http://zik.com.ua/ Independent Information Agency http://zik.com.ua/im/logo-zik-rss.gif http://zik.com.ua/ http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2009/01/04/164300 Naftohaz Ukrayiny has dismissed Russia’s Gazprom’s accusations of illegally siphoning off the Russian gas. According to Naftohaz spokesperson Valentyn Zemlyansky, Ukraine has not taken away any of the Russian gas targeted for Western Europe. Politics Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:20:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2009/01/04/164299 The gas conflict between Ukraine and Russia will soon be settled, as Russia is interested to keep its major buyer, Ukraine, Poland’s Institute of Energy Studies director Andrzej Sikora believes, the Polish radio reports. Politics Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:41:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2009/01/02/164288 The ZIK information agency has approached several leading politicians and experts to give their assessment of 2008 and forecasts for 2009. One of them is political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko. Politics Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:15:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2009/01/02/164276 The ZIK information agency has approached several leading politicians and experts to give their assessment of 2008 and forecasts for 2009. One of them is Volodymyr Polkhalo from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. Politics Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:55:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/31/164273 The ZIK information agency has approached several leading politicians and experts to give their assessment of 2008 and forecasts for 2009. Next in line is political analyst Kost Bondarenko. Politics Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:58:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/31/164272 The ZIK information agency has approached several leading politicians and experts to give their assessment of 2008 and forecasts for 2009. One of them is Oleh Zahrebinsky of the Lytvyn Bloc. Politics Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:40:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/31/164271 The ZIK information agency has approached several leading politicians and experts to give their assessment of 2008 and forecasts for 2009. The first in a series is Dmytro Vydrin, a well-known political expert. Politics Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:42:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/30/164205 The ongoing crisis in Ukraine precludes talk of any achievements. The only positive that happened in 2008, Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn says, was reaching a very unstable peace in Verkhovna Rada and defusing very tense political confrontation. It gave Ukrainians some hope that stability, order and justice are possible in the country. Only 15% of the blame for the present snafu in Ukraine can be attributed to external factors, with the remainder being totally our own fault, Lytvyn estimated, speaking in his final press conference in 2008 on Dec. 30, his People’s party press service reports. Politics Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:40:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/24/163462 Dec. 23, Pres Yushchenko pointed an accusing finger at BYUT for, what he said, helping ex-judge Zvarych to shun criminal responsibility, UNIAN reported. According to the incumbent, the Pechersk rayon court in Kyiv under pressure from BYUT lawmaker Andry Portnov will try to overrule criminal charges against the judge accused of taking millions in bribes. Portnov, Yushchenko claims, is following instructions from Tymoshenko. Politics Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:21:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/23/163397 Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych has met with G-7 ambassadors in Kyiv. They focused on the domestic situation in the country, ways of overcoming the effects of the global recession and some international issues. “The inefficient and crowd-pleasing policies of the regime are the main causes of the political and economic snafu in Ukraine,” Yanukovych stressed. “This regime has to step down. Stability will come only after the presidential and parliamentary elections. In its present capacity the regime cannot work any more,” the PR chief is quoted by his press service as having said. Politics Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:58:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/22/163239 “We have seen a political war between Yushchenko and Tymoshenko declared,” this is how political expert Andry Yermolayev commented to ZIK Dec. 22 on recent mutual accusations by the premier and president. Politics Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:32:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/18/162874 The chat conference announced by The Ukrayinsla Pravda for Dec. 16 in which anyone could put a question to Yushchenko was cancelled by the incumbent who conferred with oblast governors that day. Politics Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:27:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/16/162528 Rada factions of BYUT, NUNS and Lytvyn Bloc have signed a coalition agreement Dec. 16. However, NUNS faction deputy head Roman Zvarych has called the pro-presidential NUNS lawmakers decision to join the coalition “utter stupidity.” Zvarych resigned in protest, same as NUNS faction whip Vyacheslav Kyrylenko. Politics Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:59:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/15/162344 Only a new speaker was elected last week; the coalition has not been properly formed, Yushchenko’s chief of staff Viktor Baloha said in his comments on the situation in the Rada, the president’s press service quotes him as saying Dec. 15. Politics Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:26:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/11/161911 The Party of Regions has given the authorities 100 to get their ducks in a row, its leader Viktor Yanukovych warned Dec. 11, UNIAN reports. Politics Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:39:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/11/161910 A new Ukrainian NGO, Hromadyanska Pozitsiya (Civil Stand) was launched Dec. 11 in Kyiv. Former Defense Minister Anatoly Hrytsenko was elected head of HP by 40 delegates representing the country’s regions. The HP founding convention approved HP charter and elected its council, Oleh Matseh, head of the Civil Forum of Lviv NGO and member of HP council told ZIK Dec. 11. Politics Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:23:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/09/161532 Volodymyr Lytvyn was elected new Rada speaker in open voting by 244 deputies, The Ukrayinska Pravda reports. Politics Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:45:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/08/161342 There won’t be any coalition between BYUT and the Party of Regions as it will benefit Tymoshenko more than Yanukovych. Since Yulia Tymoshenko may soon face her political bankruptcy, the coalition will help her to save face using PR in the conflict with Yushchenko, Sofia think tank director Andrij Termolayev told ZIK Dec. 8. Politics Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:50:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/03/160734 The Party of Regions political council will meet tomorrow morning to finalize the party’s stand on the coalition, PR’s Vasyl Kyselyov said. Politics Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:11:00 +0200 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/12/02/160561 By becoming head of the Our Ukraine party Yushchenko has glaringly violated Art. 103 of the Constitution as well as the law “On Political Parties which ban president to hold positions in any political parties,” Volodymyr Kornilov, director of the Institute for CIS States, told ZIK Dec. 2. Politics Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:21:00 +0200