Difficult Choices For The Ukraine

For any foreigner visiting the Ukraine for the first time several things become apparent very quickly. That this is a proud and beautiful country with a highly educated and cultured population of high moral values and that the country is suffering huge economic problems.

I should first confess to having no qualification, or authority of world affairs and even less of former FSU countries, but as an outsider I see a country with enormous potential and much to contribute, struggling, or worse, seemingly rudderless, in the storm of world economics and world affairs. Why?

I freely admit that as many men before me The Ukraine first came to my attention through its abundance of beautiful women, but as I grew to know the country I realised that the country is beautiful and important and has much to contribute to the world. Something is wrong! It is difficult to see any centrally coordinated direction, or improvement.

It does not take very long to realise that this was once an important country, the magnificent Architecture in the centre of the bigger cities bears testimony to this fact. The centre of the capital Kyiv is stunningly beautiful and this beauty is reflected throughout the country. As I say, my only qualification in writing this article is that I am not Ukrainian and through the eyes of a European the situation in this country seems to be frustratingly hopeless.

Some four years ago there was a peaceful revolution. It was the orange revolution, but it did not work, through egotism, or fundamental disagreements is not clear. This country does not appear to have had effective leadership, a functioning government since then. A long time.

This is a country with huge potential; many highly educated young people, a country of high moral values, rich in culture and history. Did you know that the world famous Cossack dance is from The Ukraine and not Russia?

Russia clearly invested heavily in The Ukraine during the days of the empire and left behind them a good basic infrastructure and many fine examples of Soviet Architecture, unfortunately it is some 16 years since the collapse of that system and so much of this investment has been neglected, that now the task of renewal, or upkeep is huge

The country is being run, is functioning from the bottom up. It is the functionaries, the beauracrats that are keeping this country going, albeit on a very basic level, but without this we are talking complete chaos, complete social breakdown.

During the period of the FSU there was much movement of peoples. Ukrainians moved to Russia and many Russians settled within The Ukraine. This was for many years both the garden and the holiday resort of Russia. This country is dual language. The fact that The country is effectively dual language seems to have added to the problems. I do not personally see what is the problem of a dual language country.

As an outsider it is very difficult to grasp, or understand, but since the "Orange revolution" there seem to have been a very small group of politicians competing for power. The different politicians tend to be either pro Russia, or pro the West, but according the daily lives of these people, nothing much improves, or changes. Nothing changes, very little improves and the impression, is of a political elite so busy with self survival, or inter rivalry that the country is being largely neglected

A small example, there is a bridge halfway down the country that spans the Dnieper river a huge river that runs from Russia and spills into The Black Sea. This bridge has been closed for 1 year! As with most of the infrastructure this bridge is a legacy from the Soviet times and most probably has seen little, or no investment since that period. This bridge lying in the centre of the country is actually very important and the detour is very expensive in both time and distance. It is difficult to understand the priority of the leadership that something so fundamental does not seem to be of great importance. What is high on the list of any military stategy in crippling and overcoming the economy and communication of a country? What will they first attack and seek to destroy? These guys do it to themselves?

Frustratingly through the eyes of an outsider it is difficult to see why things are so bad? Two language country? No problem. So we have those Ukrainians that are pro Russia and those that are pro Europe? Why should this be such a huge problem? What is democracy if not a freedom to choose? A respect of differences?

To the president of this country Victor Yushchenko and the current Prime Minister Julia Tymoshenko, I say look at your country, look at your people, they are suffering and why? You have so much potential, you can and should be an important country, of huge intellectual, cultural and artistic influence. It is not so easy to understand why this great country is in such a sorry state?