Ukraine
Richly endowed in natural resources, Ukraine has been fought over and subjugated for centuries. A short-lived independence from Russia (1917-1920) was followed by brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died; and World War II, in which German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 million more deaths. Although independence came in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, true freedom remains elusive as many of the former Soviet elite remain entrenched, stalling efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties.
President Viktor Yushchenko sworn in January 2005 as president after winning a rerun of the troubled 2004 election. He described the outcome as a "great national victory" and promised to take Ukraine along the road of European integration. Yushchenko's path to the presidency was not smooth. The original vote in November 2004 precipitated a political crisis. Yushchenko's opponent, Viktor Yanukovych, who was backed by outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, was declared the winner but Yushchenko and his supporters protest the election results, mounting a mass protest campaign known as the “Orange Revolution” and taking to the streets in huge numbers and surrounding government buildings in Kiev. After two weeks days of tension and drama, the Supreme Court declared the elections invalid and ordered a rerun. Parliament approved changes to election law in order to reduce the risk of fraud. When the new vote took place international observers declared it to have been much fairer than the original one.
Yushchenko is an economist and banker by training. He served as prime minister under Leonid Kuchma between 1999 and 2001 when he was credited with steering through successful economic reforms. When Kuchma dismissed him, he became leader of the opposition. Regarded as a pro-Western liberal reformer, he pledged that alleged corruption by the outgoing authorities and several high-profile crimes will be investigated. Among these was the alleged poisoning of Yushchenko himself in the run-up to the elections. Austrian doctors who treated him when he fell seriously ill and suffered severe facial disfigurement confirmed that he was poisoned with dioxins.
President Yushchenko nominated Yuliya Tymoshenko as prime minister immediately after taking the oath of office. A charismatic and controversial figure, she played a prominent role in spearheading the campaign to secure a rerun of the presidential elections.
In January 2000, the Ukrainian government began to institute significant economic reform programs while focusing on critical areas likely to have broad economic and social impact. Reorienting trade towards Europe and Asia has resulted in an improved macroeconomic environment and an increased level of public trust in market institutions. Privatized companies have greatly contributed to the broad-based improvements in manufacturing, retail trade, agriculture, and construction. In September 2003, Ukraine joined Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in creating a "single economic area" (SEA) designed to coordinate the countries' trade regulations and reduce tariffs. In April 2004, Ukraine's parliament ratified an agreement with Russia and Belarus to foster cooperation in fields such as trade, monetary, tax, and fiscal policy; and the free movement of goods, capital, and labor. Implementation of the SEA will complicate Ukraine's bid to enter the WTO because it would need to coordinate its WTO entry with other SEA members.
With the exception of the mass demonstrations in the “Orange Revolution”, Ukraine has been largely free of significant civil unrest or disorders. However, demonstrations intermittently occur in cities such as Kiev. While the majority of these protests are small and peaceful, it is best to avoid such gatherings.
There have been occasional reports of racially motivated violence in various regions of Ukraine (see Crime below).
