Replies

A Geostrategic Position

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??

Having lived and worked in Ukraine several times in the past few years, there is one thing that irks Ukrainians more than any thing, and that is the use of the definitive article "the" when referring to Ukraine.

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.