Posted on 11/27/2004 12:50:27 AM PST by M. Espinola
MELTDOWN OR SOLUTION?
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia was concerned by the West's attempts to influence the situation in Ukraine, where allegations of vote fraud have sparked a political crisis that has brought the rival candidates' supporters into the streets.
"Between 1995 and 1999, Ukraine was the third-largest receiver of US foreign aid," said Taras Kuzio, a professor of politics at George Washington University.
Western nations including the United States and European Union members have called the election results fraudulent and expressed support for the opposition led by Viktor Yushchenko, which has unleashed huge protests in the Ukrainian capital and other cities.
A supporter of Ukraine's opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko kisses an interrior ministry soldier near the presidential office in Kiev. Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich has urged a crowd of supporters to help him end demonstrations aimed at overturning his victory in a presidential election, saying they amounted to an "unconstitutional coup".REUTERS/Mikhailo Markiv
Supporters of Moscow-backed Ukrainian PM Yanukovich shout slogans during a meeting in Kiev. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Yanukovich on his win, but Western countries have criticised the official election results. REUTERS/Mikhailo Markiv
Supporters of opposition candidate Yushchenko rally in Kiev / 11-26-04/ photo: Reuters
Pool photo by Anatoly Medzyk Among the officials meeting on Friday in Kiev were, clockwise from center, the departing Ukrainian president, Leonid D. Kuchma; President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania, and Javier Solana of the European Union. 11-25-04
Ukraine's opposition leader and West-leaning presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko flashes a victory sign during a rally in Kiev. REUTERS/Mikhailo Markiv
Moscow's puppet-Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich has urged a crowd of supporters to help him end demonstrations aimed at overturning his victory in a presidential election, saying they amounted to an "unconstitutional coup".
Ukrainian outgoing President Leonid Kuchma (C) delivers his speech while opposition leader West-leaning Viktor Yushchenko (L) and Moscow-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich look on after their negotiations with European and Russian mediators at the presidential office in Kiev, November 26th, 2004.
Pro-Russian Eastern Ukraine Threatens to Secede if Yushchenko Wins
Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko / photo: Reuters
Supporters of Ukraine's opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko attempt to break through the police lines near the presidential office in Kiev, Nov. 26th, 2004
Oleksandra Nikolayenko, Miss Ukraine 2004 - Where does she stand on the elections? This could tell us. Miss Nikolayenko is a student of the Odesa National Law Academy; she works for Savrox Models Agency, Odesa. Oleksandra Nikolayenko won the title of Miss Tourism World–2002. Her mother is an economist, and her father is an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; her elder sister is a student. Her pet is a Rottweiler dog by the name of Michigan. So, which are Oleksandra's colours? Orange or Blue?
Thousands of opposition candidate Yushchenko supporters rally in Kiev’s central square / Photo: Reuters
Police in the Ukrainian city of Chernigov used tear-gas against demonstrators supporting the opposition contender for president, Viktor Yushchenko, Ekho Moskvy radio quoted Yuschenko’s aide, Alexander Zinchenko.
ANTI-WESTERN PRAVDA STATES: 'A Western circus with Yushchenko, the clown!' http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/101/399/14639_yushchenko.html ---Just like the old Soviet era.
Orange - Police cadets sing the national anthem after they joined the thousands of supporters of Ukraine's opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko who continue to rally in Kiev's main square to protest against the Presidential election results.11-26-04(AFP/Joe Klamar)
Orange- Supporters of Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko protest against the results of the presidential election in Kiev, Ukraine, Nov. 26, 2004.
Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine’s Russian-backed Prime Minister, was blocked from entering his offices 11-26-04
Orange- A police cadets waves Ukrainian flags and orange signs of support for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, during a mass rally in Kiev’s today (11-26-04) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Orange-Yushchenko supporter-11/26/04
Blue-Yanukovych supporters, 10.000 of them demonstrate at Kiev's main railway station.
Verbal battles between Orange & Blue supporters. Will things get very ugly?
Orange
Officers of Ukraine's military brass band salute as they announce their support for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko during a mass rally in Kiev's central Independence square late Friday, Nov. 26th, 2004.
Blue Moscow supporters tend to be on the mean & ugly side: Supporters of Moscow-backed Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich shout slogans and wave his campaign flags during a rally in Kiev, November 26th, 2004.
A girl holds up an orange, the colour of Ukraine's opposition, during a demonstration in Warsaw, Poland, in support of the Ukrainian oppositional presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko, Friday Nov. 26th 2004
Ukraine's opposition leader and West-leaning presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko (R, wearing an orange scarf) shakes hands with his supporters after negotiations with European and Russian mediators in Kiev, November 26th, 2004
Orange-Supporters of Victor Yushchenko attend a concert in the Opera square in downtown Lviv. 11-26-04(AFP/Janek Skarzynski)
Blue-Supporters of Ukraine's pro-Moscow Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich shout slogans during a rally in Kiev.(AFP/Genya Savilov)
Orange-A Ukrainian policewoman smiles as she holds a rose and a flag of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko during a mass rally in Kiev's central Independence Square on Friday, Nov. 26th, 2004. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Orange-People wave Ukrainian flags during a demonstration in Warsaw, Poland, in support of Ukrainian opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko, Friday Nov. 26, 2004. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Supporters who believe the Ukrainian election is fraudulent carry signs outside at the Coffee Station, where President Bush was having lunch, Friday, Nov. 26th, 2004, in Crawford, Texas. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)
A supporter of Ukrainian opposition leader Yushchenko wearing a hat decorated with a campaign sticker reading 'Yushchenko-President' takes part in a rally in Kiev November 26th, 2004.
A Ukrainian priest blesses a flag of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko during a mass rally of his supporters in the Ukrainian city of Lviv near the Polish border, Friday, Nov. 26th, 2004. (AP Photo/UNIAN, Alexander Baran)
Blue - A coal miner smokes next to a campaign poster of Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, as he takes a rest after work at a mine in the town of Gorlivka, about 50 km from Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk November 26, 2004. Workers in Ukraine's industrial heartland of Donetsk, hard at work in plants and collieries, treated with derision any suggestion that an opposition strike over a contested election could paralyze the ex-Soviet state. REUTERS/Alexander Khudoteply
Orange - An elderly woman smiles as she shouts pro-Yushchenko slogans during a demonstration in the centre of Lviv November 26, 2004.
Orange - Newly married couple Igor and Valentina Chava kiss each other as they stand on stage with Yushchenko's campaign poster with his slogan 'Tak' or 'Yes' in Ukrainian on the background during a rally on the main square of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, Friday, Nov. 26th, 2004.
doesnt the ukraine have like the 3rd or 4th most nuclear missles in the world? Anyway....
We should criticize, but not get involved to full. Neither should the Russians. To be honest, this is for the Ukrainians to figure out.
To be honest, if the vote is deemed fair, then that is that. It sucks that there appears to be fraud. Can't anyone have a clean election these days??
At least this didn't happen here. There were mumblings such demonstrations would happen if Bush were reelected. Thank God cooler heads...err...a decisive win did occur.
It's largely due to the efforts of FReepers and like-minded people who kept an eagle's eye on fraud.
Ukraine acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a nuclear-free state, and the last warhead was transported to Russia in August 1996.
http://www.mirror-weekly.com/nn/show/470/44020/
But what you call "voter fraud" in the U.S. is not organized by a party or the government and not comparable to what happened supposedly in the Ulraine.
The U.S. "voter fraud" is nothing more than a few people who vote twice or malfunctioning voting machines or the usual human carelessness. Things like that. Not this soviet-style, big time conspiracy.
The Ukraine-Which Direction? Moscow or The West?
That has always been used to show that Ukraine was subject to Russia in the past. Now that they are supposedly independent they resent the use of "the" to define their country as a part of Russia. After all we wouldn't say the Germany, the Spain, or the Russia, would we?
It is a very touchy issue with Ukrainians, as they struggle to break free from centuries of oppression. They are probably the most strategic piece of property on the entire globe. If you've ever played Risk, you would know that country is captured and recaptured more than any other in that game. The same happens in real life.
My prayers are with these wonderful people as they struggle to gain their real freedom!
Thanks for the great pictures. Okay, someone has to do it...where's the map of orange and blue counties? Are Michael Moore or Bruce Springsteen headed over there? Maybe P.Diddy can sell 'Vote or Gulag' t-shirts.
It seems when people are fighting to free themselves from Islamic fanatics, or old hard-line Soviet types, the Michael Moore's of this world are totally mute & invisible.
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