Top story from the July 20 print edition
The presidential election is only eight months away in Ukraine, and so far, Ukrainians are displeased with the “Same Old Faces” they are seeing as candidates. Many of the contenders are part of the generation of politicians sometimes called “Kuchma’s children,” after ex-President Leonid Kuchma, whose corrupt and authoritarian rule from 1994-2005 gave rise to the oligarchy that has stifled the nation’s political, social and economic development. The polls show that Ukrainians want new faces. Will they find any?
Also from the July 20 print edition:
The 13th and final installment of our popular Honest History series debunks Kremlin propaganda that the eastern Donbas in Ukraine is historically Russian territory.
The Business Focus is on Due Diligence, something Ukraine needs more of, to prevent such disasters as the $20 billion bank fraud that robbed Ukrainian taxpayers this decade. We also interview ex-Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, who champions good governance in state-owned enterprises as effectively due diligence that will boost their performance, and if sold to private investors, increase their value.
Lifestyle looks at the art of sex, the Odesa Film Festival and pet-friendly restaurants in Kyiv. We also have the entertainment highlights for the week ahead.
In other news:
Big showdown in London court as state-owned PrivatBank takes on the financial institution’s former owners, billionaire oligarchs Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Bogolyubov, over the nearly $6 billion in bank fraud that robbed Ukrainian taxpayers.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on July 20 an additional $200 million in security assistance to Urkaine, bringing the total to more than $1 billion since 2014
Deadly highways: 15 are killed in 2 deadly crashes in 1 day.Ukrainian authorities accuse firms of large-scale tax evasion.
Russian-controlled authorities in Donbas persecute Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseev. He has been imprisoned since June 2017.
