US-Ukraine Business Council

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
An International Newsletter
In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary

"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"

"THIS VICTORY WILL BELONG NOT ONLY TO
OUR CHILDREN AND US.
UKRAINE'S VICTORY WILL BE THE FULFILLMENT
OF OUR DUTY BEFORE THE FALLEN"

"Nowadays however, Ukraine remembers Holodomor [terror-famine]
not only with sorrow but also with hope. The people have stood up to
defend their will, their honour, and their freedom.

They no longer wish to live in lies, violence, and humiliation, forced
down upon them by the current regime. The people of Ukraine are
freeing themselves from the shackles that bound them in the past.

No matter how difficult might be these days - victory is already within
sight. This victory will belong not only to our children and us. Ukraine's
victory will be the fulfillment of our duty before the fallen."
[Viktor Yushchenko, article number twelve]

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 04, Number 250
The Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC), Washington, D.C.
Ukrainian Federation of America (UFA), Huntingdon Valley, PA
morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net (ARTUIS)
Washington, D.C., Kyiv, Ukraine, TUESDAY, December 7, 2004

-----INDEX OF ARTICLES-----
"Major International News Headlines and Articles"

1. UKRAINE RIVALS OK VOTE REFORMS FOR REMATCH
BUT REMAIN DIVIDED ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Natasha Lisova, AP Online, Kiev, Ukraine, Tue, Dec 07, 2004

2. UKRAINE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT AFTER SETTLEMENT TALKS
One Plus One TV, Kiev, in Ukrainian 2350 gmt 6 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service,UK, in English, Tuesday, Dec 07, 2004

3. OSCE PLANS TO BOOST NUMBER OF OBSERVERS
FOR UKRAINE ELECTION RUNOFF
Veselin Toshkov, Sofia, Bulgaria, AP Worldstream; Dec 07, 2004

4. OSCE FINAL STATEMENT DELAYED OVER DISAGREEMENT
ON UKRAINE ELECTION CRISIS
Excerpt from Khorizont Radio, Sofia, in Bulgarian 1000 gmt 7 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service,UK, in English, Tuesday, Dec 07, 2004

5. OSCE BECOMES SLOVENE FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY
STA news agency, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Tue, Dec 7, 04

6. OSCE SAYS UKRAINE'S ELECTION BODY MUST BE REPLACED
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1631 gmt 6 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

7. EUROPEAN ELECTION MONITOR CALLS ON UKRAINE TO
FIRE SOME MEMBERS OF ELECTION COMMISSION
Borys Tarasyuk of Ukraine says 2,000 OSCE election monitors are needed
Veselin Toshkov, AP Worldstream, Sofia, Bulgaria, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

8. CANADA OFFERS 500 OBSERVERS FOR UKRAINE ELECTION
Largest number Canadian government has ever sent abroad
AP Worldstream, Ottawa, Canada, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

9. SWEDEN TO SEND 30 ELECTION OBSERVERS TO UKRAINE
Radio Sweden text web site, Stockholm, in English, 6 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

10. UKRAINE: YANUKOVYCH HEADQUARTERS' SAYS HE'S
NO LONGER THE ESTABLISHMENT'S MAN
According to Taras Chornovil, new headquarters chief
Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian, Tue, 7 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 07, 2004

11. UKRAINE'S SOCIALIST LEADER ACCUSES OUR UKRAINE
OF PULLING OUT OF AGREEMENT
Text of report by Interfax-Ukraine news agency
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 07, 2004

12. VICTOR YUSHCHENKO: DAY OF MEMORY HONOURING THE
VICTIMS OF HOLODOMOR AND POLITICAL REPRESSIONS
Victor Yushchenko Website, Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, 27 Nov 2004

13. SENATOR DICK LUGAR TESTIFIES BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
U.S. House of Representatives
International Relations Committee
Washington, D.C., Tuesday, December 7, 2004

14. CONGRESSMAN MARCY KAPTUR TESTIFIES BEFORE THE
U.S. HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
U.S. House of Representatives
International Relations Committee
Washington, D.C., Tuesday, December 7, 2004

15. "WHAT ARE WE UP TO -- IN UKRAINE?"
Hands off Ukraine - Stop trying to install a U.S. vassal
OPINION: by Patrick J. Buchanan
LewRockwell.com, Center for Libertarian Studies
Burlingame, California, Sunday, December 5, 2004
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
========================================================
1. UKRAINE RIVALS OK VOTE REFORMS FOR REMATCH
BUT REMAIN DIVIDED ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Natasha Lisova, AP Online, Kiev, Ukraine, Tue, Dec 07, 2004

KIEV - Ukraine's political rivals agreed early Tuesday on legislation to
ensure a fair vote during the rerun later this month of the fraud-ridden
presidential runoff but remained divided on constitutional amendments
trimming presidential powers.

In addition to supporting changes in election laws, outgoing President
Leonid Kuchma agreed to change the Central Election Commission,
which was accused of covering up rampant fraud during the Nov. 21
runoff.

On Monday, Kuchma and Russian President Vladimir Putin had said they
would abide by the results of the new election, removing major question
marks surrounding the Dec. 26 rematch. The vote was ordered by the
Supreme Court, which last week struck down the election commission
decision that Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych won
the runoff. "Of course we will ... accept the will of any nation in the
former Soviet space, and will work with any elected leader," Putin said
during a state visit to Turkey.

Yanukovych emerged from seclusion and declared he was confident of victory.
Kuchma had supported Yanukovych in the runoff against Western-leaning
opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko but has distanced himself from the prime
minister over the past two weeks as protesters swarmed the capital.

Tuesday's agreement on electoral law changes was reached during six-hour
talks involving Kuchma and the two candidates and brokered by European
Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Lithuanian President Valdas
Adamkus and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Kuchma emerged from the talks after midnight and said the parties had failed
to reach agreement on his initiative to push through constitutional reform
to transfer some powers from the presidency to parliament.
Yushchenko had opposed the constitutional changes, saying that Kuchma
and his allies want to weaken the presidency, fearing his victory in the
election rematch with Yanukovych.

However, just before the talks, Yushchenko's allies in parliament reached a
tentative agreement with pro-government lawmakers to approve changes in
the electoral laws and the constitutional amendments on presidential powers
simultaneously Tuesday.

The later announcement appeared to indicate that the deal was in trouble and
could collapse when it comes to a vote. Yushchenko had refused to support
such a compromise when it was raised in parliament on Saturday.
The agreement also called for the lifting of the opposition blockade of
government buildings after the approval of electoral changes in parliament.
Tens of thousands of Yushchenko's supporters have besieged official
buildings in Kiev for nearly two weeks, paralyzing the government's work.

The talks were held at the presidential Mariinsky palace, which was
surrounded by Yushchenko's supporters who shouted: "Down with Kuchma!"
In his remarks, Putin warned against foreign interference in the new ballot
and suggested the opposition was seeking power at any price. He left open
how Russia - which considers this nation of 48 million people part of its
sphere of influence - would deal with a Yushchenko government.

On the streets of the Ukrainian capital, opposition demonstrators countered
Putin's warning with an appeal of their own, unveiling a 200-foot-long
petition - inscribed on a roll of cloth in the opposition's trademark color
of orange - urging the Russian leader to stay out of Ukrainian affairs.
"Putin has his own country to rule," said Yura Shtoiko, 28, a supporter of
Yushchenko.

Kuchma sought to defuse tensions, saying in televised remarks that he is
ready for "further steps to ease the absolutely baseless tension in
society."

In his first public comment since the court decision, Yanukovych told
supporters he had appointed a new campaign chief and would reshuffle
his regional campaign headquarters.

"We are confident of our victory," he said. "I will prove in the Dec. 26
vote that I have the support of the majority of the Ukrainian people."
"This is not a revolution, but political technologies with involvement of
special services. The organizers of street actions have committed a great
sin, and they will still answer before God," Yanukovych said in comments
apparently meant for his Russian-speaking base in eastern Ukraine.

As leaders talked, the situation in Kiev's streets appeared to stabilize.
Dozens of government employees walked past Yushchenko's supporters to
return to work - the largest number of bureaucrats allowed into the building
since protesters blockaded the entrance late last month.

Protesters in orange hard hats and ponchos stood shoulder-to-shoulder to
create a corridor for about 60 low-ranking employees to pass through.
Self-appointed security personnel among the demonstrators checked
identification badges and other documents before allowing the group to
enter the building.

Also Monday, Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk suggested that the
military would not intervene on either side in the battle for the presidency
because "the army does not serve an individual but the entire people."
"I do not believe that anyone will order the use of force against people,"
Kuzmuk said. "If that happens we will follow the constitution." -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.250: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
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2. UKRAINE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT AFTER SETTLEMENT TALKS

One Plus One TV, Kiev, in Ukrainian 2350 gmt 6 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service,UK, in English,Tuesday, Dec 07, 2004

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has announced that the parties have failed
to reach a deal after talks between rival Ukrainian presidential candidates
and international mediators in Kiev. But he said that he would replace the
Central Electoral Commission, one of the opposition's key demands.

He also said the parties agreed on the need to amend the law on presidential
elections to ensure a fair rerun on 26 December, another demand pushed by
opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko. The following is the text of Kuchma's
statement to the press carried live by Ukrainian One Plus One TV on 6
December:

[Kuchma] When parties fail to reach a consensus, they make a statement for
the press, so let me make such a statement. Let us not change the person
that makes such statement. They are used to shouting 'Down With Kuchma'
in the street - if someone else makes this statement they will lose their
rhythm.

Participants of the round table are making the following statement for the
press: Participants of the round table, during their third sitting, have
discussed the current situation in Ukraine and reached an agreement on
the following.

- The parties believe that the decision of the Supreme Court of Ukraine of
3 December [to invalidate the official election result and call a repeat
runoff round on 26 December] provides grounds for a settlement of the
political crisis in Ukraine and must be carried out unconditionally by all
the participants in the election process.

- The parties take into consideration that the president of Ukraine will
terminate the powers of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and
submit to parliament proposals on the new composition of the CEC that
have been preliminarily agreed and submitted for president's consideration
by parliament.

- The parties have reached an agreement on the need to adopt changes to
the law on presidential election that would ensure a transparent and fair
election and prevent electoral fraud.

- Our foreign participants in the round table believe it is necessary that
in order to carry out articles 2 and 3, blockade must be lifted from the
government buildings.

- The document has signatures of Viktor Yushchenko, Viktor Yanukovych
with reservations, [parliament speaker] Volodymyr Lytvyn on the condition
that parliament's conciliation council agrees with it. The president
supports the position of parliament speaker.

You have probably understood that the main differences concern issues of
package voting on the constitutional reform, and the cabinet's resignation.
So thank you, parliament's conciliation council will meet today. I wish them
luck in solving the problems we have not managed to solve today at the round
table. -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.250: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
========================================================
3. OSCE PLANS TO BOOST NUMBER OF OBSERVERS
FOR UKRAINE ELECTION RUNOFF

Veselin Toshkov, Sofia, Bulgaria, AP Worldstream; Dec 07, 2004

SOFIA - Europe's top election monitoring agency decided Tuesday to
send more observers for Ukraine's presidential runoff, pledging to help
the country overcome its political stalemate despite Russian criticism.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, one of several
international groups to find irregularities in Ukraine's Nov. 21 runoff,
could double the number of its observers to 1,000 for a repeat runoff later
this month, foreign ministers said.

"The principles of democracy should be defended and fair elections
guaranteed in Ukraine," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said. His
country would send up to 100 observers, he said.

Debates at the annual two-day meeting of OSCE foreign ministers were
at some points heated and stuffed with Cold War rhetoric. Russia stepped
up its criticism of the West for alleged double standards in dealing with
former communist states like Ukraine.

"We insist on an end to double standards in sending elections observers,
which can be achieved by adopting unified monitoring rules," Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the conference. Without such rules,
the observer missions were "a tool for political manipulations and
destabilization," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell rejected Russia's accusations of
Western interference in Ukraine's politics. "What we have seen is not
anyone interfering in democracy," he said. "What we have seen is the
international community coming together to support democracy."

Powell noted that Ukraine's government was expecting the OSCE to
monitor the Dec. 26 presidential runoff between Ukrainian Prime Minister
Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.

It was not immediately clear how the OSCE would fulfill its plan to boost
the number of observers. Powell urged participating countries "to join the
United States in providing the OSCE with resources to carry out this
mission."

The meeting also focused on simmering conflicts in areas such as Moldova
and Georgia, but was unlikely to issue a declaration on them due to Russian.
Answering accusations that Moscow has been slow to withdraw troops from
Russian-speaking regions in the two countries, Sergey Lavrov said that
"impatience" was not the best attitude. "It could lead even to contrary
results and push the conflict back to the 'hot' stage," Lavrov said.

The meeting, which started Monday, was also to shape strategies for the
future of the organization, which has been accused by some members of
failing to fulfill commitments.

Russia has repeatedly called for reforms in the OSCE that would put less
emphasis on human rights and more on its military and economic roles, like
securing energy supplies.

In his remarks to the meeting on Tuesday, Powell supported further OSCE
activities to promote security and economic development, but warned that
this should not happen "at the expense of the OSCE's core democracy and
human rights work."

The OSCE currently runs 17 field missions, including programs to train
police agencies, monitor elections and support democratic institutions.
Discussions focused also on the organization's response to security threats,
including terrorism, organized crime, trafficking of prostitutes and illegal
trade in small arms and drugs. -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
========================================================
4. OSCE FINAL STATEMENT DELAYED OVER DISAGREEMENT
ON UKRAINE ELECTION CRISIS

Excerpt from Khorizont Radio, Sofia, in Bulgarian 1000 gmt 7 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service,UK, in English, Tuesday, Dec 07, 2004

SOFIA - [Announcer] Deputy Prime Minister Plamen Panayotov has
announced that no agreement has yet been reached on the adoption of a
final political declaration of the OSCE meeting in Sofia. The Bulgarian
chairmanship is working on an alternative variant. The Ukrainian crisis
remains a key problem. At this stage no consensus has been reached on
whether the document should contain a position on the issue.

Panayotov has met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Germany's
first diplomat Joschka Fischer to discuss those issues. Katya Todorova
reports from the National Palace of Culture in Sofia:

[Todorova] Until this moment there still is no clarity as to whether the
OSCE forum will end with a concluding political document. Work is already
being done on an alternative variant. This was confirmed by Deputy Prime
Minister Plamen Panayotov after his meetings with Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov and Germany's first diplomat Joschka Fischer. If no consensus
is reached on the declaration - and it already is well known that the
Ukrainian issue has divided the participants - an alternative variant will
be used. This will be a special statement with which the meeting would end -
just as has been the practice of similar forums in the past. [Passage
omitted] -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.250: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
Please send us names for the free distribution list
========================================================
5. OSCE BECOMES SLOVENE FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY

STA news agency, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Tue, Dec 7, 04

LJUBLJANA - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) is not the most important international organization but
it is the number one priority for the Slovene foreign policy right now, the
daily Delo writes on Tuesday [7 December].

The OSCE has been present all over the world for a long time, but the
forum is a rather inefficient and insignificant institution. Still, it is
currently the centre of the world for the Slovene foreign policy, as
Slovenia will assume the presidency of the organization next year, Delo
observes.

The crises of the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Western Balkans will then
become Slovenia's concern. The Slovene foreign minister will preside over
the OSCE and will have neither the time nor the willingness to deal with
bilateral problems with Croatia. The role he will assume will be much more
demanding in terms of diplomacy and finance than Slovenia's temporary
membership in the UN Security Council.

The situation in Ukraine gives a taste about how difficult the task will be.
The political and diplomatic crisis in the biggest European country has not

only paralysed the state and its economy but has also strained the relations
between the East and the West. Although the OSCE has been a forum of a
number of countries, the USA and Russia have always been in the focus.
Slovenia can sense that successful steering between the interests of all
members and the consideration of the big ones will be difficult. The Slovene
foreign minister [Dimitrij Rupel] was sparing with words yesterday.
Slovenia's position on the situation in Ukraine could be guessed only from
the colour of his tie, Delo concludes under the headline "From Crisis to
Crisis". -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.250: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
Your comments about the Report are always welcome
========================================================
6. OSCE SAYS UKRAINE'S ELECTION BODY MUST BE REPLACED

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1631 gmt 6 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

KIEV/WARSAW - The OSCE deems it necessary to replace the Central
Electoral Commission and electoral commissions of lower levels in Ukraine
prior to the repeat voting in the second round of the presidential elections
[scheduled for 26 December]. This is mentioned in the recommendations
adopted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(OSCE/ODIHR) on Monday [6 December.]

"It is essential that trust in electoral commissions be restored quickly. To
achieve this, the composition of the Central Electoral Commission needs to
be modified, retaining only those members who have the trust of the major
political forces," the ODIHR director, Christian Strohal said.

The recommendations also contain demands [on the Ukrainian authorities]
to ensure transparency and accountability of the procedures for voter
registration, printing of ballots, voting, counting, tabulation and
announcement of results, and international and domestic election
observation. -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.250: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
Your comments about the Report are always welcome
========================================================
7. EUROPEAN ELECTION MONITOR CALLS ON UKRAINE TO
FIRE SOME MEMBERS OF ELECTION COMMISSION
Borys Tarasyuk of Ukraine says 2,000 OSCE election monitors are needed

Veselin Toshkov, AP Worldstream, Sofia, Bulgaria, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

SOFIA - Europe's top election monitoring agency on Monday called on
Ukraine to fire some members of its Central Election Commission before
a repeat of the country's disputed presidential runoff.

An official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
said a shake up of Ukraine's election commission was among a number of
moves necessary for restoring confidence before the new vote, slated for
Dec. 26. "The composition of the Central Election Commission needs to be
modified, retaining only those members who enjoy the confidence of the
major political groupings," said Christian Strohal, director of the OSCE's
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Foreign ministers from the OSCE's 55 member countries met Monday in
the Bulgarian capital to look into peaceful solutions to Ukraine's political
crisis.

The OSCE was among a number of international vote monitoring groups
to find irregularities in the Nov. 21 runoff between Ukrainian Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
Officials estimate the number of OSCE observers could be doubled to
1,000 for the new vote. But Borys Tarasyuk, a special envoy of Ukraine's
opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, said as many as 2,000 might be
necessary.

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said his country was ready to
provide financial aid to assist OSCE efforts in the Ukraine. He did not
specify the amount of the aid. European Union External Relations
Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner also called for a swift solution
to end the current political uncertainty in the Ukraine.

"We should ... ensure that democratic principles prevail, and help to
preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty," she said.
The OSCE's secretary general, Jan Kubis, left for Kiev to help mediate
that country's political crisis. And Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kostyantyn
Gryshchenko also changed his schedule and returned to Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov were also expected to join the meeting in the Bulgarian capital later
Monday.

The two-day OSCE meeting at Sofia's Palace of Culture will also shape
strategies for the future of the organization, which has been accused by
some of its members of failing to fulfill its commitments. Russia has
repeatedly called for reforms in the OSCE that would put less emphasis
on human rights and more on its military and economic roles, like
securing energy supplies.

A day ahead of the conference, Russia's OSCE ambassador, Alexei
Borodavkin, accused the organization of "stagnation, regress and double
standards." The OSCE currently runs 18 field missions, including programs
to train police agencies, monitor elections and support democratic
institutions. Discussions focused on the organization's response to security
threats, including terrorism, organized crime, trafficking of prostitutes
and illegal trade in small arms and drugs.

The meeting approved Spain's offer to assume the OSCE's rotating
presidency in 2007. Slovenia will hold the presidency next year. It also
approved Spain's invitation to host a conference on tolerance and the
fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination to be held next year
in Cordoba, Spain. -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.250: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
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8. CANADA OFFERS 500 OBSERVERS FOR UKRAINE ELECTION
Largest number Canadian government has ever sent abroad

AP Worldstream, Ottawa, Canada, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

OTTAWA - Canada will send up to 500 observers to Ukraine for the
rerun of its presidential election on Dec. 26, Foreign Affairs Minister
Pierre Pettigrew said Monday. Observers will be sent through the
Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe.

"The government of Canada will be sending as many qualified observers
as we can, up to 500," Pettigrew said. It would be the largest number
of observers Canada has ever sent abroad for an election. -30-
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.250: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
Suggested articles for publication in the Report are always welcome
=========================================================
9. SWEDEN TO SEND 30 ELECTION OBSERVERS TO UKRAINE

Radio Sweden text web site, Stockholm, in English, 6 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mon, Dec 06, 2004

STOCKHOLM - Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds has announced that
Sweden will send 30 observers to monitor the 26 December presidential
election in Ukraine, adding that it is good news that the Supreme Court in
Ukraine recommended that the second round of the presidential election
should be re-voted.

Sixteen Swedish observers were part of an international team in the
November election and run-off - Swedes and other western observers
said they documented evidence of vote rigging in President Viktor
Yanukovych's favour, including multiple voting, falsification of voter rolls
and abuse of absentee ballots. Freivalds says: as Sweden and the EU have
pointed out many times, there were such serious irregularities that the
official result did not reflect the will of the people. -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
Names for the distribution list always welcome
=========================================================
10. UKRAINE: YANUKOVYCH HEADQUARTERS' SAYS HE'S
NO LONGER THE ESTABLISHMENT'S MAN
According to Taras Chornovil, new headquarters chief

Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian, Tue, 7 Dec 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 07, 2004

KIEV - [Presenter] Tense negotiations have been held almost through
the night in Kiev. Helped by international mediators, the presidential
candidates tried to find a way out of the political crisis. Some issues
were resolved, but not all of them. [Passage omitted]

There have been reports in the western press that Ukraine's current
president is no longer backing his prime minister in the election. [Leonid]
Kuchma is supposedly now backing the leader of the opposition. This was
confirmed to us at Viktor Yanukovych's HQ. He can no longer be called
the establishment candidate, his new HQ chief, Taras Chornovil, told us.

[Chornovil] We know that the administration was working for Yushchenko
in most of Ukraine's regions. And elections were quite openly rigged in his
favour. We've known that for a long time. It's also well-known that Kuchma's
son-in-law, [Viktor] Pinchuk, has been openly working for Yushchenko and
providing finance for his campaign. That's also well-known. And we were
then told that our candidate is of the establishment, and the other is of
the opposition.

Everything was turned upside down in Ukraine a long time ago. We have
a very interesting country, in which many things suddenly turn out to be
diametrically opposed to what many people say.

[Presenter] Meanwhile, some commentators think that the public distancing
of Yanukovych from Kuchma is nothing more than a campaign tactic.-30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
Names for the distribution list always welcome
=======================================================
11. UKRAINE'S SOCIALIST LEADER ACCUSES OUR UKRAINE
OF PULLING OUT OF AGREEMENT

Text of report by Interfax-Ukraine news agency
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 07, 2004

KIEV - Representatives of Our Ukraine [opposition led by presidential
candidate Viktor Yushchenko] are going to withdraw from the agreement
to carry out political reform [designed to hand some presidential
powers over to parliament and government], the leader of the Socialist
Party, Oleksandr Moroz, [a keen advocate of this reform] has said.

"Nobody has 'dropped' anyone yet, but I feel Our Ukraine's intention to
'drop' [me]," Moroz told journalists in commenting on the outcome of the
meeting of the [parliamentary agenda-setting] conciliatory council in
parliament today. Moroz said that all the [Our Ukraine] arguments
presented at the meeting were aimed at not voting for political reform.

Oleksandr Moroz also said that his parliamentary faction and his party
are going to come up with their own position on what is going on now
and make it known very soon.

[Moroz formed an alliance with Our Ukraine before the final round of the
presidential elections on condition that Our Ukraine would support political
reform, but tensions in the alliance have emerged in the past week about the
timetable for implementing the reform.] -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE
Names for the distribution list always welcome
=======================================================
12, VICTOR YUSHCHENKO: DAY OF MEMORY HONOURING THE
VICTIMS OF HOLODOMOR AND POLITICAL REPRESSIONS

Victor Yushchenko Website, Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, 27 Nov 2004

KYIV - On 27 November the Ukrainians honour the memory of their
fellow countrymen - victims of Holodomor and political repressions. On
this day we remember the terrible tragedy - genocide of the Ukrainian
people. Long live the memory of our brothers and sisters lost innocent!

We now know who and how committed that crime against the Ukrainian
people. It was based on evil, lies, disregard for human life and dignity,
which became the main weapons in the hands of the totalitarian regime.
We must remember that tragedy to prevent it from happening on our
land ever again!

Nowadays however, Ukraine remembers Holodomor not only with
sorrow but also with hope. The people have stood up to defend their
will, their honour, and their freedom.

Blessed be their memory! Glory to Ukraine!

Viktor Yushchenko
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
Letters to the editor are always welcome
==========================================================
13. SENATOR DICK LUGAR TESTIFIES BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE

U.S. House of Representatives
International Relations Committee
Washington, D.C., Tuesday, December 7, 2004

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman
Dick Lugar gave the following testimony at the U.S. House International
Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I had the honor of being President Bush's personal representative for the
November 21 presidential runoff election in Ukraine. As I approached this
responsibility, I noted publicly that I was not an advocate of either
candidate in the election. My focus was to stress free and fair election
procedures that would strengthen worldwide respect for the legitimacy of
the winning candidate.

The campaign for president in Ukraine had already been marked by wide-
spread political intimidation and failure to give equal coverage to
candidates in the media. Physical intimidation of voters and illegal use of
governmental administrative and legal authorities had been evident and
persistent.

President Bush wrote in a letter which I carried to President Kuchma: "You
play a central role in ensuring that Ukraine's election is democratic and
free of fraud and manipulation. A tarnished election, however, will lead us
to review our relations with Ukraine." In thoughtful and careful
representation of President Bush's words, I visited with President Kuchma
and both candidates, with explicit requests for them to terminate any
further campaign violations. I stated that I had come to celebrate the
building of strong democratic institutions in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, a nationwide celebration of democratic election procedures at
that point, was not to be. The government of President Kuchma allowed, or
aided and abetted, wholesale fraud and abuse that changed the results of the
election. It is clear that Prime Minister Yanukovich did not win this
election despite erroneous election announcements and calls of
congratulations from Moscow.

In 1986, I witnessed a democratic and diplomatic challenge in The
Philippines. There too, I served as Co-Chairman, with Congressman Jack
Murtha, of an observer group appointed by President Ronald Reagan. The
parallels between the Philippine experience of 1986 and Ukraine today are
interesting. President Marcos called a snap election and Corazon Aquinas,
the widow of an assassinated opposition leader, challenged Marcos. While
Marcos attempted to steal the election through fraud and abuse, the
overwhelming support for Aquino led the government to falsify the vote
count. Tens of thousands of Filipinos poured into the streets of Manila in
support of Aquino. The international community was shocked by the enormity
of the fraud and the popular EDSA revolution. Ultimately, the will of the
people brought change and President Marcos' efforts to subvert freedoms
failed.
DEMOCRACY IN U.S. FOREIGN POLICY:
President Bush has expressed his unequivocal support for democracy around
the world. He has said: "I simply do not agree with those who either say
overtly or believe that certain societies cannot be free. It's just not
part of my thinking." I agree with the President.

The United States must be at the forefront of international efforts to
secure individual freedom. Democracy must be at the core of our foreign
policy. We must be prepared to play an active role in ensuring that
democracy and basic freedoms are promoted and preserved around the world.

An election on December 26 that is free and fair will be a tribute to
Ukraine's maturing democracy and will place Ukraine on a path to join the
community of European democracies. A secure and democratic Ukraine is in
the national security interests of the United States, NATO, the European
Union, and Russia. A fraudulent and illegal election would leave Ukraine
crippled. The new president would lack legitimacy with the Ukrainian people
and the international community.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld, the Deputy Secretary of State
Rich Armitage, former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Henry
Kissinger, and Congressional leaders have visited, written and called
Ukrainian leaders to advocate a free and fair election process. Secretary of
State Colin Powell's leadership and the outstanding efforts of our
Ambassador, John Herbst, have left no doubt of the impact an illegitimate
election will have on the future of Ukraine and our relationship.

With the stakes so high, I applaud the thousands of election observers who
were sent by the U.S. and European states through organizations such as the
National Endowment for Democracy, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, and the European Network of Election Monitoring
Organizations. Most importantly, over 10,000 citizens of Ukraine were
organized by the Committee of Voters of Ukraine to carefully observe
individual polling stations. These observers outlined an extensive list of
serious procedural violations including:

Illegal expulsions of opposition members of election commissions;
Inaccurate voter lists;
Evidence of students, government employees and private sector workers
being forced by their deans and supervisors to vote for one candidate over
another;
Busloads of people voting more than once with absentee ballots;
Representatives of the media being beaten and their equipment stolen
or destroyed; and
Suspiciously large use of mobile voting.

Even in the face of these attempts to end any hope of a free and fair
election, I was inspired by the willingness and courage of so many citizens
of Ukraine to demonstrate their passion for free expression and the building
of a truly democratic Ukraine. As corrupt authorities tried to disrupt,
frighten and intimidate citizens, brave Ukrainians pushed back by continuing
to do their best to keep the election on track and to prevent chaos.

President Kuchma pledged to Ukraine that there would be "Elections worthy
of a 21st century European country." The day after the runoff election, I
told the press and the people of Ukraine through a live television broadcast
in Kiev that President Kuchma had the responsibility and the opportunity to
produce even at that point an outcome that was fair and responsible. I
pointed out that he would enhance his legacy by prompt and decisive action
which maximizes worldwide confidence in the presidency of Ukraine and the
extraordinary potential future which lies ahead of his country. To date,
President Kuchma has not met these responsibilities.

WHAT TO DO:
This morning we have learned from our embassy in Ukraine that an agreement
was reached late last night between European mediators, President Kuchma,
and the presidential candidates. Although not as sweeping as earlier
reports of a compromise, the agreement reportedly has two elements. The
current Central Election Commission will be dismissed and replaced with new
members to oversee the December 26th runoff. Secondly, a new election law
has been agreed to by the parties in an effort to eliminate the fraud
perpetrated in the previous rounds of voting.

These reports are promising but we will have to await the final outcome of
the Rada's deliberations, future rounds of negotiations, and President
Kuchma's signature before offering firm conclusions. In the meantime, I
offer four recommendations:

. Absentee and mobile voting must be excluded;
. the presence of Ukrainian and international observers must be
increased to, ideally, observers in each of the 33,006 polling stations;
. the candidates must have equal time to present themselves and to
broadcast their platforms to the Ukrainian people; and
. the domestic and international press must commit to monitor and to
debate the electoral process in an open and transparent manner that fully
illuminates illegal activities and conveys legitimacy to the rightful
winner.

Absent vigorous attempts to meet these changes, I do not believe that the
Ukrainian people will have confidence in the integrity of the election
process. Worse yet, they may be doomed to witness a repeat of the fraud
and abuse that were apparent in the previous rounds of voting.

I am pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State has notified
Congress of their intent to supplement election monitoring and related
assistance to support the December 26 runoff. This is critical and I urge
the Department to provide the funds necessary, as quickly as possible, to
assist the Ukrainian people in their goal of free and fair elections.
Specifically funds will be used to support election observers, exit
polling, parallel vote tabulations, training of election commissioners, and
voter education programs. I share the Administration's strong objections
to separatist initiatives and continue to urge all Ukrainians to resolve the
situation through peaceful means. The future of the country rests with
Ukrainian voters, but the United States and Europe must continue to support
a foundation for democracy, rule of law, and a market economy, which will
allow Ukraine to prosper and reach its full potential.

CONCLUSION:
With democratic forces in retreat in neighboring Russia and Belarus, a free
and fair election will be a turning point in Ukraine's history that could
have widespread constructive effects beyond its borders and the region.

I have strong affection for the people of Ukraine and the bravery and
determination they have shown since the fall of the Soviet Union. I have
good memories of suggesting an initial pledge of $175 million in Nunn-Lugar
assistance to dismantle the Ukrainian nuclear arsenal. I carried the
Ukrainian message to Secretary of State James Baker requesting a strong U.S.
diplomatic presence when our representation consisted of a small consular
office. The Secretary moved quickly to establish an embassy and to send a
U.S. Ambassador to Kiev.

The United States has stood by Ukraine through difficult moments before and
we must not fail to do so at this critical juncture. My presence in Ukraine
during this important time was meant to underscore President Bush's support
for the future of Ukraine. Free and fair elections in Ukraine embody our
hope and goal of a Europe whole and free.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that Ukraine has dominated newspaper
headlines and media broadcasts all over the world for the last sixteen days.
In that time, extraordinary events have occurred. A free press has revolted
against government intimidation and reasserted itself. An emerging middle
class has found its political footing. A new generation has found its hope
for the future. A society has rebelled against the illegal activities of
its government. It is in our interests to recognize and protect these
advances.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. -30-
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN
Letters to the editor are always welcome
=========================================================
14. CONGRESSMAN MARCY KAPTUR TESTIFIES BEFORE THE
U.S. HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE

U.S. House of Representatives
International Relations Committee
Washington, D.C., Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Following are Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's remarks this morning
before the House International Relations Committee on the situation in
Ukraine:

"FUTURE OF U.S.-UKRAINIAN RELATIONS"

Chairman Hyde, Ranking Member Lantos and Members of the Committee:
Thank you for allowing me the great courtesy of testifying at this important
hearing as co-chair of the bipartisan House Ukrainian Caucus. Please let me
submit for the Record the names of the co-chairs of the Congressional
Ukrainian Caucus: Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6) , Congressman Sander
Levin (MI-12) , Congressman Curt Weldon (PA-7) and myself, along with the
full list of names of our Caucus members.

Mr. Chairman, history has not been kind to the people of Ukraine. Just in
the past century, they have endured a world war, famine at the hands of
Stalin as a result of his failed scheme of collectivization, another world
war and the ravages of Nazism, and brutal domination under the Soviet Union.

Now, they look to the West as they hope to pull off a political miracle.
They are asking us the question made famous by an American sports
commentator. Do you believe in miracles? Our answer as a nation must be
"Yes." Yes, we do believe in miracles. And we believe in yours.

All of us share a deep concern for democratic transition in Ukraine's recent
presidential election and for the welfare of the people of that nation. We
all have been awed by the courage of the Ukrainian people many times since
the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. Ukrainians remind us of
our own nation's founders and the timeless words that have run through our
own history:

Ukrainians are reminding us of timeless words that have run through our own
history. From Emma Lazarus at the base of the Statue of Liberty: Give me
your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

And from our Declaration of Independence: All people have unalienable rights
endowed by their Creator: "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That
to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the governed..."

We relived these words in real time as we witnessed hundreds of thousands of
Ukrainian citizens not only having braved winter's bitter bone-chilling cold
in Kiev's central plaza - but risking their lives and futures - as Russian
troops dressed in Ukrainian Army uniforms infiltrated the crowds. (This
comes from credible sources, including former Members of Congress and Paul
Miazga, Kyiv Post Senior Editor).

Remarkably. after two weeks, no violent incidents marred this incredibly
peaceful Orange Revolution. The will of democracy seekers is clear.
America simply has a moral responsibility and indeed, a duty, to help plant
democracy where it seeks to root, lest this moment be recorded by history as
the 21st Century's first Yalta.

No economic interest or strategic paradigm should divert our nation from
standing firmly beside those who are risking all. They are bearing
testament and giving birth to liberty. They are living the vision that
John F. Kennedy articulated in his Inaugural Address: Let every nation
know...That we shall pay any price, bear any burden, Support any friend,
oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.

It is nothing but miraculous to think that this most recent human crescendo
for liberty is arising inside borders in which more than 50 million beings
were annihilated or forcibly starved in former times-more human carnage
indeed than by Nazi Germany.

When I first traveled to Ukraine with our mother, Anastasia, in 1973, long
before I was serving as a Member of Congress, I held little hope that what
we are witnessing today would or could happen in our lifetimes. But we
walked the path in that journey of hope during the Soviet period to bear
witness that borders, and even weapons, could not stifle the love of family,
the raw truth of history, and the aspirations of the heart. Today, now
three decades later, as a Member of Congress, I would like to submit for the
Record the official Rada-Congress Agreement that our Caucus negotiated and
signed in 1999 with our legislative counterparts in the new Republic of
Ukraine.

Our Agreement has several objectives:
1) Constitute a Working Group to help resolve any issues hampering an
expansion of economic and political cooperation between the United States
and Ukraine;
2) Establish items of discussion by the Congress-Rada Parliamentary
Exchange (CRPE) which encompass economic relations, trade, space
exploration, health-care, the environment, agriculture, natural resources,
and any other matter important to the promotion of close ties between the
United States and Ukraine; and
3) Convene biannually in the United States and Ukraine to formally exchange
viewpoints brought about by current events. The Congress-Rada Parliamentary
Exchange will from time to time issue recommendations to be pursued in each
legislature.

At the same time that I wholeheartedly support a revote in Ukraine's
elections, careful attention to our relationship with Russia must
continue--diplomatically, culturally, educationally, economically. Surely
Congress must expand and formalize upon our ongoing and valuable
relationship with the Duma. A stable and economically healthy Russia and
Ukraine are in the world's interest.

In view of ongoing events in Ukraine, I would strongly urge this Committee,
building on this agreement, to undertake several immediate actions to imbue
this Agreement with real meaning at this juncture:

(1) Schedule several teleconferences between the Rada and Congress,
including a conference with Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and other interested
members of the Ukraine, to increase dialogue on matters of mutual interest
and during this crucial transition period.
(2) Establish immediately and fund a legislative staff exchange
between the U.S. Congress and the Rada to support advancement of staff
policy capability.
(3) Organize a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to travel to
Ukraine related to the revote and to assist during the election as monitors.

During these last few weeks, in my role as Ukrainian Caucus co-chair and
friend of the Ukrainian people, I have received e-mails and letters from
people in Kyiv and throughout the countryside. For the record, I would like
to submit some of them and will close in reading three short excerpts:

* From Katya: "Hundreds of students have left our city for Kyiv to
participate in the 'Orange Revolution.' I hope that the position of the USA
will force the power to recognize the results of the elections. Please pray
for us."

* From Natalya: "I have not seen this type of emotion in our people since
1990 when the student fasts helped us to attain independence. This past
uprising is nothing in comparison to the situation that confronts us now. I
am proud of our people for taking a stand. As I write this, thousands of
people from across Ukraine are gathered in the streets of Kyiv despite the
brutal cold and constant snow."

* And, from Olexander: "Last night, 500,000 people gathered in
Independence Square. I have never seen such a sea of people in my life.
It is a credit to our country that the entire crowd of Yushchenko supporters
is sober and well behaved. Help us in any way that you can. Do not let
our people stand alone in their fight for democracy. Please keep us in
your prayers."

* From Andrei: "Please pray for us."

* From Sergiy: "I have never seen people of Ukraine assemble like this
since the hunger strikes of 1993 - and this is larger."

* From Ihor, an example of how the people in the arts are suffering: "We
lost three rehearsals last week due to there being no power in the hall -
most likely a government provocation, I fear. At our concerts a number of
men in the [omitted to protect Ihor] wore elegant orange handkerchiefs in
the lapel of their coats and some of the women wore elegant orange
headbands. We received an official letter the other day warning us that our
contract would be cancelled if we continued to engage in 'political games.'

*From William, an American who traveled to Ukraine to oversee the elections:
"We are hearing credible reports that President Putin has sent in Russian
troops into eastern Ukraine. These Russian troops are said to be wearing
Ukrainian uniforms - a clear violation of international law."

* From a Washington Post editorial: Mr. Putin, who has channeled hundreds
of millions of dollars into the prime minister's campaign, is backing the
imposition of an authoritarian system along the lines of the one he is
creating in Russia - with a propagandistic regime, controlled media,
official persecution of dissent, business executives who take orders from
the state, and elections that are neither free not fair.

* From the International Herald Tribune: For 13 years the EU has been
indifferent to democracy in Ukraine. EU policies toward Ukraine suggest
that Europe is indifferent to democracy - except when supporting democracy
is easy and accords with its crude self interests. Ukraine was, and still
is, a transitional post-Soviet state. -30- [Action Ukraine Monitoring]
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 250: ARTICLE NUMBER FIFTEEN
Letters to the editor are always welcome
======================================================
15. "WHAT ARE WE UP TO -- IN UKRAINE?"
Hands off Ukraine - Stop trying to install a U.S. vassal

OPINION: by Patrick J. Buchanan
LewRockwell.com, Center for Libertarian Studies
Burlingame, California, Sunday, December 5, 2004

In the 1940s, as Stalinists were seizing Czechoslovakia, ex-OSS agents were
running bags of money to Italy and France to ensure the Communists were
defeated in national elections. In the 1950s, using a rent-a-mob, the CIA
effected the ouster of an anti-American regime in Iran and the overthrow of
Arbenz in Guatemala. In the 1980s, after Solidarity was crushed by Gen.
Jaruzelski, Ronald Reagan secretly aided the Polish resistance.

Many of us applauded these Cold War means, as we believed that the ends -
security of the West and survival of freedom - justified them. But when news
broke that South Africa was maneuvering to buy the Washington Star in the
1980s, this city was ablaze with indignation. How dare they seek to corrupt
American media! In the 1990s, when China was caught using cutouts to
funnel cash to the Clinton campaign, we were full of righteous rage.

Given this history, several questions arise. Are we today using Cold War
tactics in a post-Cold War era? Are we guilty of the same gross interference
in the internal affairs of Ukraine, trying to fix their election, we would
consider outrageous and criminal if done to us?

Are we Americans hypocrites of global democracy? Consider what we have
apparently been up to in Ukraine.

According to the Guardian and other sources, NED - the National Endowment
for Democracy - and USAid, Freedom House, the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace and George Soros' Open Society Institute all pumped
money or sent agents into Kiev to defeat the government-backed Viktor
Yanukovich and elect Viktor Yushchenko as president. Allegedly in on the
scheme is the supposedly objective and neutral Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.

The Guardian's Jonathan Steele describes how we put the fix in:
"Yushchenko got the Western nod, and floods of money poured in to groups
which support him, ranging from the youth organization, Pora, to various
opposition websites. More provocatively, the U.S. and other Western
embassies paid for exit polls ..."

Those polls showed Yushchenko winning by 11, demoralizing the opposition
and convincing most Ukrainians he was the next president. But, on Election
Day, Yushchenko, like Kerry, lost by three, as the populous eastern Ukraine
delivered the same huge margins for favorite son Yanukovich as did western
Ukraine for Yushchenko.

Into the streets came scores of thousands of demonstrators, howling fraud
and demanding that Yushchenko be inaugurated. Engaging in civil
disobedience, and backed by the West, the crowds intimidated parliament,
President Kuchma and the judiciary into declaring the election invalid.

John Laughland writes in the Guardian of the double standard our media
employ: "Enormous rallies have been held in Kiev in support of the prime
minister, Viktor Yanukovich, but they are not shown on our TV screen. ...
Yanukovich supporters are denigrated as having been 'bussed in.' The
demonstrators in favor of Yushchenko have laser lights, plasma screens,
sophisticated sound systems, rock concerts, tents to camp in and huge
quantities of orange clothing; yet we happily dupe ourselves that they are
spontaneous."

Laughland is saying the Yushchenko demonstrations may be as phony as that
U.S-Albanian war in the Dustin Hoffman-Robert DeNiro film Wag the Dog.
He calls Pora "an organization created and financed by Washington," like
Otpor and Kmara, which were used in Serbia and Georgia to oust leaders
Washington wished to be rid of. Pora's symbol, writes Laughland, depicts
"a jackboot crushing a beetle."

If the United States has indeed been interfering in Ukraine to swing the
election of a president who will tilt to NATO, against Moscow, we are,
as Steele writes, "playing with fire."

"Not only is (Ukraine) geographically and culturally divided - a recipe for
partition or even civil war - it is also an important neighbor of Russia.
... Ukraine has been turned into a geostrategic matter not by Moscow, but
by the U.S., which refuses to abandon the Cold War policy of encircling
Moscow and seeking to pull every former Soviet republic to its side."

Our most critical relationship on earth is with the world's other great
nuclear power, Russia, a nation suffering depopulation, loss of empire,
breakup of its country and a terror war. That relationship is far more
important to us than who rules in Kiev.

For us to imperil it by using our perfected technique of the "post-modern
coup" - as we did in Serbia and Georgia and failed to do in Belarus - to
elect American vassals in Russia's backyard, even in former Soviet
republics, seems an act of imperial arrogance and blind stupidity.

Congress should investigate NED and any organization that used clandestine
cash or agents to fix the Ukrainian election, as the U.S. media appear to
have gone into the tank for global democracy, as they did for war in
Iraq. -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick J. Buchanan, former presidential candidate and White House aide,
is editor of The American Conservative and the author of eight books,
including "A Republic Not An Empire" and the upcoming "Where the Right
Went Wrong." Write to Patrick J. Buchanan at: The American Conservative
1300 Wilson Blvd. Suite 120, Arlington, VA 22209
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINK: http://www.lewrockwell.com/buchanan/buchanan15.html
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