Or the idea that while Russia can bring hundreds of millions of goodies for Kuchma and Yanukovych, the European Union, Poland and other countries to the west have things to offer too.
One publication from Ukraine sees the conference we mentioned as evidence that Germany has been plotting a coup in Kiev. (The URL in the [...]

After an internal party referendum, France’s Socialists have agreed to back the EU Constitution. Approximately 80% of party members voted in the referendum, with 55% of them voting for the party to support the Constitution in the national referendum planned for next year. It also strengthens the position of party leader Francois Hollande, boosting his [...]

Ten days on, and we may be close to a resolution of the crisis in the Ukraine. There’s definitely been some agreement between Kuchma, Yuschenko, Yanukovich and the mediators (Solana, Adamkus, Kubis and Kwasniewski) but, as ever, the devil is in the details. The basic points seem to be that there will be a revote, [...]

HIV infections are once again rising in the EU and other parts of the West, particularly among younger people, because funding for awareness programmes has been slashed for years and fortunate medical advances in anti-retroviral treatment and a rising life expectancy of those infected are (thus) too often leading to a perception of HIV/AIDS as [...]

as Prime Minister. At least that’s how it looks at first glance. Apparently, President Kuchma must still approve the no-confidence vote. But this appears to be a concrete step.
The old apparat holds on, but with fewer fingers now.

While attention remains focused on Ukraine’s political crisis, another one is forming on the other side of Europe in Portugal. A crisis of a somewhat lesser magnitude, admittedly, but it seems likely that President Sampaio is about to dissolve the Portuguese parliament and call fresh elections, making the Pedro Santana Lopes face a vote after [...]

Tobias’ post below has some good analysis of what’s happening in Ukraine at the moment, so I’ll restrict myself to a few links.
The situation is being discussed in the European Parliament today - David McDuff has the text of a draft resolution that will be discussed.
Siberian Light discusses the economic effects of the protests. The [...]

Some orange in Brussels.About a week ago, I wondered what the chances were for an explosion when hundreds of thousands of people are smoking at a gas station. Unfortunately, now their leaders seem to have begun fooling around with the gas pump handles in truly ‘zoolanderesque’ manner.
More and more commentators seem to be afraid about [...]