Here is today's map of the latest situation in the Donbas conflict zone, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry:
Alexander J. Motyl, a professor of political science and a Ukrainian politics expert at Rutgers University, has written an interesting piece for Ozy on Six Myths About Corruption In Ukraine. Here's a taster:
When you think about Ukraine, corruption is probably the first word that comes to mind. It’s undermining the country, hollowing out the state, destroying society and preventing reform — or so the media says. Western newspapers are awash in headlines like “Why Ukraine Is Losing the War on Corruption” and “Corruption Is Killing Ukraine’s Economy.”
Concern is merited, of course, because corruption remains one of democratic Ukraine’s greatest challenges. But the hyperbolic language, and the implicit — sometimes explicit -- claim that Ukraine’s existence and transformation are incompatible with corruption, derives from six myths. Like all myths, these serve as convenient oversimplifications that overshadow the need for genuine understanding.
Read the entire article here
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with a few of the things that caught our eye overnight:
Very slow day here on the Ukraine Live Blog, so that'll wrap it up for today, Thursday, January 5, 2017. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage. Thanks for reading and take care.