Ukraine

Most important now is that the international community responds speedily and clearly to what amounts to a Russian occupation of the Crimea and the additional threat of Russian troops being stationed in Ukraine. Europe is in no way powerless in the face of Russian actions, as Ralf Fücks and Walter Kaufmann illustrate in a ten-point plan.

On May 19th, two unknown assailants attacked an exhibition by photographer Yevgenia Belorusets at the Centre for Visual Cultural Research (VCRC) in Kiev. The artist's photoworks are dedicated to the lives of Ukrainian LGBT and Queer families, who have to deal with harassment and threats of violence on a daily basis. It's not the first time that the center, which is under constant danger of being closed down by the authorities, is a target of censorship.

The effects of radioactive contamination on biological objects are manifested on all levels of organization – from viruses to ecosystems. The most brightly such effects can be seen within the Chornobyl exclusion zone, where biological objects were critically affected by the radiation.

To modernize its national economy, Ukraine must complete the already started vital reforms in its energy sector aimed at modernization and the development of unconventional and renewable sources of energy. To shift priorities of Ukraine’s energy policy towards Green New Deal principles, the European Neighborhood Policy can play a vital role.

Ukraine has problems with explaining its situation to the international public. It is not just about the language barrier but also about the capacity to "translate" the local specifics into the internationally accepted notions of modern democratic political culture.

The EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative opens to Ukraine the possibilities of integrating into Europe and at the same time lays the potential for regional leadership. But there are risks, too.

Much of the public is deaf to the claims of President Obama that poverty and unemployment levels would be worse without the injection of stimulus money by his administration which provided tax relief and income support for millions of Americans.