve as a constant reminder that only a democratic, united, and independent Ukraine can be a reliable, secure, and beneficial neighbor and partner. The V4 need to pass this knowledge along with foreign and security policy recommendations over to the rest of Europe and their allies in order to help Ukraine win its struggle for a democratic future.


Volodymyr Valkov is a human rights activist, researcher, and political analyst, as well as a project manager at the American Jewish Ukrainian Bureau for Human Rights “UCSJ” in Lviv, Ukraine. He holds an MA in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.


This piece originally appeared at: Visegrad/Insight


I hope you enjoyed reading this guest's post and look forward to having more of his material in the future.

Vasyl Pawlowsky Independent Consultant

A Call Out to President Poroshenko – Your Inaugural Address

Image: CNN


Dear Mr. President Poroshenko,

As a Canadian of Ukrainian heritage and someone who has dedicated at least all of my adult life to Ukrainian issues including working on democracy development during my nearly ten years living in Ukraine, I would like to congratulate you on your election on May 25, 2013 and upon your inaugural address which you made on June 7, 2014. I wish you Godspeed in trying to accomplish all that must be accomplished during the very difficult times for our nation.

Yes, I have claimed Ukraine as “our” nation because true Ukrainians wherever they may be hold Ukraine in their hearts and minds. While still under the yoke of Soviet oppression many Ukrainians beyond its borders carried our flag when no one had an inkling of the significance of the azure blue and yellow of our country's flag. Things have changed greatly in nearly a quarter of century though it is due time that Ukraine takes its place amongst civilized and dignified nations.

I would now like to comment on your inaugural address. Not as some highly paid analyst, but as someone who looks at things in a slightly different way. Anyone who has read my commentary in the past clearly know where my loyalties lie.

No Modern Ukrainian Nation Without Bloodshed

While the world in the past held up Ukraine as a poster-child of democracy just a little more than nine-years ago after the Orange (R)evolution, I somehow understood very quickly that I was completely justified in refering that period in 1994 as a period of evolution and not revolution. In 2011 I was asked to write an OP-ED for a Ukrainian e-publication, due to some tecnical difficulties I ended up having to self-publish my opinion piece, entitled “Bigger Sticks and Carrots, for Some in Ukraine”. In that piece I clearly put forth the following:

“While I do not condone violent uprising in Ukraine as a way of bringing about the needed changes, it is a prospect that seems to become increasingly realistic if the current authoritarian trends continue to be exerted further and further. People are now being pushed and jostled a little harder than Kuchma dared to push! The decisively anti-national, and socio-economically erosive policies are in fact, riling people in Ukraine to the point that I have not once on various Ukrainian fora seen it being asserted that peaceful means of resistance are no longer considered to be a viable option.”

Apparently, my writing had sparked some discussion and one individual mentioned that sometime before my statements above, former Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Dr. Yuri Shcherbak speaking to a Toronto audienced stated that “he believed the situation in Ukraine will not be changed without violence.”

Mr. President Poroshenko, unfortunately, my statements somehow became prophetic. There were many heros in Ukraine's past – though these contemporary heroes, Ukraine's Heavenly Hundred was just the beginning, unfortunately. Since then through criminal means have been used to try to destablize Ukraine and more innocent lives were lost. It was very appropriate that you had a moment of silence for these heroes. There have been others who have become innocent victims of these criminal/terrorists with extremely modern and foreign weaponry clearly pointing out who is santctioning their criminality. Those responsible have to be brought to full international accountability for their terroristic means of trying to destabilize Ukraine.

Fig Leaf and Bandit

Mr. President Poroshenko, I appreciate that you want to get down to business in creatng peace and stability and Ukriane's territorial integrity! Without these, conducting business in even its simplest forms is not even possible. You for certain understand the importance of stability for distribution networks, and even as a person going about their day-to-day business. Due to the criminal annexation of Crimea I have friends in Canada who's busineses have suffered a great deal as well as the possibility of Canadian-Ukrainian business projects. Not certain, but could a class action international lawsuit be launched against the perpetrators of this act?

The simple business operations have been denied to the people of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts – and I hear about this daily not only from distant contacts living in those regions, but also from a friend and neighbour who's wife is from Luhansk and still has family members there. I have another acqaintance now living here who's brother was involved ATO in those regions and who was seriously injured, and from thousands of kilometres away he has to comfort his mother. Though this even raises a more core issue? Why did these people leave Ukraine?

I wholeheartedly support that you don't need to be carrying out discussions with criminals and are trying to reach out to the common person in those regions – I believe that due to the media access and choice of media which they have been exposed to they are very suspect of you as President, though nevertheless there are probably thousands of individuals who wanted to vote last week though feared for their lives. Clearly a frank dialogue must be restablished with the people of this doubting region, but also with all of Ukraine.

Regarding mercenaries they should be allowed to ruturn home, though it sould be made official who was financing them and what they cost. If it is criminal Yanukovych, then it is Putin's responsibility to use his due influence on him and recall those soldiers of fortune being paid no doubt with funds which Yanukovych stole from the Ukrainian people, Putin for the first time in his life do the right thing. Extradite Yanukovych to Ukraine to face trial for his criminality or face the wrath of those he treated like second class citizens, much in the way the pakhan treats his underlings. Remember criminals like him have their own system of justice, so before any of that crap happens it should be also a priority for Ukraine to ensure all the funds he stole are repatriated, because his time of being pakhan are over and those funds will be absorbed by the pakhan of the Russian Federation.

Mr. President Poroshenko, I think that those in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts that doubt just what a criminal Yanukovch ever was and still is. Find a public relations means to show these individuals just what an opulent pig he was. Clearly, the media they were watching in their regions wasn't lettting them see what a Nero he was. There was no violin for him in his collesium – his Rome burnt in a different way... as he fled to his puppetmaster, his cronies attempted to destry the evidence of just what a scum he was. His vassals of 17 years have to know the truth! Set up travel tours of Mezhyhirya at a reduced rate for those individuals so they can see the opulence with their own eyes. Let the see where their pensions went! I want them all to be free! Even those in Hughesivka – who want to speak Welsh?

Trust no one – Particularly your enemies

Mr. President Poroshenko, it is all very easy to say in retrospect that we should have done this over that! One of those matters was the Budapest Memorandum. Back in the years before that I had many discussions on Ukraine's nuclear arsenal – in my heart I told friends that I didn't believe that it would be respected. Particularly with a signatory like Russia that has been lying for the last half millenia of its existence. The friends I debated this the most about were some of the early heros of our country, even before Ukraine introduced the Hryvnia as its national currency!

“But freedom is not given once and forever. One must always struggle for it,” as you stated in your innaugural adress Mr. President is very to the point. I spoke on such a them to many while living in Ukraine with my deceased friend Ilko Kucheriv. In short, a greater part of democracy happens between ballot boxes. This was clearly demonstrated in the last six months in Ukraine. I just hope that peace comes to Ukraine and that we never again experience such violence preceding the vote, as demonstrated by the terrorists in the east of the country. Politicians have to be held accountable and have no right to be above the law. This is not part of a democracy!

Now to the military side of things! There are plenty of theories of how the military became nothing more than a piece of paper! I don't have time to get into it Mr. President, though I would like to commend those individuals who have used social media in order to crowdsource the funds needed for very short term needs of the Ukrainian army. There are a few individuals should be at least given a thank you, though it is time that the funds needed for Ukraine's military needs be raised by the state in order to meet its needs.

Regarding true hardware and techonologies! We have some unique manufacturers and now we must ensure they find local and international markets. In this stage of reorientation of the military industrial complex should be carefully evaluated. In addition, with a the type of friend Ukraine has as a neighbour, it is time for Ukraine to re-arm itself in such a way that such wanton use of terror never happen in Ukraine again.

On last matter, it is time that Ukraine's law enforcement agencies be reformed to meet the standards of Ukraine's western neighbours.

The Rule of Law for a New Ukraine

Mr. President Poroshenko, in your inaugural address you state, “It's time to build a new big country. Modern, high-tech, tenable, competitive country.” This is not a new idea, and I'm quite certain I heard such talk in the early 1990s, before Ukraine had a new constitution and before the hryvnia was introduced in the autumn of 1996 as Ukraine's national currency. However, why hasn't Ukraine developed as such over all these years? It is actually we could all enumerate a list as long as your forearm, but in fact it is a lot simpler than that. It's a very simple phrase and principle known as The Rule of Law. Many of Ukraine's problems can be solved by adhering to this simple princple.

Ukraine has plenty of good legislation on the books though it must be implemented equally and fairly for all citizens of Ukraine as well as to its visitors, and business persons. In order to do there there are many reforms which will be necessary and one of these is to reduce the ratio of police to population ratio and to ensure that those individuals are to there to police are there for the right reasons. This will involve the appropriate screening and training of what will be a new and professional police force. These law enforcement officials must be paid at a level which would put them in a position that would not require them to even have the slightest desire to ask for a bribe of anyone for any reason. In fact doing so would become extremely costly, with fines, relief of duty without pay and possible incarceration. They will have to be examplary individuals who will set an example for the rest of society. Now let's return to the police to population ratio. I examined this at the beginning of this year in my piece Europe’s Sado-masochistic Approach Towards Ukraine and having done a bit of research I found that “Ukraine has about 644 at a minimum and other sources say that it is closer to 800 police officers to 100,000 population. In Canada that number stands at closer to 202 per 100,000” and most of Europe's police to population ratios range from 200 to 350 per 100,000 population, though there some anomalies in some countries. A goal should be set to reduce the police to population ratio by fifty percent in the next five years while at the same time improving the qualifications of the officers. The omni-presence of police officers is not good for tourism, particularly when they can't communicate with tourists and being a positive image of their city and more greatly of all of Ukraine.

You Mr. President Poroshenko, from your own experience know and understand the benefit speaking English affords you. Would you not say that it would be good for police officers to be able to speak more than just Ukrainian or Russian? A half-hearted effort was made in a PR effort to teach officers foreign languages prior to the Euro-2012, this should be a part of continuous improvement of all officers, particularly of those who are in cities considered to be tourist destinations.

When, The Rule of Law – becomes a priority for law enforcement, the judicial system and the population as a whole the changes necessary to “build a new big country” will be much more achievable. In doing so there will be foreign individuals and companies who will be encouraged to invest in the people of Ukraine, its most important resource in order to develop different niches within Ukraine's economy. The road map to doing business in Ukraine should be clear without any surprishing hair pin turns in the road as often is the case. Disputes between investors and the beneficiaries of such investments bust be dealt with fairly, which has often not been the case since Ukraine has become independent. I hope you Mr. President and the team that you assemble will work fastidiously in this area. It will play an important role in Ukraine's future and its contemporary history.

A World Culture of Ukraine

You are completely correct in stating, “Nobody will protect us until we learn to defend ourselves.” Mr. President Poroshenko, well said in a military sense. Though those in people in Ukrainian society who are most vulnerable must also be protected by well targeted social policy and the rule of law. However, as grantor of Ukraine's constitution are you prepared to carry this over to cultural matters as well?

This is an area that will eventually need major reforms, though at this point it is not a priority, though it can be done by all consciencious Ukrainians simply as a matter of choice and the creation of a market demand. It must be given serious consideration if we are to develop a national cultural industry. This would include Ukrainian content laws which promote local musicians. This is something I have been dealing with for the last fifteen years in a number of different ways for Ukraine, but the same komsomol organizations let the garbage prosper at the cost of new talent. Music and culture can be a very vialble industry. Right now in Ukraine it is nothing, because of no structured policy and a lack of vision.

I will give you an example, in Canada because of Federal legislation and the competition created by it, I can hear about twenty contemporary bands who travel internationally, many that have not penetrated Ukraine yet, but who will in time. Sweden is another country who's cultural industry policy is well developed in exporting its cultural products abroad.

Ukrainian culture needs a policy. Not conceived by political hacks and musicians in favour of one group or another but composed of professionals who want to lift Ukraine culturally to a different level! It isn't what you think or what the average individual things about it. There has to be a systemic approach to culture, and this means cooperation and shared risk on projects, without the egos that so many seem to have.

This crisis has shown us a physical crisis – which I'm certain not all will ever understand, though the few times below have to be followed trough on in the cultural industry in Ukraine if it is to become a great country we would all like to see it become.
1) The last years of neglience of many aspects of Ukainian life has left us with a lot of third and fourth class artist making money for nothing!
2) We must eliminate the Soviet style of People's artist which has been simply another corrupt means of civil servants of lining their pockets, let the market decide on who is an artist, writer, performer or whatever other type of designations are given in the arts.
3) Copyright and intellectual property rights have to be respected in both contemporary arts as well as more traditional art forms.
Ukraine is a country full of uncut diamonds, they have to be show respect and given the opportunity to show their brilliance. Through the wise implementation of proper and progressive policies in this area, in concurrence with sticking to The Rule of Law, the progress that will be made in the very short period will give all Ukrainians regardless of where they live to be extremely proud to be Ukraine.

May God bless you and the people of Ukraine Mr. President Poroshenko in the challenges you face.

Sources: President Petro Poroshenko's Innaugural Address



Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant
The commentary of this was first published on the wpawlowsky.com site.

Russian Media: Lies or Truthful Bullshit

[This is meant to be a political satire, yeah right]

If there is any doubt in your mind about just how Russian media has become a propaganda tool until now, I hope that after you have read this that you will agree with me Russian media is following what I call the Goebbels School of Propaganda of Vladimir Putin. This has become even more evident with the events in South East Ukraine in the last couple of weeks. Though it started quite some time earlier when Russian medial was using a professional actress in different cities to simple play Putin's line on how hard Russians have it in Ukraine.She was in fact playing the roll of five different people. At the same time that this was going on the Goebbels School of Propaganda was claiming that Russians were fleeing Eastern Ukraine because they feared for their lives at the hands of the Ukrainian government which Moscow claimed was run by right-wing fascists;

As you can see from the captioning Juila Davis has done, this was not the eastern Ukrainian border but its western border with Poland. Soon after this there were other lies that would soon be unearthed. While Ms. Davis lists 20 lies, I am quite certain that mulitiplying that by a factor of five or even ten would probably be closer to the truth.

Being Canadian I follow national and local news just as carefully as I do events in Ukraine and anyone who knows me will tell you I have an incredible memory. Then I saw the image below online I immmediately recogonized it as one of Canada's major news stories during the summer of 2013 - the train derailment at Lac Mégantic. Clearly I wasn't the only one!

 This is clearly not Slovyansk in Eastern Ukraine!

Russian First National television went out on a limb and clearly lied. It stated that Dmytro Yarosh won Ukraine's Presidential Election of May 25, 2014 with 37% of the popular vote!


The lies just never seems to stop. The level to which the go in order to try to justify their policy towards to Ukraine hit another low during the early presidential elections after the criminal president Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine to Russia, knowing very well that he had gone over the top and Caucescu's fate awaited him. They had ramped up their rhetoric to such a degree that they had the Right Sector's Dmytro Yarhosh wiinning the Presidential race on May 25, when the entire world was aware that Petro Porosenko was clealy ahead in the polls

I had previously mentioned how Russia's main TV channel had really gond over board with that one in my Call out to President Elect Petro Poronshenkko. When I saw this I knew our little Napoleanic liar and propaganda machine had hit a low that was never even hit by that bastard Walter Duranty.

In fact, even under criminal Yanukovych I had seen how the propaganda machine in Ukraine was being ramped up, this was no doubt in Putin's greater plan. Even at the begiinning of this year before the slaughter on Maidan, it was evenident that Ukraine under Yanukovych's hand picked government were taking a 25 year step back. Finally, while I've been telling friends of mine that propoaganda in Ruissia is now worse than during the Soviet Union, the BBC is reporting this yesterday.

Please Vladimir Putin, as my friend Alexander Motyl wrote earlier this week, “Ukraine about constitutions, democracy, legitimacy, and stability.” You, like all your cronies in Ukraine have been nothing but a bunch of plaigarists – however, you have taken bullshit to a completely new level. You not only sanction terrorism but you have created an entire army of journalistic prostitutes in order to wage war on the truth.

The early truth is the following, you like the deposed criminal president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych were never elected through a democratic manner, and thus you have started to implement many anti-democratic and anti-humanitarian laws in order to try to grab the average peaceful and progressive Russian citizen by the genitalia and crush them. You are a dictator! Your vision for Russia, I am certain, and I hope will lead to your demise, as a child of the corrupt and criminal Soviet Union. You held that thug and bandit under your control for some time... When are you, you criminal going to extradite him to Ukraine to stand trial for his pillaging of the Ukrainian people over his very short period in power? I know you knew of all his criminal past and kind of held him by the balls so that he would do as you wanted – the KGB Vova holding the criminal Vitya by the balls – I'm sure you liked being in that position.

Some historical facts – not Soviet bullshit

The world has in fact isolated you because of your insolence and will do so more if you don't do something to provent your criminal army from even approach your Southwesterm most border with Ukraine. You can not Vova hold something together that inherently should not be one grandiose halfbreed state of ass-kissers to the Mongol Khans. Your problem isn't Ukraine even though you think it is. You continue to incite hatred for Ukrainians who grew sick of living under the criminal regime of Yanukovych. You had to incite the lies created by your mentor Stalin about a group of freedom fighters led by Stepan Bandera and no doubt you always considered Banderites to be Nazi-collaborators. This was all set to rest in the civilized world during the Nuremburg Trials, and most if not all Banderites were vindicated of any War Crimes. However, from reliable sources those volumes of the Nuremburg Trials were never published in the Soviet Union. Wasn't that very convenient and a way in which to create myths and lies, as opposed telling the truth!

You have tried to distract everyone from Ukraine by being a good buddy of the Chinese and signing a major energy deal. Like always you try to make things look a lot greater then the really are, its all smoke and mirrors to you. That craziness has made its way into the greatest depths of your management structures in natural resources – this will be your demise. This being the case the Chinese will not only deal with you personally, but also with the territories that you have no legal claim to at all. Yes, Vova, you are probably wondering why you souldn't have legal claims to the lands beyond the Urals. You yourself disrespect borders of countries, so when you don't deliver on the energy deals with China, I hope the march in and take that from you. In fact there are parts of your vast land where there are already millions of Chinese citizens contributing to local economies. They are relatively in a better position than being in China, but that is only because none of your cronies have decided to tell you about them. The corruption you have bread is well understood by the Chinese nationals living on your territory, dealing in contraband and not to your knowledge – because your cronies have become sick of you wanting your unfair piece of the pie!

To tell the truth to the world or to your own people Vova really is a kick in the nuts, isn't it? The social problems that exist are extremely troublesome, but you would rather just sweep it all under the rug like in Soviet times. There was never sex in the Soviet Union, no alchoholics, no abusive husbands, no drug users, no gays and lesbians. Clearly you are trying to recreate the Soviet Union. We all know how that ended – failed state.

Vova, I don't have any hard facts, but with the number of men being slaughtered during your so Called Great Patriotic War – it wouldn't surprise me if there were very many lesbian relationships. Why would this be the case? Now Vova, the battles around Kyiv were perfect examples of commanding officers having no damn regard for human life. Ukraine, Russsia and all your slave colonies suffered to the degree that they did because of two things: 1) Incompetence of its commanders 2) A lack of of human values and the possibility of preseving human life. The only contribution you made to defeating Nazi German was by using your citizens as cannon fodder.

Vova, why to hell are you in Normandy this week? I know, as in the past, you are trying to creating more myths for the sheep you lead. “We had thousands there to defeat the fascists!” While at the same time your young group of thugs known as Nashi continue with neo-nazi type training which is not only racist but sanctioned by yours truly.

Nashi Khuyovi

In this contemporary world Vova have created your own version of Khuylo in Wonderland with your Nashi fascist neo-nazi like love ins. Don't think the world doesn't think your boys were not behind the brutal beating of Oleg Kashin a few years back. I must digress for my North American friends, take the time to watch the documentary called “Putin's Kiss” it is available in many places as it should be.

Surprisingly, I heard about his beating not from your full tilt propoganda projects of Ruptly and Russia Today – two instruments which are so distant from any journalistic integrity, but through my journalistic circles. For my friends in North America – you should know that it is http://www.mhznetworks.org/ that carries the bullshit that is put forth by Russia Today. My resources are limited, but togther with a number of individuals we can start to apply pressure to Pubic Television to put a stop of broadcasting this propagandistic garbage. Freedom House, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other organizations who are are aware of Vova Putin's behaviour, can certainly, with their social reach do at least one thing. Ensure that Public Television stations in the United States which re-broadcast Russia Today let their viewers know how the content of Russia Today is produced, who it is backed by, and show just how unjournalistic this program is and most of us just can no long tolerate the lies of Russian media.

Personally, I like many other media watchers, watch the drivel of Russia Today in order to better understand the propaganda and to learn more of the web of lies being spun by MadVlad. It has become clear to me that Putin and all his buddies are Nazi lovers and are using the Goebbels School of Propaganda in order to fulfil their fascist fantasies. I think it is about time that American's and global purchasers of their blatant lies start to review what they are really buying from your propaganda machine?

I've met many Russians over the last quarter of a century or more. Mr. Khuylo ....yes, Vova pay attention I'm talking to you. These Russians are not like you or anything you try to portray them to be. I and most of the civilized world understands that you have most of your citizens by the short and curlies. You have created laws and implemented them to protect your “people” from the evils of other forms of Slavic Christianity and heaven forbid, any other religion. Not to mention the basic human values that real democracies expouse. Too often we have heard the following drivel: “You have particularities in your democratic system.” You may be able to fool a lot of your own people, though you fooled neither Anna Politkovskaya, Sergei Magnitsky nor Oleg Kashin – and when you knew they were getting just a little too close to the truth you and your minions sanctioned their elimination or beating.

Oh, by the way Mr. Khuylo, remember, when you were a little piece of shit with the KGB.... Were you not an athiest then Mr. Khuylo? Of course you were! And like in the past the KGB/FSB employ's the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. You my little religious-androgonous piece of shit you continue to abuse the same structures!

You and the traitor of Ukraine Oleh Tsariov – who now has a bounty on his head of $500,000 are really expendable. You like to pretend you are above everything – above the law, but if you are a Christian – it is clear you are going to hell along with many of the FSB operatives of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church. In fact, I do hope that the doucebag Tsariov is captured... and tried, because he, like your type, have loved to abscond with funds that were meant for other public matters. I'm a cruel bastard Mr. Khuylo...I'm sure you will like to know the way I would like him punished!

Even though June 6, was established as Day of the Journalist back in Soviet times, I can't see anything real for those who call themselves journalists in Russia to have anything to celebrate today. You have become their pimp and you tell them whether they are allowed to open their legs for, who they are to have as clients - it seems that they only serve you.

Double Standard Traitor

Hey, Mr. Khuylo... and dictator of the Russian Federation – by the way there are fifteen revolts starting up in your “Federation”! Are you aware of them? Don't worry! You're fucked in a matter of time!
While you look at Moscow as some type of bastion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Moscow is nothing... it was created simply by being a little prostitute to the Mongols who were truly sodomizing your Moscovite women, your boys and your men. However, rather than fight – you gave in and became little pieces of shit of the Mongol Empire! It took a few centuries, but you bastards figured it out! You had become people of the Steppe and you were not Slav's in any way! The crap that you Mr. Khuylo have been putting down on good Russians who think they are Slavic people.

Have you ever wondered why your folk can't understand squat when speaking to Slovaks, Poles, Belarusians... you keep on trying to affirm that you the “older brother” of the Slavic people... Mr. Khuylo the arguements of you being Slavic people for you and all your followers doesn't hold water. Russians have been lied to by Moscovy for the last four to five hundred years.

The Russian language has no relationship to other Slavic languages, and the sooner you give up this lie the better off you will be! I know, you are of the school never give up on your lies. The idiots of the world believe this, while Ukainians have been taught from their childhood not to tell lies – and then you don't have to tell more lies to back up the previous lies. Vova – can you not break with the centuries of lies? No, of course not – it's all about perpetuating a myth. If the world knew that there was never a great Russian Empire, you, as a little Napoleon would become nothing in front of your people. Here lies your problem – you try to create a myth that doesn't exist – instead of forgetting about your false Russian missions. There is no need to be a fascist-nationalist as you have been. You have robbed everything you need in your life... time to fucking give back to your people. Stop your stupid anti-foreign organizaions and there is a chance ou won't go to HELL – time will tell for you and the entire Moscow Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church!

The lies created over the last couple of centuries... will lead to HELL! If you don't believe in such a place it really doesn't matter because history will remember you not as the saviour of your people but your people will spit on you and anyting associated with you will be verboden as symbols of nazism are in a contemporary Germany!


Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant
This commentarywas first published on the wpawlowsky.com

A twenty-first century theater of the absurd

I wrote the piece below on September 8, 2011 and while the main body below will remain intact as a parody, there are a few things that I would like to preface them with due to some recent comments of our hero below. The man who took a complete about face after publicly announcing his nation's European aspirations, that man is no other that Viktor Yanukovych, the world's newest dictator.

To an audience of loyal serfs on the Inter TV channel our hero stated, "Society was not informed in a timely manner. We didn't have time for such work. Lately, that dream, and that romanticism, to a great extent the emotions and dreams of the those people led to this protest," said the vassal of Moscovy.

The vassal of Moscovy along with his entire MinTru is not only dilusional, they for the most part suffer from pseudologia fantastica. This is on top of having the traits of people of the steppe which is mentioned in an interview by The Ukrainian Week with Petro Antyp of the Horlivka School of Sculpture. "I think that a common genetic code is what all Ukrainians share. We have common culture, only with different shades. If you take Donetsk Region, it is Ukraine of the steppe....If you take examples from politics, Donetsk residents defended Viktor Yanukovych as one of their own men." However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Steppe mentality is more clearly defined by Oleksandr Halenko, in an interview conducted for Istorychna Pravda on January 22, 2014 and the day that the romantic protests, as expressed by our hero, experienced their greatest violence. Halenko, is a historian-orientalist, turkologist, and a specialist in primary resources. He holds a PhD in History and his head of the Black Sea Institute of Ukrainian History, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences of UKraine. In short, he knows a lot more about our hero than our hero knows about himself!

When Halenko is asked about our hero's desire to acquire expensive things his reply is simply the following:"When the Persian historian Rashid-al-Din was asked about how Ghengis Kahn asked his adivisors, "What is happiness for a real man?" Their replied to him in the following way: that you have to sit astride a good horse, which in todays terms means to be in a great car. In order to ensure one's status!

The same historian then said, according to Halenko - the greatest joy for a real man - it is to see their enemy, that is on his knees on the ground before him that is begging him for forgiveness. It is then that the "real man" can continue to be satisfied by the humiliation of his enemy, and entertain the idea with his friends.

This statement in itself confirms very clearly some statements I made two days earlier on my blog and as commentary for Ukraine Business Online, in a piece called "A vindictive form of justice" back in 2011.

With what is going on right now, our hero must be considered in the following light regarding any of his agreements. According to Pavlenko, agreements are one important aspect of the Steppe traditions. Which are narrowed down to to lies and provocations, which are "essential" as all members of the Party of Regions have been voicing. It is an effective means of Steppe diplomacy.

This being said, our hero and his cohorts can not be trusted nor should they be!


Below starts my piece of 2011...and please do read on!

_______

While many absurdists, who were developing the theater of the absurd during the last century, were born in France, Ukraine's top absurdist of the twenty-first century was born in the village of Zhukovka near Yenakiieve in Donetsk Oblast. His acting career began at an early age when he had difficulties with the stage performer's regulatory guild, better known at that time as the law enforcement authorities. While still an understudy he was taken off the stage of life for a period of three years for robbery and minor assault. When he returned to the stage he once again ran amok and was suspended for another two years for assault.

As our hero tried to find his way he was assigned a mentor, with very close ties to Moscow, commandant of the “Soyuz 3” mission, Georgy Beregovoy who was clearly not a space cadet, but a man with credentials, and someone that had the full trust of Moscow. It is certain; that Moscow knows all there is to know about our hero.

Though he is not the only one they know everything about. There are plenty others on the stage in his land. It has been with the blessing of Moscow that they were able to not simply be actors, but savvy businessmen. At first, they played roles necessary for the system to continue to function as it always had in the past, but eventually there was a curtain call and the world was introduced to them after they had taken control of the stage material's guild and all its assets. These were primarily cheap rags, and not extremely valuable assets on their own and included materials such as carbon, iron, and other raw materials of the stage; but they also acquired the costumers' workshops which transformed these rags into elegant costumes which could be sold on the world market, for extremely high profits. However, for them to continue to make money hand over fist they need inexpensive gas. His land has gas for the commoners.

Some of the actor's names who performed and continue to perform on the stage in his land have all been anointed by Moscow: Renat Akhmetov, Dmytro Firtash, Yura “Yenakievskiy”, Ihor Kolymoyskiy, Victor Medvechuk, Victor Pinchuk, the Surkis brothers, Serhiy Tyhipko and so many others. There were once many more of them, though only the most talented, and with the drive to get ahead still exist today, while complying with all the regulations set out by the Moscow actor's union.

Some of the understudies were at one time considered progressive NGO leaders, others were presented as new and up and coming rising stars, and continue to be put forth by those who are probably thinking that maybe they were mistaken in backing this actor’s career.

Our hero and his circus of clowns have been holding the Gas Princess in a dungeon of late and long ago decided that she overstepped her bounds in coming to an agreement with the Moscow Gas Guild in 2009. She actually saved face for her land as the lands to the west began to freeze. The scabs have disregarded all the international actor's unions’ regulations, and are not allowing for proper process for her to defend herself with her agents, in the Cave's District Hall of Sentencing. This has drawn the ire of many actors on the world stage.

In a performance held at the Dushanbe Guild Leader’s Summit on September 5, 2011, our hero took things to a new level.

He decided that he had to really act well, and he put on a stellar performance for the people of his land. Though due to his pompousness, he might as well have been standing there in new clothes fit for a king, because everyone knows where his true loyalties lie. He spewed off such a tirade of anti-Russian rhetoric, that it is hard to take him seriously. Particularly on the backdrop of many factors: who he is and what Moscow knows about him; that he was once bowled over by the egg of a chicken; that he and his followers have disrespected the actors unions’ rules by attacking the Gas Princess; and given that Messrs. Medvedev and Putin have garnered greater respect than he has on the world stage – the threats of taking legal action against them in the land to the west, warrant calling him the nation's top absurdist, and not much more.


For a more academic understanding of our hero's fine monologue on September 5, 2011 may I refer you to Flawed Strategy by Dr Andrew Zhalko-Tytarenko and Walter Derzko at SmartEconomy.


Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant

Black Thursday – Just How Much Scum Bags Want to Hold on to Power in Ukraine

Montreal. - In Ukraine the parliament of Ukraine passed a sweeping set of laws in order to curb democracy, freedom of speech and media, taking the country back into the middle ages in regards to just how people will be treated. I will list twenty-seven points that the new legislation which was rammed through Ukraine's Verkhovna Radada changes for the people of Ukraine and in all honesty anyone vistiting the country if the decide to by a SIM card to put in their phones in order to avoid exhorbitant roaming charges will be subject to control of your data by a foreign government/

Lets enumerate the new realities of Ukraine – as my friend V. Kipiani has said -Back to the USSR.j

1. For the movement of cars of more than five in a column the drivers will have their driver's licences and vehicles siezed for two years;
2. For the activity of an information agency without state registration – confiscationof techincal equipment and a large fine;
3. Breaking the law on peaceful gatherings up to ten days;
4. Participation in a meeting with a helmet, in some type of uniform, or with fire up to ten days;
5. The placement of tents or stages and even sound without the authorization of the militia up to fifteen days;
6. Disrespect for the courts – fifteen days;
7. Not accomodating the limiting of Internet access – a fine of 6800 UAH ( about 815 USD);
8. Not accomodating the “legal requests” of the SBU (Security Service or Ukraine) a fine over 2000 UAH;
9. There is no long a need of handing a person a notice of “legal abrogation” that is considered the abrogator (all that is required are so called “witnesses”);
10. Now there is no need for a person's signature, but “any other type of information” to [incriminate them]';
11. Blocking of the home of anyone (a totally new criminal norm) – Up to 6 years imprisonment;
12. Defamation (Has been returned to the Criminal Code!!!) - 3 years imprisonment;
13. The dissemination of extremist information (!!!) - 3- years imprisonment;
14. “Disturbance of public order by a group” - 2 years imprisonment;
15. MASSIVE DISTURBANCES- from ten to fifteen years – Any participant of Maidan could be subject to this law, and let's not even talk about other articles of this law;
16. The gathering of members of “Berkut”, judges, and other similar personages – 3 years imprisonment;
17. Threatening a person from the militia or a similar idividual – 7 years imprisonment;
18. Gathering information about a judge – 2 years imprisonment;
19. NGO's which recieve funding from abroad are now considered “foreign agents” they now must pay taxes on their support and officially call themselves “foreign agents”;
20. NGO's are not allowed to take on “extreme activities”;
21. Churches can not take on “extreme activities”;
22. The State can take the decision on THE BAN ON INTERNET ACCESS;
23. Civic unions are considered those that participate in political activities, if it desires to try to influence the organs of power, (if this is the case for such activities a request must be made to to the government to allow it to do so.)
24. A person can be judged (and in such a way to many years in prison) IN ABSENTIA, meaning they never had their day in court;
25. Regarding the abrogation of driving regulations one can now consider the owner of the vehicule if the infraction was fixated via automatic means;
26. They can remove the immunity of a people's deputy and provide the rite to arrest him without the examination of the appropriate committees – and instantly in a session of Parliament.
27. Berkut and public administration, who were responsible for events agains activists on Maidan, will not be punished.

In all honesty this makes me sick. This is such abrogation of democracy and the rule of law that the world should not stand by and shrug their shoulders. Whoever reads this, and remebers the times of the Soviet Union, take the couple of minutes to write your elected officialls. This is a very big step back for democracy.. and the criminal Yanukovych and his band of criminals will use this... One of the best things that could happen would be for SCM to be delisted from any exchange it is trading on... Many of us are tired of such BS that is happening in Ukraine and why can not corporations underdstand and make decisions that are viable and based on some principles other than just turning a buck!

Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant

Dear fellow citizens, policy makers and citizens of the world!

We, the citizens of Ukraine, are asking for your help and appealing for your support and solidarity. In Ukraine the power has been seized by a group of oligarchs leading by the President Yanukovych who violently dispersed peaceful demonstrations against the anti-Ukrainian policy of the President Yanukovych. In the early morning they attacked unarmed people who decided to stay at the place of demonstrations through the night.

On the night of 29/30 November, on the Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, about 500 people, mostly unarmed students, women and elderly citizens have received a shock from bumps and injuries inflicted by groups armed with clubs and in camouflage gear. On the Independence Square the blood was shed of those who came to express their views, support of Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and distrust of President Viktor Yanukovych who despite the will of the nation had refused to sign the Association agreement on November 29, 2013.

Yanukovych was simultaneously haggling both with representatives of the European Union and Russian President Putin over the financing attraction in exchange for the association with either the EU or the Russian Customs Union. This is unacceptable from the point of view of diplomacy and honour. Ukraine's economy is quickly approaching collapse and the treasury is empty, but Ukrainian oligarchs jointly own assets of the value that by several times exceeds the annual budget of Ukraine. These funds have been stolen from the nation. Oligarchs buy real estate, banks and businesses in European countries and the USA. Please, be assured that these people will never stop. If nobody puts an end to their crimes, they will spread the plague of corruption also in the neighboring democracy countries.

The President Yanukovych does not represent the interests of Ukrainian majority. As a result of the activities of his administration, the law and the Constitution of Ukraine have been significantly changed and no longer offer legal framework for the defense of the inviolable rights and freedoms of Ukrainian nation. The law on national referendum has been amended leaving no legitimate mechanisms that allow peaceful and legal change of power. In 2015 Yanukovych is going to declare himself a president for life through fraudulent actions and changes in legislation, which is inevitably pushing our country towards totalitarism.

The oligarchical structures control big businesses, and most ofoligarchs are a part of the Yanukovych Family. They attack, absorb and usurp medium size enterprises. Authorities, courts and police are corrupted by the government and headed by individuals loyal to Yanukovych and the ruling party, which is why they make biased decisions against the citizens and justice.

Most Ukrainian media spread false information. The representative of the Yanukovych family quasi-oligarch Alexander Kurchenko bought the largest media holdings Ukraine and introduced censorship there. Hundreds of journalists left in protest, and hundreds were fired as they refused to implement the Yanukovych’s anti-Ukrainian and anti-state plans and promote ideas of the union with the totalitarian and putinesque Russia. Major media resources in Ukraine are controlled by Yanukovych and this is why the world does not know the whole truth about the battle between the people of Ukraine and the criminal authorities that has been going on for years despite the fact that activists and honour people are thrown in jail and mutilated because of their views at demonstrations. We, the citizens of Ukraine, have exhausted all options of influencing the situation, so our last resort is to go on the streets of our cities and protest against the criminal actions of the authorities by means of disobedience acts and solidarity with political prisoners and victims of violence on our streets..

On 22 November 2012, more than a week before the day the Association Agreement was expected to be signed Ukrainians went on the streets and squares to express their disagreement with the European policy of the Government and demand its resignation. It was a grassroots show of support, without the leaders and party symbols. On Sunday, 24 November, Mr. Yatsenyuk, Mr. Tyahnybok and Mr. Turchynov, the representatives of so-called opposition addressed to the meeting, And after this more than 50 thousand people in Kiev came from the European Square and marched under the Cabinet of Ministers and Presidential Administration, which encountered resistance from the police’s special forces "Berkut". About 30 thousand people however continued to protest on Independence Square, the central square of Kyiv, without any party symbols. People remained on the Independence Square for a week, day and night. Men and women, residents of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities and towns. They spent their nights outdoors, rain and shine. The rest of the country also joined the protests, their residents rallied in support of the meeting in Kyiv and against the criminal government of the President Yanukovich. Ukrainian communities in Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, Canada, France, Portugal, the USA and other countries expressed their support for Ukrainians and also held rallies near the Ukrainian embassies.


The situation becomes more dangerous due to the Ukrainian oppositional parties and their heads are not represented by authentic and decisive leaders who are ready to consolidate the society and start a real fight against Yanukovych regime. On numerous occasions, when the massive protests took place including against the anti-Ukrainian law On Languages, they had a chance to join the strikes and organize a nationwide movement and opposition to the regime, but they have never used these opportunities due to the fear of retaliation from Yanukovych and his fellow party oligarchs. On the eve of the bloody events on the Independence Square opposition “leaders” took the precaution of leaving the meeting on the Independence Square before the special forces were brought to disperse the demonstration.

Citizens of the world, colleagues and all good people! Life of people of good will can’t be free and happy when the rights of your neighbours are affected, when freedom and justice are in danger, when blood of innocent civilians is shed. We ask all good and honest people to demand that all democratic governments of Europe, America and the rest of the world help Ukraine to restore democracy. The killings and repressions must be stopped immediately.

We would like to ask you and the officials of all democratic countries to perform the necessary actions to reaffirm their democratic position regarding Ukraine and its people. For the sake of peace and humanist values, please voice your opinion and, as soon as possible, take the appropriate governmental decisions to facilitate the following:

1. Sanctions against Ukrainian politicians, oligarchs, officials and their families, declaring them personae non grata in your countries, blocking entry, arresting assets in their foreign bank accounts and seizing their movable and immovable property. Have no doubt that it has been stolen from the Ukrainian nation.

2. Officially condemn the actions by President Yanukovych and Minister of Internal Affairs Zaharchenko that led to dispersion and violence towards a peaceful demonstration on the night of 30 November 2013 in Kyivv.

3. Stop and avoid all negotiations with the Yanukovych government regarding the loans. This government is not able to ensure the proper distribution of funds, because it acts against the interests of people. Any decision on the loan extension will be declared invalid after the regime change. Do not give money to liars and blackmailers!

4. Commence criminal prosecution of the criminals involved in corruption and violence in Ukraine. We would like to ask you never to give them asylum that would prevent them from facing the UN international tribunal. We would also like to ask you to apply sanctions against every country giving them asylum.

5. Avoid signing contracts or entering any agreements with the leaders of so-called opposition until they confirm their position with regard to change the regime in Ukraine.

Good people of the world, we are asking you to help Ukraine in this difficult time to throw off the yoke of corruption. We would like to ask for your support to help us stop the totalism on its way to the West. We would like to thank you for your support of universal values - freedom, democracy and humanity.

We believe that we will soon join the international community as free people. Long live the spirit of freedom around the world!

I, Vasyl Pawlowsky, as an Independent Consultant have reposted this in support of the people of Ukraine who believe in the rule of law, democracy and European values.

Desparate measure of a desparate bandit

As I write this short blog, I would like to go back to something that I mentioned a number of years ago regarding a particular character by the name of Viktor Yanukovych. Anyone who has followed things in Ukraine clearly knows that there is nothing but Kangaroo Court justice in the country.

Some people even believe that the man with the name above is the president of one of Europe's largest countries. However, it is becoming even clearer today that even though he holds the position of president, his way of thinking as well as those who make up his Cabinet of Ministers is more criminal than anything that has anything to do with Europe or European values.

Today there is a gathering what are known as “titushky” in Kyiv, to basically  provoke and cause problems. Titushki are basically hired thugs, the kind of people Viktor Yanovych knows extremely well, given that is the way he thinks. There are close to five hundred such thugs who have been bussed into Kyiv – and one of its first victims was Dmytro Hnap of Hromadske Telebachennya (Public Television).

Beaten journalist from Public Television, Dmytro Hnap, Kyiv, November 29, 2013

Shortly thereafter member of Parliament Vyacheslav Kyrylenko tweeted the following:

His first and lower tweet reads:

If the “titushky” descend on the students and peaceful citizens on #Euromaidan the entire responsiblity will fall personally on the Minister of Internal Affairs.

His second and higher tweet reads. 

Because MIA knows about everything, were warned about everything including the "titushky" which they have basically taken under their own protection. Are you serving legally Mr. Zakharchenko? Or for whom are you working?

While what happens in Ukraine is an internal affair of Ukraine, it is time that Yanukovych and all the like minded criminals in his country be treated as such.

Their assets abroad should be frozen, they should not be accepted to travel to Canada, the USA or any European Union country or country that strives to be govern by the rule of law.

Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant

The strength of the human spirit!

Many of have probably heard about the Ukrainian Government making a sudden flip-flop on its pro-European aspirations, and has decided it will not be signing the Association Agreement at a summit in Vilnus next week. Many of the people of Ukraine feel betrayed by the government and have decided to take to the central squares of all the major cities in Ukraine in protest.

This happened on the eve of the ninth anniversary of the beginning of the Orange (R)evolution a day which had become know as Freedom Day. There is plenty material out there in the English Language his recent bit of civil protest that has just started and should be growing, but if you want to know more n the background of what this is all about you can search Twitter for the hashtag #450UA you will be able to find links to English language materials on Ukraine and then search for Association Agreement or Europe and Ukraine together. There is a good deal of material on what has happened, though what I want to share with you is about the strength of the human spirit.

The following is something a journalist acquaintance of mine, Marichka Padalko, posted on her Facebook wall a short while ago in Ukrainian. I will translate it for my English speaking friends below, but this is worth knowing about and really tells you something about the human spirit.

"З вражень дня... Переходжу Хрещатик в бік Монумента через підземний перехід близько шостої вечора. Переді мною сходами підіймається невисокий хлопець, він тримається за перила, і кожен крок йому дається дуже важко, ноги ікс-ом, плутаються, схоже, ДЦП. Перша думка - допомогти, бо прямо боляче на нього дивитися. Друга - звичайно, не чіпати, хлопець дає собі раду сам і, напевно, цим пишається. Він таки підіймається нагору, а на вулиці ......дістає з кишені свого чорного плаща синьо-жовтий прапор і загортає в нього свої розправлені плечі. Хлопець йшов на Майда..."

"Impressions of the day... I was crossing Khreschatyk towards the Monument via the pedestrian underpass at about six in the evening. In front of me was a young man of small stature, he is holding the hand rail, and it seems to me that every step is extremely difficult for him, his legs are crossed, kind of mixed up, it seemed that he was afflicted by something like cerebral palsy. My first thought - was to help him, because it pained me to watch him. My second - of course was, to leave him alone, as he seemed to be coping just fine, and his probably very proud of himself. He continues upward and makes his way up to the street... he reaches into the pocket of his black jacket and pulls out an azure-yellow flag and drapes it over his straigtened shoulders. This guy was heading to Maydan..."

If that one person with his physical difficulties could do it, why can't any other Ukrainian who has the aspiration in being part of Europe where the rule of law exists. Ukraine has a lot of work to do, but the robber barons seem to want to just plunder more of the nation's wealth while they are in power. While they look down at the people they are supposed to be serving. The current government of Azarov has to go, and they should be tried by a tribunal of unbribable judges in the European Court of Human Rights for everything they had done since usurping power.


Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant