In quarter of a century of Independence Ukraine -”Nezalezhna’ – lost almost all of its USSR opulent heritage: the powerful industry, agricultural exports to Russia, the rich provinces attached to Ukrainian Soviet Republic by whims of Communists, and even the position of a reliable transit country for Russian gas to Europe, – pathetic record for a society, notorious for its bipolar modus vivendi from extremes of endemic corruption to revolution.
However none of the coloured revolutions brought much desired effect, but degrading the living standards of the population to African level with the minimum salary of 1450 hrivna (USD58) similar to Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
Exhausted from struggle for power between clans of oligarchs, and de facto civil war in Donbass, claiming its independence, the Ukrainian population in vain has been looking up to Brussels – although inspiring Maidan, eurocrats did not have any plan for integration of 43 million populated state then, neither do they have it now. Taken aback by it’s own problems as a result of the departure of one of the top contributors to its budget, and overburdened by tsunami of migrants, the EU has no desire to invest in Ukraine, unable to fight its corruption. The appeals for European generosity became an instant part of Kiev’s diplomats monotone repertoire, blaming Russia for all the failures.
Amid the intense campaigning for rapprochement with the EU, a verdict fall down unexpectedly in a form of the Dutch referendum, when citizens refused to endorse the Association agreement with Ukraine, creating a tangible obstacle on the imaginary Ukrainian trajectory to European family of nations.
Celebrating Independence by parading infantry, navy and air force, rattling sabre of eroded by corruption army, unwanted in the East and the West, where are you marching, Ukraine?..
Anna Van Densky blog 