[SNN] Ukraine: From tragedy to farce — RT Op-Edge

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http://rt.com/op-edge/161316-ukraine-presidential-election-poroshenko/


Ukraine: From tragedy to farce


Opinion pieces by Peter Lavelle, the host of RT's shows CrossTalk and On the 
Money, who was also the anchor of the review programme In Context and the 
commentary series IMHO. 

Election commission officials install voting booths at a poling station in 
Kiev, May 24, 2014. (Reuters/David Mdzinarishvili)

Washington’s ‘thinktankistan’ and the west’s media echo chamber are spinning 
Ukraine’s May 25 election as the crowning moment legitimizing the 
western-backed coup overthrowing the elected government in Kiev.

They also spin Russian President Vladimir Putin has miscalculated in Ukraine 
and is trying to find a face-saving solution. Both spins are simply flat out 
wrong. 

The creators of the Ukraine crisis are desperate. Victoria Nuland and her band 
of ultranationalists and neo-fascists demonstrated they could pull-off a 
successful coup. This is not remarkable in any sense. Staging coups around the 
globe has been part and parcel of American statecraft for decades; particularly 
since the end of the Cold War. But in the case of Ukraine almost everything 
that has happened since the illegal takeover of power on the night February 21 
has been a disaster. Crimea voted to return to Russia, regions of the east have 
held referenda on self-determination, the massacre in Odessa occurred, and the 
country’s economy is in a free fall. The planned presidential election is 
calculated to legitimize the coup and fast track Ukraine westward. It is not 
going to happen. 

Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian oligarch known as the Chocolate King, is the 
presidential candidate who is expected to save Ukraine from the abyss and 
deliver his country to Washington, Brussels, and the IMF. Judging by polling 
numbers, he is quite likely to be elected by those who plan to vote (and 
millions in the east and south say they won’t). Legally speaking, this election 
has no legitimacy. Ukraine’s constitutional order was destroyed on the night of 
the coup. Since then the country has been governed by a rump parliament, 
political parties not supporting the undemocratic government physically 
attacked, and presidential candidates intimidated. Poroshenko is set to be 
president, but this will hardly address Ukraine’s daunting problems. 

Ukrainian businessman, politician and presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko 
addresses supporters in Cherkasy, central Ukraine, May 20, 2014. 
(Reuters/Mykola Lazarenko)

Poroshenko’s biggest political problems will not be the protesters in the east 
and south, nor will it be Russia. Ukraine’s next president will have to 
immediately deal with what western governments and media are reluctant to talk 
about: the nature of the political forces currently running Ukraine. Poroshenko 
did back the protests on the Maidan, but not all protesters on the Maidan 
supported Poroshenko. It is doubtful groups like Right Sector and Svoboda will 
simply change or drop their ultranationalist and racist views to please an 
opportunist oligarch like Poroshenko. The most likely outcome is probably the 
following: either Poroshenko attempts to appease their leaders with the 
trappings of power and wealth (and dilute whatever power he will have as 
president), or he will have to guard against still another Maidan uprising 
backed by the likes of Right Sector and Svoboda. Neither outcome bodes well for 
Ukraine. 

If Poroshenko continues the violent assault on the east and south he will 
demonstrate he is not president of all Ukrainians. But if he does reach out to 
the east and south, the radicals of the coup will be watching closely. Again, 
this is a lose-lose outcome for Ukraine. This is probably most tragic outcome 
of the forced collapse of the constitutional order – unelected radicals, 
racists, and ordinary thugs have been allowed to become important elements of 
the Ukrainian political landscape. Ukraine and the rest of the world have 
Washington to thank for this sad state of affairs. Let us now turn to Russia 
and the Kremlin’s view of Ukraine. Putin is not backing down or looking for a 
way out. Far from it. Ever since this artificial crisis began, Russia has been 
watching – and it continues to watch. Putin’s attitude regarding the May 25 
presidential vote is one of indifference at best. Russia cannot stop the vote. 
But if Poroshenko can, somehow and in some way, prove himself as a leader of 
all the people, then Moscow has every interest in engaging the next Ukrainian 
president. But for reasons expressed above, this is hardly going to be the 
case. 

Anti-government protesters stand behind burning barricades in Kiev's 
Independence Square February 19, 2014. (Reuters/Vasily Fedosenko)

In the west there is a strong belief in elections. However, elections are not 
always an expression of democracy. Ukraine’s presidential election is first and 
foremost an exercise to legitimize Washington’s illegal meddling in Ukraine’s 
political and democratic process. It is doubtful this election will do anything 
to end Ukraine’s crisis. In fact, it may make it worse. 

Save this space: Ukraine’s May 25 presidential election will go down in history 
as the starting date when the Maidan started (still again) to rise up against 
the new authorities in Kiev. As usual, Russia will be watching. 

Peter Lavelle is host of RT's political debate program ' 
<http://rt.com/shows/crosstalk/> CrossTalk' and monthly business program ' 
<http://rt.com/shows/money/> On the Money.' His views are his own and not 
necessarily those of his employer. 

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of 
the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.


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