Hey there, Changepoint friends!
Some of you might be wondering what's been going on here in Ukraine or have, perhaps, been seeking a little more information about the mood and the situation "on the ground" than you've seen on the news or have read in the posts I've shared from other sources. Well, I'll give it a go.
First off, I want to apologize for not blogging or giving more personal updates on Facebook of late. My (many) daily scans of Facebook are so filled with news, thoughts, speculation and propaganda about the situation in Ukraine that I forget that most of my friends in America are not as plugged in to the many sources which I am. I even get so fatigued from all of the news that I simply have no motivation to post a single thought. Lately, I've even been trying to reduce my time on Facebook, especially time spent reading yet another apocalyptic "prophesy" about the impending invasion and destruction of Ukraine...or the expert analysis of Vladimir Putin's ingeniously evil plans of conquest. I've tried to unplug myself a bit and replace the glut of discouraging news with times of prayer and contemplation of God's truth. What I mean is, the irrefutable truth of God's sovereignty, power and mercy in the face of what even many of my Christian friends seem to feel is an imminent and unpreventable war.
I guess that last statement leads very nicely into my thoughts on the general mood here. It's hard from your perspective in America to realize the depth and breadth of the war being waged by Russia against Ukraine... The aforementioned war includes the largely-bloodless military occupation and annexation of Crimea, which you've probably already heard about. But, more insidiously, there is a psychological and propaganda war being waged on level that would be hard for most Americans to understand. In my observations this psychological war exists on two fronts.
One is the endless stream of misinformation coming from all Russian media sources (internet, print, TV and radio) about the situation in Ukraine. This is directed primarily at the population in Russia and Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine, but also to anyone in the West who doesn't take the time to double-check their news sources. It involves outright lies about the social and political situation here in Ukraine. According to Russian news, there is complete chaos throughout Ukraine, being the direct result of an illegitimate government ruled by neo-Nazis, fascists and homosexual propagandists whose main goal is to persecute ethnic Russians and Russian speakers...and the existence of said government is the sole result of years of planning and training by the American government. No wonder Mr. Putin wants to do everything possible to "stabilize" the situation! Unfortunately, the fact that the revolution in Ukraine was a grassroots "Revolution of Dignity", to throw off a corrupt and abusive government doesn't serve his plans. My own observations of the new national and local authorities shows a varied group of people: Christians, Jews and Muslims; Ukrainian-speakers and Russian-speakers; ethnic Ukrainians and ethnic Russians; eastern Ukrainians and western Ukrainians; street-level activists and politicians. What they all have in common is a desire to live in a country where the government serves the people; where people respect each other, rather than use each other; and where there is no room for corruption. They have decided to put aside the divisions which previous generations of politicians (and current Russian politicians) have emphasized and manipulated in order to make Ukraine a divided and unstable state. Ironically, the brutal actions of ex-president Yanukovych and the current agitation / intimidation of Vladimir Putin have driven all of the different groups in Ukraine together! There is actually a greater feeling of unity among different groups of formerly-antagonistic Ukrainians than there has ever been in the country's existence. I recently read a joke, said to have originated in the largely-Russian-speaking southern Ukrainian city of Odesa: An Odessa native tells his friend from Russia that he has decided to stop speaking Russian and only speak Ukrainian. "Why? Are you afraid of being beaten by Ukrainians?" asks his friend. "No", replies the Odessan, " I'm afraid of being protected by the Russians!"
Back to the second front in the propaganda war; this is the psychological pressure on Ukrainians, designed to break their will and their spirits. It's been brought to bear by the amassing of nearly 100,000 Russian troops, backed by arms, aircraft and equipment of every kind, along the southern and eastern borders of Ukraine. It's been underlined by the way that Russia occupied and annexed Crimea with impunity. The diplomatic and financial sanctions of the EU and US seem to have had no effect on the confidence and momentum of Putin's plans to bring "peace" and "stability" to Ukraine by protecting the so-called interests of ethnics Russians and Russian-speakers in eastern and southern Ukraine. And when the countries (US, UK and Russian) who guaranteed Ukraine's territorial integrity upon the surrender of its nuclear arsenal in 1994 seem unwilling to follow through on their obligations, what hope is there in the face of a better-armed enemy who calls himself a "brother" while openly declaring that the very notion of a separate Ukrainian nation and culture a myth? Where is there hope?!
Now you can perhaps understand why many people - even those whose hope is in "the God of all hope" - are feeling a bit frazzled, downcast and even despondent. "So, it looks like Putin will invade any day now...", "There doesn't seem to be any way to avoid war", "Do you think there's any hope of peace?" are just a sample of the questions I am hearing from friends - and which echo in mind even when I'm alone.
Yet the good news is that there is no turning back. I honestly believe that nobody would trade the uneasiness that grips the country now for the corruption, brutality, apathy and hopelessness that characterized the "peaceful" days before the revolution. If there's an upside to an upside to a dark-looking future, it's that our country's hope now is really and truly in God's hands. But of course, it always was, wasn't it? Who else could have pulled off so many of the miracles that led to a group of unarmed protestors overthrowing a powerful and corrupt government? Who else could have brought every confession and denomination of the church in Ukraine to its collective knees - day and night - to intercede for our protection. As a Christian, I refuse to let the devil or Vladimir Putin, or any of his talking heads steal the joy of the Lord, the strength, the hope, the very foundation I have in Christ Jesus! My trust is not in "horses or chariots or men". While I hope that I'm not sounding naïve, I DO believe in a bright future for Ukraine. Will it come without further blood and sacrifice? I don't know. But I do know that I am incredibly proud, privileged and blessed to live in this wonderful country at this time and to call Ukraine my home. I am joyful that my kids will grow up here and live to reap the benefits of all of those who have sacrificed and are sacrificing to make this great nation a great country.
Sorry to have been so long-winded. That's just the way I'm feeling as of 10.30PM, Saturday, 29 March. Blame those asked me to write more.
~ Mike
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Update on Maidan
Hello friends in America! First of all, I want to thank you for your continued prayers for Ukraine.
After the most awful, blood-soaked day of the last three months of the revolution, in which dozens of unarmed protestors were picked off by "police" snipers using automatic weapons and armor-piercing rounds, a ray of hope appeared last night. While ordinary citizens around the country were blocking railway lines and roads to prevent government -ordered troops from entering Kyiv, the political opposition was able to call an emergency session of parliament and - miraculously - gather enough deputies to pass a special bill which ended the state of emergency which had enabled the acting minister of internal affairs to treat all protestors as "terrorists" and shoot to kill with impunity. The bill also ordered all troops to return to their bases and forbade all law enforcement agencies from using live rounds against protestors. Interestingly, members of the president's party were fleeing the country in a huge wave of private flights from a small airport near Kyiv.
We thank God that the undercutting of the evil policies of the government was accomplished through legal parliamentary means. After the passing of the all-important bill last night, the final action was to pass a resolution that the parliament will continue to work - without a break - until the crisis is fully resolved and a legitimate government is voted in. To say that this "turning of the corner" was accomplished peacefully or solely through legal means would be an over-simplification, of course. It was the horror of an all-out bloodbath, the anguish over the sacrifice of so many men and women and the endless eyewitness videos from around the country, showing innocent unarmed protesters being shot and killed that pushed things to the brink.
Yesterday afternoon, I watched an interview on one of the internet TV channels with Boris Gudzyak, a bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in L'viv. He said words to the effect that "in our post-modern world, we don't like to think about the concept of sin and evil. However, today people have clearly seen that there is good and evil at work here in Ukraine". One hallmark of the revolution has been the unity in prayer of Christians...It is undeniable that even in light of the heart-wrenching sacrifice and the shameless evil at work, that God has miraculously protected Ukraine from a far-worse fate: one of all-out civil war along the lines of what befell Yugoslavia.
We mourn for the losses of our countrymen who laid down there lives for the future of their children and grandchildren (and yes - that includes the future of our daughter Solomiya). We thank God for the fragile peace that now allows lawmakers and citizens to reach for an honest government. We thank God for those brave police, soldiers and officials who have publicly stood with the people and against the orders of the government. And we continue to pray for God's mercy to cover Ukraine and give wisdom and mercy and even forgiveness to the those who stand on Maidan and those who work in parliament for a legislated re-creation of Ukraine as a country whose government serves the people and not the greed and lust of a privileged few.
Please continue to pray for Ukraine!!!
- Mike
After the most awful, blood-soaked day of the last three months of the revolution, in which dozens of unarmed protestors were picked off by "police" snipers using automatic weapons and armor-piercing rounds, a ray of hope appeared last night. While ordinary citizens around the country were blocking railway lines and roads to prevent government -ordered troops from entering Kyiv, the political opposition was able to call an emergency session of parliament and - miraculously - gather enough deputies to pass a special bill which ended the state of emergency which had enabled the acting minister of internal affairs to treat all protestors as "terrorists" and shoot to kill with impunity. The bill also ordered all troops to return to their bases and forbade all law enforcement agencies from using live rounds against protestors. Interestingly, members of the president's party were fleeing the country in a huge wave of private flights from a small airport near Kyiv.
We thank God that the undercutting of the evil policies of the government was accomplished through legal parliamentary means. After the passing of the all-important bill last night, the final action was to pass a resolution that the parliament will continue to work - without a break - until the crisis is fully resolved and a legitimate government is voted in. To say that this "turning of the corner" was accomplished peacefully or solely through legal means would be an over-simplification, of course. It was the horror of an all-out bloodbath, the anguish over the sacrifice of so many men and women and the endless eyewitness videos from around the country, showing innocent unarmed protesters being shot and killed that pushed things to the brink.
Yesterday afternoon, I watched an interview on one of the internet TV channels with Boris Gudzyak, a bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in L'viv. He said words to the effect that "in our post-modern world, we don't like to think about the concept of sin and evil. However, today people have clearly seen that there is good and evil at work here in Ukraine". One hallmark of the revolution has been the unity in prayer of Christians...It is undeniable that even in light of the heart-wrenching sacrifice and the shameless evil at work, that God has miraculously protected Ukraine from a far-worse fate: one of all-out civil war along the lines of what befell Yugoslavia.
We mourn for the losses of our countrymen who laid down there lives for the future of their children and grandchildren (and yes - that includes the future of our daughter Solomiya). We thank God for the fragile peace that now allows lawmakers and citizens to reach for an honest government. We thank God for those brave police, soldiers and officials who have publicly stood with the people and against the orders of the government. And we continue to pray for God's mercy to cover Ukraine and give wisdom and mercy and even forgiveness to the those who stand on Maidan and those who work in parliament for a legislated re-creation of Ukraine as a country whose government serves the people and not the greed and lust of a privileged few.
Please continue to pray for Ukraine!!!
- Mike
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Thoughts on the medical system, continued...
After my last post about the crazy differences in the medical system between the US and Ukraine, I thought I would go into detail about our latest experience (which was VERY good)!
Two weeks ago, Solomiya fell and injured her leg. There were no cuts or bruises and only some slight swelling, but she refused to walk on it and we could tell- through the many tears- that she was in a lot of pain. We decided to call our family doctor in the morning to ask him if he could look at her. Now, our family doctor here in Ukraine is an awesome guy: he speaks English very well, has received a lot of special training in the US and Western Europe and stays up-to-date on new medical interventions. We are so thankful to have a great doctor here in Uzhhorod!
So, we tried contacting him the next day- all day. We finally heard from him around late afternoon and found out that he had had a lot of patients that day. He suggested we go to the ER at the hospital if S was not able to walk. That suggestion really freaked me out because we have heard some pretty horrific stories from our Ukrainian friends about the hospitals here. I definitely wanted to get an X-ray, but I also wanted to stay away from the hospital (I was hoping we could find a private clinic).
By this time in the day, S was exhausted and Mike and I felt more confused than ever about what to do. We had Ukrainian friends giving us all different opinions, options and hospitals- but we didn't know which would be safer. Also, we kept thinking that maybe S's injury was not as bad as it seemed.
Some people are probably thinking that we were total crack heads for not doing anything sooner- but imagine that you're in a foreign country with a bad reputation for medical care and you have no idea what the heck to do. Do they even have a trauma center at the hospital? Will the doctor there have an actual medical degree or did he buy it (totally not joking)?Should we go to Hungary and risk a 4 hour wait at the border? Uh, besides the fact that we do not speak Hungarian...
We came to the conclusion to bring her for an X-ray the next morning (where? Not sure.) we didn't want to stress her out that day.
S slept awesome that night (thank you Children's Motrin), but I could not sleep. I finally came to the decision by morning that I was taking her to Hungary- by train, by car, by hitch hiking if need be. At least I knew the medical care would be excellent and the chances that medical staff spoke English would be high. Just because Mike and I made the decision to move to this country, did not mean that S had to suffer with poor medical care.
And it was at this point that I had a revelation or epiphany or was quiet long enough that I could actually hear God speaking.
S did not have to suffer. God was not saying- Oh crap, you guys better get out of there because I am completely powerless in this situation. We were in Ukraine because we believed it was where God wanted us. Speaking of God, He is able to do anything- and we serve Him. I wonder what would happen if I prayed about this whole situation and asked for His help? So that is what I did. I asked God to show me what to do. I asked for knowledgable (and also kind) doctors, nurses and staff to be working at whichever place we would go. I asked for help communicating and understanding. I think I asked for a hundred more things that I cannot recall right now.
After this, I knew what to do immediately. I asked Mike to call our friend (also a doctor) whose daughter went through something similar a few months ago. He told us exactly where to go.
Our friend, who had offered to help us translate, was available. We picked her up and drove to the ER.
The following happened:
- a kind and knowledgable ER doctor: check
- an excellent X-ray technician who took high quality photos: check
- an explanation of what was wrong with clear evidence on the X-ray: check
- the best pediatric orthopedist in the city coming to the hospital in under 15 minutes to cast S's leg: check
- the orthopedist spoke English: check
- a wonderful friend who translated everything for us, spoke up for us, filled out all paperwork for us, went to the pharmacy with Mike to buy the casting supplies, told us who to pay and how much and was just a great support to us: check
- in and out of the ER in under an hour: check
- peace instead of chaos and confusion filling my head: check
Lesson learned: God is bigger than the post-Soviet medical care and conditions in Ukraine.
Yes, the medical system is completely different, but God is able to work with it.
Feeling very thankful to our Father in Heaven who is helping us out in this corner of the world.
Two more weeks of a cast and then it is off! S is enjoying all sorts of fine motor activities- including art work on my phone.
Two weeks ago, Solomiya fell and injured her leg. There were no cuts or bruises and only some slight swelling, but she refused to walk on it and we could tell- through the many tears- that she was in a lot of pain. We decided to call our family doctor in the morning to ask him if he could look at her. Now, our family doctor here in Ukraine is an awesome guy: he speaks English very well, has received a lot of special training in the US and Western Europe and stays up-to-date on new medical interventions. We are so thankful to have a great doctor here in Uzhhorod!
So, we tried contacting him the next day- all day. We finally heard from him around late afternoon and found out that he had had a lot of patients that day. He suggested we go to the ER at the hospital if S was not able to walk. That suggestion really freaked me out because we have heard some pretty horrific stories from our Ukrainian friends about the hospitals here. I definitely wanted to get an X-ray, but I also wanted to stay away from the hospital (I was hoping we could find a private clinic).
By this time in the day, S was exhausted and Mike and I felt more confused than ever about what to do. We had Ukrainian friends giving us all different opinions, options and hospitals- but we didn't know which would be safer. Also, we kept thinking that maybe S's injury was not as bad as it seemed.
Some people are probably thinking that we were total crack heads for not doing anything sooner- but imagine that you're in a foreign country with a bad reputation for medical care and you have no idea what the heck to do. Do they even have a trauma center at the hospital? Will the doctor there have an actual medical degree or did he buy it (totally not joking)?Should we go to Hungary and risk a 4 hour wait at the border? Uh, besides the fact that we do not speak Hungarian...
We came to the conclusion to bring her for an X-ray the next morning (where? Not sure.) we didn't want to stress her out that day.
S slept awesome that night (thank you Children's Motrin), but I could not sleep. I finally came to the decision by morning that I was taking her to Hungary- by train, by car, by hitch hiking if need be. At least I knew the medical care would be excellent and the chances that medical staff spoke English would be high. Just because Mike and I made the decision to move to this country, did not mean that S had to suffer with poor medical care.
And it was at this point that I had a revelation or epiphany or was quiet long enough that I could actually hear God speaking.
S did not have to suffer. God was not saying- Oh crap, you guys better get out of there because I am completely powerless in this situation. We were in Ukraine because we believed it was where God wanted us. Speaking of God, He is able to do anything- and we serve Him. I wonder what would happen if I prayed about this whole situation and asked for His help? So that is what I did. I asked God to show me what to do. I asked for knowledgable (and also kind) doctors, nurses and staff to be working at whichever place we would go. I asked for help communicating and understanding. I think I asked for a hundred more things that I cannot recall right now.
After this, I knew what to do immediately. I asked Mike to call our friend (also a doctor) whose daughter went through something similar a few months ago. He told us exactly where to go.
Our friend, who had offered to help us translate, was available. We picked her up and drove to the ER.
The following happened:
- a kind and knowledgable ER doctor: check
- an excellent X-ray technician who took high quality photos: check
- an explanation of what was wrong with clear evidence on the X-ray: check
- the best pediatric orthopedist in the city coming to the hospital in under 15 minutes to cast S's leg: check
- the orthopedist spoke English: check
- a wonderful friend who translated everything for us, spoke up for us, filled out all paperwork for us, went to the pharmacy with Mike to buy the casting supplies, told us who to pay and how much and was just a great support to us: check
- in and out of the ER in under an hour: check
- peace instead of chaos and confusion filling my head: check
Lesson learned: God is bigger than the post-Soviet medical care and conditions in Ukraine.
Yes, the medical system is completely different, but God is able to work with it.
Feeling very thankful to our Father in Heaven who is helping us out in this corner of the world.
Two more weeks of a cast and then it is off! S is enjoying all sorts of fine motor activities- including art work on my phone.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Navigating the Medical System in Ukraine
We have had some interesting experiences with the medical system here in Ukraine in the past 2 years we have lived here. Nothing crazy, just different due to a different culture, different way of doing things, different language etc...
But, with baby #2 on the way, we realized that even though we thought we knew how to navigate the system- we really have no idea what we are doing or how to do it.
I will just give you some interesting examples:
- in the US, your doctor's office keeps a file/chart about you; in Ukraine, the patient keeps their own chart and is expected to bring it to every visit (one time I forgot to bring Solomiya's chart and the doctor could not do anything, we had to make a new appointment).
- in the US, you wait in a waiting room for the nurse to tell you that the doctor is ready to see you; in Ukraine, you have to find out which room the doctor is in, figure out which people are "in line" ahead of you and if no people are there, you knock on the door and let the doctor know you are there to see him/her ( I still cannot get used to just knocking on the doctor's door and letting them know I am there); if the doctor is not there, you sit and wait for them- 5 mins, 30 mins or 2 hours
- in the US, the doctor's office will work with your insurance company for payment or you pay yourself; in Ukraine, if you go to a private clinic you pay one set price before you see the doctor, but if you go to a government clinic, you do not officially pay (unless it is for something specific they charge for, like an x-ray), but you give a "thank you gift" to the doctor/nurse or they may even ask you for money so that you receive "extra special care" ( we do not mind this because if the doctor was good, giving him 50r seems like the right thing to do- we have heard that medical workers do not get paid well).
- need supplies for your visit? In the US they are right there in the office; in Ukraine, the doctor/nurse tells you what you need, you go to the pharmacy and buy them and then come back to finish the appointment (thankfully, there are pharmacys ALL over the place- I am not kidding); we recently experienced this with Solomiya: she needed a plaster cast for a tibial fracture, so Mike went to the pharmacy in the middle of our appointment to buy the supplies the doctor needed to make it.
- in the US, if your insurance company lets you, you can make appointments with whomever you want; in Ukraine, it's all about who you know. If you know someone who knows someone who works at this place or that place, you will most likely receive better and faster care and be able to jump to the front of the line. This has happened to us on many occasions! Thank God!
Disclaimer: these are my own observations and opinions based on what we have gone through.
I would like to leave you with a few pictures:
- some of the decor in the patient bathroom at a private clinic (a jar of colorful pills and some unknown amber liquid in a beaker)
- our little patient in her cast
But, with baby #2 on the way, we realized that even though we thought we knew how to navigate the system- we really have no idea what we are doing or how to do it.
I will just give you some interesting examples:
- in the US, your doctor's office keeps a file/chart about you; in Ukraine, the patient keeps their own chart and is expected to bring it to every visit (one time I forgot to bring Solomiya's chart and the doctor could not do anything, we had to make a new appointment).
- in the US, you wait in a waiting room for the nurse to tell you that the doctor is ready to see you; in Ukraine, you have to find out which room the doctor is in, figure out which people are "in line" ahead of you and if no people are there, you knock on the door and let the doctor know you are there to see him/her ( I still cannot get used to just knocking on the doctor's door and letting them know I am there); if the doctor is not there, you sit and wait for them- 5 mins, 30 mins or 2 hours
- in the US, the doctor's office will work with your insurance company for payment or you pay yourself; in Ukraine, if you go to a private clinic you pay one set price before you see the doctor, but if you go to a government clinic, you do not officially pay (unless it is for something specific they charge for, like an x-ray), but you give a "thank you gift" to the doctor/nurse or they may even ask you for money so that you receive "extra special care" ( we do not mind this because if the doctor was good, giving him 50r seems like the right thing to do- we have heard that medical workers do not get paid well).
- need supplies for your visit? In the US they are right there in the office; in Ukraine, the doctor/nurse tells you what you need, you go to the pharmacy and buy them and then come back to finish the appointment (thankfully, there are pharmacys ALL over the place- I am not kidding); we recently experienced this with Solomiya: she needed a plaster cast for a tibial fracture, so Mike went to the pharmacy in the middle of our appointment to buy the supplies the doctor needed to make it.
- in the US, if your insurance company lets you, you can make appointments with whomever you want; in Ukraine, it's all about who you know. If you know someone who knows someone who works at this place or that place, you will most likely receive better and faster care and be able to jump to the front of the line. This has happened to us on many occasions! Thank God!
Disclaimer: these are my own observations and opinions based on what we have gone through.
I would like to leave you with a few pictures:
- some of the decor in the patient bathroom at a private clinic (a jar of colorful pills and some unknown amber liquid in a beaker)
- our little patient in her cast
Winter Has Finally Come!!!
We have been enjoying some colder temperatures and snow almost everyday for about a week.
We were finally able to take out the sled for Solomiya to use. It is so much easier to pull her through the snow than to use the stroller. And it's faster than walking with her, as she tends to stop every 2 feet to inspect something!
So, this is our new method of transport to and from the grocery store.
It's unusual here for sidewalks to be cleared of snow, unless it is in front of a store or business. That means the sidewalks are perfect for a sled.
It's so cool to see other people pulling little kids on sleds all over the city- we definitely would not see this in the part of the US we are from.
Mike has had a lot of fun driving on the snowy streets, also. I've heard rumors of some plows clearing the roads, but I have yet to see any in action (or any evidence).
Mike drove yesterday to another city about 1 1/2 hours away with a couple of volunteers from the Jewish Ministry to drop off supplies to an elderly, home bound Jewish man. He said on the way there, the roads were slippery, but on the way back to Uzhhorod the temperature warmed up enough to just make the roads slushy.
We were finally able to take out the sled for Solomiya to use. It is so much easier to pull her through the snow than to use the stroller. And it's faster than walking with her, as she tends to stop every 2 feet to inspect something!
So, this is our new method of transport to and from the grocery store.
It's unusual here for sidewalks to be cleared of snow, unless it is in front of a store or business. That means the sidewalks are perfect for a sled.
It's so cool to see other people pulling little kids on sleds all over the city- we definitely would not see this in the part of the US we are from.
Mike has had a lot of fun driving on the snowy streets, also. I've heard rumors of some plows clearing the roads, but I have yet to see any in action (or any evidence).
Mike drove yesterday to another city about 1 1/2 hours away with a couple of volunteers from the Jewish Ministry to drop off supplies to an elderly, home bound Jewish man. He said on the way there, the roads were slippery, but on the way back to Uzhhorod the temperature warmed up enough to just make the roads slushy.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Understanding what exactly is happening in Ukraine and why...
A friend on FB posted this news article yesterday. It is very informative, excellently written and gives a true and clear picture of what exactly is going on in Ukraine right now and why.
We have heard that news stations in the US are not accurate or even not covering the story.
Please take the time to read this and to discover the facts. This is not just about the Ukrainian people being upset over losing an opportunity to have closer ties with the European Union.
Article from Business Insider:
A Ukrainian Journalist Explains 10 Things The West Needs To Know About The Situation In Kiev
Written by Taras Ilkiv
We have heard that news stations in the US are not accurate or even not covering the story.
Please take the time to read this and to discover the facts. This is not just about the Ukrainian people being upset over losing an opportunity to have closer ties with the European Union.
Article from Business Insider:
A Ukrainian Journalist Explains 10 Things The West Needs To Know About The Situation In Kiev
Written by Taras Ilkiv
People are fighting for their rights, not for EU membership.
Protests in Ukraine are not pro-EU (as it is written in most of international news agencies). The disruption of the association agreement with the European Union in November was only cause for local rallies. But after a peaceful student protest was violently dispersed by the 'Berkut' [special police] in Kyiv on Nov. 30, a million angry people took to the central square of the capital. Since then rebellion has not gone away; instead it turned into an anti-government uprising demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, and also the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych. Most people are tired of total corruption in all spheres of life and the lack of justice and security officials' self-will. The middle class has become an engine of the protest since it suffered harassment from the tax agencies. Now the protest has joined with the radicals, who actually began violent confrontation on Sunday, tired of waiting for action from the liberal opposition. However, they have support among the majority of protesters.The focus of the protests is the democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych
During the presidential elections in 2010, according to the testimony of international observers, Viktor Yanukovych legitimately beat his main opponent — the world-famous woman and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Then, during his rule, authorities condemned her for a disadvantageous gas contract with Russia and sentenced her to seven years in prison! Afterwards Yanukovych and his crew did not dare to go against the Russians and review the contract or resolve the issue in court. This event has spoiled relations of Ukraine’s President with Western leaders. President Obama is ignoring Yanukovych; and Vladimir Putin — with whom Tymoshenko signed gas contracts in 2009 — declared his readiness to accept the treatment of Tymoshenko in Russia for her back ailment.Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Please Pray
I encourage you to go to this website and read about what is currently happening in the capital of Ukraine: Kiev.
www.kyivpost.com/
We have no words, our hearts ache. Ukrainians are now physically fighting for their freedom. We are so proud of the Ukrainians who are there and who are representing thousands of their fellow countrymen with the same desires.
Please, please, please pray with us today. God alone is able to turn this situation around and to prevent further lives from being lost.
Please pray:
- For the safety and protection of the protestors
- That no one else would be killed- on either side
- That God will intervene with a miracle
www.kyivpost.com/
We have no words, our hearts ache. Ukrainians are now physically fighting for their freedom. We are so proud of the Ukrainians who are there and who are representing thousands of their fellow countrymen with the same desires.
Please, please, please pray with us today. God alone is able to turn this situation around and to prevent further lives from being lost.
Please pray:
- For the safety and protection of the protestors
- That no one else would be killed- on either side
- That God will intervene with a miracle
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