Eurasia Center

Ukraine Bank Deputy Dmytro Solohub: Economic recovery ‘difficult, but still possible’

Dmytro Solohub admits that the Ukrainian economy is “very fragile” and faces “lots of security risks”— but says he’s doing everything he can to stabilize Ukraine’s currency, control galloping inflation, and return his country to prosperity as quickly as possible. Solohub, 37, took over in mid-March as Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine […]

Earth to Russia. Come Back to Reality.

By Ariel Cohen

The conflict in Ukraine highlights dangerous trends in Russian foreign policy. Russian-backed separatists and the Russian military have killed thousands of civilians and Ukrainian soldiers in eastern Ukraine. It’s the starkest example of Moscow’s neo-imperialist foreign policy so far. However, even more worrisome trends have emerged. Last week, Yevgeny Fedorov, a ruling party Duma majority […]

What Ukraine Can Learn From Poland

By Oksana Khomei

When the Soviet Union crumbled in 1991, both Poland and Ukraine were poor. Since then, the Polish economy has boomed, while Ukrainians are poorer than they were twenty-four years ago. Poland got its reforms right in the 1990s, and now plays a significant role in Ukraine’s reform process. This is evident in the close relations […]

Here’s How to Make Sense of the Violence in Western Ukraine: Follow the Money

By John E. Herbst

Ukraine made headlines again when a nationalist group and police in the western city of Mukachevo exchanged gunfire that killed three on June 11. A group of 21 armed members of Right Sector seized a sports complex owned by Member of Parliament Mikhail Lanyo and reportedly beat and shot one of his employees in the […]

Greek Crisis ‘Diverts Attention’ from Kyiv

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Ukraine’s Economy Minister: Unlike Greece, Ukraine is embracing reforms The Greek financial crisis has diverted global attention away from Ukraine, but it also “sheds a positive light” on the Kyiv government’s achievements, Ukrainian Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius said in a July 14 interview. “Greece is rejecting reforms, and we are embracing reforms,” said Abromavicius, who […]

EU Must Invest in Its Newest Statesman—and Keep Him Honest

By Matthew Bryza

This past Sunday in Brussels, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras received a well-earned dressing down for seventeen hours by his Eurozone colleagues.  Following months of bombast that destroyed Athens’ trust among its creditors, Tsipras’ most recent two weeks of erratic behavior seemed like a transparent attempt to blackmail the European Union. According to EU officials, […]

Ukraine Must Put Reform Agenda in Overdrive While There’s Still Time

By Anders Åslund

Kyiv is vibrant with intellectual and political discussions. As after any revolution the debate is about what is wrong and what should be done. Policy people acknowledge that reforms are proceeding but too slowly, while a typical business verdict is that corruption is as bad as before, but it has become more disorganized, since the […]