In Warsaw today, Poroshenko said that he would declare an amnesty and carry out decentralization of power in Ukraine. He also stated that he is ready to sign the economic part of Ukraine’s free trade agreement with the European Union immediately after his inauguration scheduled for June 7.
As with many uprisings and people's movements, there does come a time when the state structure kicks back in and the revolutionary spirit is translated into electoral support and then a re-evaluation of economic and political positioning. Especially for Ukraine, it was inevitable that after Maidan this country positioned between Russia and the European Union, with resources and a large demographic who support the idea of Europe, sooner or later would have government officials establishing closer ties with the EU. On the one hand I am, sadly, bracing myself to watch economic and social violence continue to cloud Ukraine's future (in addition to the ongoing outright physical violence in eastern Ukraine), free trade agreements and IMF funding packages are unfortunately the way of the current dominant political-economic system.
What is, on the other hand, less spoken about or criticised is the disconnect between 'Western', European support for Ukraine, and actual practices for Ukrainians or indeed Eastern Europeans attempting, for example, to get visas, particularly multi-entry visas into the EU. While it is the political vogue to be in support of Ukraine and Ukrainians (Obama, Hollande, Cameron, even Anjelina Jolie are 'concerned'), are these countries, European and otherwise, going to allow people to visit their country? Or will they continue justifying restrictive immigration policies (which, allegedly are much softer on Russian citizens), for fear that the hordes of foreigners--'poor' 'desperate'-- from Eastern Europe will show up at the border, threatening the European and American way of life?
As with many uprisings and people's movements, there does come a time when the state structure kicks back in and the revolutionary spirit is translated into electoral support and then a re-evaluation of economic and political positioning. Especially for Ukraine, it was inevitable that after Maidan this country positioned between Russia and the European Union, with resources and a large demographic who support the idea of Europe, sooner or later would have government officials establishing closer ties with the EU. On the one hand I am, sadly, bracing myself to watch economic and social violence continue to cloud Ukraine's future (in addition to the ongoing outright physical violence in eastern Ukraine), free trade agreements and IMF funding packages are unfortunately the way of the current dominant political-economic system.
What is, on the other hand, less spoken about or criticised is the disconnect between 'Western', European support for Ukraine, and actual practices for Ukrainians or indeed Eastern Europeans attempting, for example, to get visas, particularly multi-entry visas into the EU. While it is the political vogue to be in support of Ukraine and Ukrainians (Obama, Hollande, Cameron, even Anjelina Jolie are 'concerned'), are these countries, European and otherwise, going to allow people to visit their country? Or will they continue justifying restrictive immigration policies (which, allegedly are much softer on Russian citizens), for fear that the hordes of foreigners--'poor' 'desperate'-- from Eastern Europe will show up at the border, threatening the European and American way of life?
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