Good to hear you are out and about seeing some life return. Sorry about the East/West divide stories. Some of that is clearly bias.
Unclear about Yulia Timushenko and what she is up to now. She still is involved in politics but is no longer considered among the richest per https://uacrisis.org/en/54793-top-5-ukrainian-oligarchs. If I can believe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Tymoshenko, she seems intent on greater freedom for the people. But they only say she is involved with a children's hospital since the war started. She hasn't appeared much on US media compared to Poroshenko.
Specifically, I don't see details of land reform, a key objection. Ukrainians who own farmland are now allowed to sell up to 100 hectares, and only to other Ukrainians. The big land companies (Sigma Blazer, Black Earth Farming, Myronovsky, Avangardco) would like to own it outright, but as of now cannot.
He outlawed some political parties. Nations at war, including the US, have done that in the past. I don't hear widespread objection.
Zelensky's standing with foreign heads of state looks fairly solid to me. He is getting much of what he is asking for. Russia's international support is eroding. Once again, some specifics would be useful.
A reasonable discussion but with some elements of propaganda enmeshed. I have no doubts of corruption in Ukraine and understand that Zelenskyy is a product of Kolomoyskyi's businesses. I have an exceedingly hard time accepting that any group of people anywhere would prefer to be ruled by Moscow. Those USSR places that elected to stay attached to Russia all seem to be ruled by oligarchs with some relationship to the Russian crime syndicate. I simply refuse to believe that Eastern Ukraine is being forced by Western Ukraine to accept the current government. It's more likely that Ukrainian oligarchs with close ties to businesses in Eastern Ukraine want a different alignment more favorable to their causes. In that case we see a bunch of crime bosses trying to protect their businesses.
Whether Zelensky turns out to be the white knight the world sees as a champion of Ukraine's causes or a future ruler for life as his opposition worries over is a question for post-war Ukraine. I see Zelensky as a person who has maneuvered well to effectively attack the internal corruption widely. He may favor his sponsor in the process but now has much more power than his sponsor. Whether he can manage the former private armies that now have devolved to defend Ukraine remains open.
If Russia can be driven out of Ukraine, the post war Ukraine ought to become more united. Perhaps the internal corruption can be resolved. Putin's future is more tenuous although his successor may be no better. Of course, post WWII even Churchill was pushed out in later elections.
Good to hear you are out and about seeing some life return. Sorry about the East/West divide stories. Some of that is clearly bias.
Unclear about Yulia Timushenko and what she is up to now. She still is involved in politics but is no longer considered among the richest per https://uacrisis.org/en/54793-top-5-ukrainian-oligarchs. If I can believe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Tymoshenko, she seems intent on greater freedom for the people. But they only say she is involved with a children's hospital since the war started. She hasn't appeared much on US media compared to Poroshenko.
https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/28/zelensky-celebrity-populist-pinochet-neoliberal/
Where's the meat?
Specifically, I don't see details of land reform, a key objection. Ukrainians who own farmland are now allowed to sell up to 100 hectares, and only to other Ukrainians. The big land companies (Sigma Blazer, Black Earth Farming, Myronovsky, Avangardco) would like to own it outright, but as of now cannot.
He outlawed some political parties. Nations at war, including the US, have done that in the past. I don't hear widespread objection.
Zelensky's standing with foreign heads of state looks fairly solid to me. He is getting much of what he is asking for. Russia's international support is eroding. Once again, some specifics would be useful.
It stated in the article he outlawed political opposition PRIOR to war.
As to his standing among foreign heads of state, if you don't want to get sanctioned you have no alternative but to be anti-Russian.
Read through it. It's a nothingburger. Shutting down Pro-Russian parties and media outlets AFTER a Russian invasion isn't unreasonable.
Zelenshy did not 'outlaw political opposition'. If the article states that then the article is wrong. Truth matters.
A reasonable discussion but with some elements of propaganda enmeshed. I have no doubts of corruption in Ukraine and understand that Zelenskyy is a product of Kolomoyskyi's businesses. I have an exceedingly hard time accepting that any group of people anywhere would prefer to be ruled by Moscow. Those USSR places that elected to stay attached to Russia all seem to be ruled by oligarchs with some relationship to the Russian crime syndicate. I simply refuse to believe that Eastern Ukraine is being forced by Western Ukraine to accept the current government. It's more likely that Ukrainian oligarchs with close ties to businesses in Eastern Ukraine want a different alignment more favorable to their causes. In that case we see a bunch of crime bosses trying to protect their businesses.
Whether Zelensky turns out to be the white knight the world sees as a champion of Ukraine's causes or a future ruler for life as his opposition worries over is a question for post-war Ukraine. I see Zelensky as a person who has maneuvered well to effectively attack the internal corruption widely. He may favor his sponsor in the process but now has much more power than his sponsor. Whether he can manage the former private armies that now have devolved to defend Ukraine remains open.
If Russia can be driven out of Ukraine, the post war Ukraine ought to become more united. Perhaps the internal corruption can be resolved. Putin's future is more tenuous although his successor may be no better. Of course, post WWII even Churchill was pushed out in later elections.