Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova Report 10.07.2012 A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. For more stories on Eastern Europe, please visit and bookmark our Eastern Europe page .

 

Belarus EU Parliament Chides Belarus Over Arrest EU lawmakers have strongly condemned the arrest in Belarus of the chairman of the Council of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut. More   Swedish Pilot, Local Eyewitnesses Testify To Daring Free-Speech Stunt Over Belarus Residents of a small town outside the Belarusian capital and the Swedish man who says he flew the plane in question have confirmed reports of a bizarre stunt to promote free speech by illegally entering Belarusian airspace and dropping teddy bears from an airplane. More   Silly Dictator Stories #2: Lukashenka's Bolivar Moment President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has offered another glimpse into his dreams of filial succession for Belarus, this time at a meeting with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. More   OSCE Drafts Critical Resolution On Belarus Hockey Championship More than 60 members of the Parliamentary Assembly from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from 21 countries have co-sponsored a resolution to pull the 2014 International Ice Hockey World Championships out of Belarus. More   Ukraine Protests In Kyiv Target Russian Language Bill Protesters gathered in downtown Kyiv on July 4 to oppose a bill passed in a chaotic session of parliament the same day that would give Russian equal status with the Ukrainian language across much of Ukraine for use in legal discourse, business, and education. More   Ukraine Police Scuffle With Lawmakers, Protesters Ukrainian riot police on July 4 scuffled with lawmakers and protesters who opposed the Russian language bill outside a building in Kyiv where President Viktor Yanukovych planned a press conference. The press conference was canceled. More   EU Wants Ukraine Visa Changes The European Commission has proposed amending the bloc's visa regime with Ukraine to allow more categories of people to get multiple-entry visas into the European Union. More   Lutsenko Detention Called Unlawful The European Court of Human Rights has found the Ukrainian authorities guilty of unlawfully detaining former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko and has ordered that Lutsenko be paid 15,000 euros ($19,000) in damages. More   Global Arms-Trade Treaty Talks Delayed The majority of UN member states back a strong treaty to regulate the $60 billion world trade in weapons, but there are sharp divisions among some countries over how tough it should be. More   Champ Klitschko Leaves Boxing Fate To Ukraine's Voters The reigning WBC heavyweight champion and Ukrainian boxing legend Vitaliy Klitschko has hinted at retirement from the ring after a final defense of his title in September against German Manuel Carr, saying that "holding a political office and being heavyweight champion at the same time are not compatible." More   A Celebration Of Football In Kyiv At the Euro 2012 final in Kyiv on July 1, Spain became the first team to win three consecutive international trophies with their resounding 4-0 defeat of Italy. The three-week tournament, co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, went off without any major glitches, drawing praise from fans and UEFA President Michel Platini. Here are some memorable images from before, during, and after the final match. More   Spain Beats Italy 4-0 In Euro 2012 Final Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, defending their European title won in 2008. More   Fan Photos From Euro 2012 When the Euro 2012 soccer championship began three weeks ago, the world expected the worst from co-host Ukraine. Western media reports painted the country as a hub of racist violence, repression, and crumbling infrastructure. But visitors gave the country warm reviews. Here is a selection of photographs sent to RFE/RL by visiting football fans. More   Ukraine Defies Its Critics When the Euro 2012 soccer championship began three weeks ago, the world expected the worst from co-host Ukraine. But as Kyiv prepares to hold the Italy-Spain final, the country has emerged with a nearly spotless record. More   Poland, Ukraine Staged 'Fantastic' Euro 2012 The president of the European football federation UEFA has praised Poland and Ukraine for staging what he calls a “fantastic” Euro 2012 tournament. More   Ukraine Has No Love For Dmitry Medvedev Poor Dmitry Medvedev gets no respect. Not long ago, he was president of a nuclear-armed world power. Now, he can't even get clearance for his plane to land in a provincial Ukrainian city to watch a soccer match. More   Gongadze's Widow Makes Strasbourg Appeal The widow of murdered Ukrainian journalist Heorhiy Gongadze plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after a top Ukrainian court cleared former President Leonid Kuchma of playing a role in the journalist's murder more than a decade ago. More   Polish Show Axed After Ukrainian Insults A Polish radio station has removed a show from the airwaves journalists joke about sexually assaulting and abusing Ukrainian cleaning women following the Ukraine's 1-0 loss to England at the Euro 2012 football championships, which are being cohosted by Poland and Ukraine. More   Ukrainian Soccer Great 'Sheva' Hangs It Up It's fitting that 35-year-old Andriy Shevchenko should bow out as his country revels in the limelight as co-host of the Euro 2012 championships. "Sheva," after all, put his country on the football map -- its first superstar kitted out in the blue and gold of an independent Ukraine. More   Euro 2012 Scalping Continues In Ukraine, Despite Warnings From Authorities In Ukraine, authorities are warning soccer fans about the dangers of buying Euro 2012 tickets on the street from scalpers. But some people are still turning to scalpers -- and finding good deals at the same time. More   Ukraine Mulls 'Gay Propaganda' Bill Lawmakers in Ukraine's parliament are expected to soon be debating a draft law against the spreading of "homosexual propaganda" among minors. More