Ive been in Kiev (Ukraine) for a week. Its all very peaceful and warm here and people are incredibly relaxed, as they sit in cafés and enjoy life. This is a far cry from last December, with 24-hour a day demonstrations, all the barricades and police attacks. But what a paradox! In Kiev, the Russian-speakers are feeling more and more Ukrainian and at least in the capital city, there is a unity that never existed before. Meanwhile, in the East of the country, absolute horrors are being perpetrated. In Slovyansk, for example, Chechen and Khazak mercenaries have teamed up with criminal elements released from Russian prisons specifically to be sent to fight in Slovyansk. At present, the general population is hostage to these forces and a lot of people are hiding in basements hoping this will all end. There is no way of leaving the city: it is under siege from within. Im not sure how Porochenko (the newly elected Ukrainian President) will go about things, but the very first thing he must do is relieve the head of the Border Patrol on the Eastern Front of his responsibilities. Like most westerners, I was unable to figure out how so many Russians could just cross into Ukraine. Well, the mystery has been solved: the head of the Border Patrol was 100% pro-Russian and was just letting all the fighters in. The second thing Porochenko must do is set up firing squads for all the people in government and in the army who are siphoning off most of the money earmarked for military equipment to fight in the East and directing it into their own personal bank accounts. The corruption here is unbelievable. However, there are some unusual patriotic reactions to this. Some motorists, stopped by police for minor road infractions, are refusing to pay the police off and are preferring to pay official fines that are three time as high. I dont know how widespread this is, and whether this is likely to catch on, but its a start. So if you were wondering where I am and what Im doing, now you know. Warmest regards -
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 09:31:18 +0000
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