From Reuters:
But is the old prejudice only dormant, waiting to be stroked into life once more? It’s possible. But the direction the Ukrainians and their most popular political leaders are now taking tells a story against relapse. It’s another sign – a large one, given Ukraine’s past – that this battered nation may be preparing itself for real independence, real responsibility – willing to confront and shake off the demonic fantasies that so distorted its past.
Highly speculative, obviously.
Ballot box for this weekend's voting in Donetsk.
Government forces near Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine, have pulled back to new positions about 40 kilometers west of the city. But at Checkpoint 31, soldiers again came under fire on October 30 following two days of mortar and artillery attack, and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service correspondent Levko Stek was there. The troops said they were being fired on with increasing frequency despite a cease-fire in place since early September.
