The Sunday Show: US-Russia Conflict, Ukraine’s Reforms and Anti-Reforms, De-Mining Donbas

✅ US And Russia Clash Over Syria

Tensions between Russia and the United States are escalating amid western airstrikes in Syria. On Friday, the US, United Kingdom, and France launched airstrikes on Syrian chemical weapon facilities in response to a suspected chemical attack on Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region last week. Russia has condemned the attack, claiming it will exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. Hromadske speaks with Jeffrey Gedmin, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University and analyst on Russia relations as well Benjamin Haddad, a fellow at Hudson institute, about what this means for US-Russia relations and how this will impact Europe and Ukraine.

Jeffrey Gedmin
Senior Fellow, Georgetown University, and Senior Fellow, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Benjamin Haddad
Research fellow on European and transatlantic affairs, Hudson Institute

✅ A Critical Sight on Reforms in Ukraine

Ukraine needs reforms. It’s a mantra that both locals and foreigners have been hearing for the past four years. While progress had been made in some areas, the government continues to drag its feet on key anti-corruption efforts despite pressure from western authorities. Melinda Haring, editor of Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert blog, says Ukraine has plenty of potential for a turnaround, but the progress on the ground has been disappointing. Hromadske spoke to Haring about US-Ukraine relations and how to move forward with reforms.

Melinda Haring
Editor of the UkraineAlert blog, Atlantic Council

✅ To Kill a Briber: Ukraine’s Guide to the Anti-Corruption Reform

Ukraine’s fight against corruption has been a long and stony one. Four years into the reform process, the officials and anti-corruption activists still don’t see eye to eye. The support of the West highly depends on the country’s success in fighting corruption and nepotism, which are considered to be its greatest burden. Hromadske spoke to the Head of the European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption Alina Mungiu-Pippidi about people’s perception of corruption and the best way to fight it.

Alina Mungiu-Pippidi
Head of the European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption

✅ Who Are The Foreigners Who Came To Observe The “Elections” in Crimea?

On March 18, Russia held its first Presidential election in Crimea, purposely scheduled for the anniversary of Moscow’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula. The election, like Russia’s 2014 referendum in Crimea, was not recognized internationally. Reputable bodies, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the European Union, did not send monitors to oversee the election on the peninsula last month. But in a bid to validate the election, Russia brought over its own international monitors to the peninsula – many with ties to the Kremlin. Hromadske spoke to political analyst Anton Shekhovtsov about his new report for European Platform For Democratic Elections, which explains who came to observe the Russian Presidential election in Crimea.

Anton Shekhovtsov
Political analyst

✅ How Donbas And Georgia De-Mine Their Conflict Zones

After war Russo-Georgian war in 2008, more than a dozen villages in Shida Kartli region needed to be de-mined. International mine clearing organization Halo Trust has been undertaking operations there for a decade now. More than 3600 munitions have been destroyed during this time. The organization hopes to finish its de-mining operation within the next year. Ukraine, however, is now also facing the challenge of de-mining the country’s east, which experts say will take 40 years to complete. Hromadske travelled to a frontline village close to Debaltseve – where one of the biggest battles of 2015 took place – to see how the region was being de-mined.

Видео The Sunday Show: US-Russia Conflict, Ukraine’s Reforms and Anti-Reforms, De-Mining Donbas канала Hromadske International