The Ukraine is a relatively unknown quantity for many Western Europeans. Yet this country is the second largest European country with a population of over 46 million predominantly ethnic Orthodox Christian Ukrainians with a significant presence of ethnic Russians. Its history is variegated and, due to its geographical location, the country was for centuries subjected to foreign domination be it Polish, Austro-Hungarian and more recently Russian. Its dream of self-determination had been a long-standing issue that was only realised, almost by default, 20 years ago when the Soviet Union unceremoniously fell apart.
Yet Ukraine’s transition to independence has been anything but smooth. Its strategic position, contiguous to Russia and at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Russia has made it a country riven by outside interests. Once the food basket of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has swathes of fertile, arable land. It also has many raw materials and decades of industrial experience. Despite all this, its transition from a planned economy to a market economy has been shaky to say the least. The first decade of independence saw the average Ukranian’s standard of living plummet while oligarchs emerged to gorge on the nation’s resources. Ukraine’s transition has not been particularly successful for a number of key reasons.
The country seems divided on one central issue. While it appears that the majority of Ukranians favour a closer union with the West, many forces and interests would rather hang on to their traditional ties with Russia. These economic, political and cultural ties have been forged over many decades of Russian domination dating back to the 18th century.
Neutralising these influences are proving immensely difficult. The transition process was and remains mired with many claims and counter claims of unbridled corruption at the centre of a fragile and delicate political process dominated by a few key but politically strong figures. Among the personalities were individuals such as Presidents Viktor Yuschenko, Viktor Yanukovyc, Leonid Kuchma and twice Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Ukraine is back on the international news with the sudden and controversial arrest of Yulia Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko is a fiery female politician whose sudden rise to political power is the stuff of prime time political intrigue. The 51-year-old Tymoshenko, an economist by profession, is in a way a product of both pre and post-independent Ukraine.
Starting off as a non-descript state employee she is claimed to have amassed a significant fortune when along with her husband Oleksandr she was involved in the gas distribution trade during the 1990s state privatisation process. This controversial image as a successful businesswoman during the shady nineties has continued to haunt her and is continuously used against her by her political adversaries.
Tymoshenko entered politics in 1996 and enjoyed a stellar rise. From parliamentary member she rose to Deputy Minister for Fuel and Energy and then leader of her own party (Batkivshchina or ‘Fatherland’ Party). The economic and political turmoil of the turn of the century led to the Ukrainian Orange revolution − a bloodless uprising that sealed Tymoshenko’s political career. In the last 11 years, Tymoshenko has been Ukraine’s Prime Minister twice; the first for nine months in 2005 and then for three years until 2010.
Yulia Tymoshenko has proved to be a tough political adversary and has survived many attempts to undermine her popularity and tarnish her image in the process. At one point Tymoshenko even attributed a freak car accident to dark forces operating in the background. Yet with all this she remains a highly visible figure and enjoys a lot of popularity with the average Ukrainian. Her arrest has now changed the dynamics of the end game.
Tymoshenko was accused of abusing power in 2009, when as Prime Minister she signed unfavourable natural gas contracts during the supply crisis that had engulfed not only her country but also much of northern Europe’s energy supply. Many, including Tymoshenko, saw this as another attempt by her arch rival, President Yanukovych, to silence her and remove her once and for all from the political scene. Tymoshenko was eventually arrested on 5 August for contempt of court and remains incarcerated up to this day.
These actions have undermined not only Ukraine’s fledgling democracy but has undermined Yanukovych’s credibility. After all, this was the last of a series of decisions that highlight the President’s almost absolute monopoly on controlling Parliament, the Cabinet and the presidency.
All this has added more pressure on the already strained ties Ukraine has with the European Union, which are jointly formulating a Customs union with a view to eventual EU membership. The EU has already made it clear that the latest actions against Tymoshenko risk undoing all the hard work that has been achieved so far.
Although in jail after having been refused three applications for her release, Yulia Tymoshenko remains resolute and promises to fight on. In her recent interview with the EU Observer she condemns the judicial process against her. She speaks of ‘lawless legality’ and attempts at show trials reminiscent of the Stalinist ways of the past. Clearly, the situation is increasingly explosive and it is yet to be seen what is in store for Yulia Timoshenko and the political process in Ukraine.
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