CHENEY ORDERS COALITION IN UKRAINE

Ukrainian newspaper Segodnya and Russian site www.informacia.ru reported that the reunion of the orange coalition had been achieved under US pressure. The reports say the coalition that had collapsed last fall reunited after a call by US vice-president Dick Cheney. Speaking with Ukrainian president Victor Yushchenko he threatened an imminent cooldown in the US-Ukrainian relations in case of any other coalition but orange and recommended to appoint Julia Timoshenko as a prime minister, reports say.
The orange coalition is made up of the nationalistic Our Ukraine, Bloc of Julia Timoshenko and socialists. Together they form the largest fraction in Parliament. The Party of Regions (labeled as “pro-Russian” by western media) that won the elections on March, 26 is shut out of any decision making process. This would outrage the South-East regions where the Party of Regions got the majority of votes. The Tavrichesky Kurier (www.freecrimea.org) notes that the Party of Regions has no other way to keep its prestige but to declare independence of the South East and to proclaim the Republic of Malorossia. This senario may be real in a case of failure of the new orange government.
On the other hand, it is hard to believe that Mrs. Timoshenko will be able to restore the economy which is in a dismal shape. The Ukainian debt for natural gas has risen. Russia now says that the natural gas prices will be raised. Observers say they may hit $250 for one thousand cubic metres. This is still lower than the world prices. A bargain for Mr. Cheney, should he also decide to be generous and provide the Ukraine with cheap oil and gas.

NATO BACKS OFF IN CRIMEA

The crowd near a military sanatorium in the Crimean city of Pheodosia cheered Sunday as US marines were leaving the building. The stand-off that had lasted since May 27 seems to be over. The US decided to call off the military exercises in the Crimea that caused mass protests of the local population. The first group of reservists departed the Crimea Sunday. Reports say they left for a base in Germany. The second group is following them Monday. Crimean protesters are celebrating the victory. “It is a first time when Americans back off under pressure from the local population in a foreign land”, says the Crimean Committee in its statement released Monday. The Crimean Committee notes that the victory in the standoff with NATO coincides with the Feast of Pentecost. The group suggests that from now on the Pentacost become a special holiday in the Crimea. However, protests at the gate of the port of Pheodosia are not over. Local residents continue to block all exits. According to Ukrainian MP Yuri Boldyrev, “the NATO troops are leaving because of civic position of Ukrainian and Crimean population. But the blockade of the port will continue because a law on military exercises can be pushed through Parliament. It would allow a new deployment of US marines. Although Crimeans are celebrating their victory, the picketers do not relax”.

NO SERVICE TO NATO MARINES IN CRIMEA

More than 100 US Marines landed in Simferopol Thursday but instead of comfortable rest in the scenic Crimea they had trouble in getting a place to stay. Buses transporting them got hostile reception from local residents. They could not reach their final destination - the city of Pheodosia - where the NATO unit was supposed to stay. The column had to make a U-turn and tried to enter Partenit but the road was blocked by angry demonstrators. Finally the marines arrived safely to Alushta and were accommodated at the Druzhba holiday hotel run by the Ministry for Internal Affaires of the Ukraine. However, this was not the end of all the unk-unks of the Americans in the Crimea. Friday, an angry crowd gathered at the entrance of their hotel to protest against the presence of the NATO military in the Crimea. The personnel of the hotel held a meeting and adopted a resolution against the unwelcome guests. Sixty two the Druzhba hotel employees said they would deny any service to the Americans. The Ukrainian Home Ministry threatened to fire the rebellious employees. This prompted Ukrainian MP, leader of the Communist Party of the Crimea to issue an appeal to the Crimean population. Mr. Leonid Grach calls on all Crimean to defend the personnel of the Druzhba hotel. The stand-off in the Crimea over the upcoming NATO manoeuvres near Stary Krym continues. Protests are spreading all over the peninsula.