Karatnycky: Isolation won’t heal Ukraine’s democratic deficit
In an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal on Dec. 1, Adrian Karatnycky, a senior fellow at the US-based Atlantic Council, writes:"Twenty years ago today, Ukraine's citizens ratified their country's independence in a nationwide referendum, thereby ushering in the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union and launching their tortuous march toward a market economy, democracy and sovereignty.Two decades later, the aims and expectations of Ukraine's citizens have not been met. The country today lacks an independent judiciary to enforce the rule of law. Its economy is distorted by corruption, and its sovereignty is threatened by a weak economy and extreme energy dependence on neighboring Russia."
"Yet it is precisely because Ukraine has completed only part of its march to democracy that thoughtful American and European diplomacy and engagement can help Ukraine complete its transition. One such opportunity will come on Dec. 19, when the European Union is due to hold a summit in Kyiv," he added.
"Yet it is precisely because Ukraine has completed only part of its march to democracy that thoughtful American and European diplomacy and engagement can help Ukraine complete its transition. One such opportunity will come on Dec. 19, when the European Union is due to hold a summit in Kyiv," he added.