#Denis Karasev

[sheltiechicago]

Photographer: Denis Karasev, Russia

AAP Magazine’s Photo Contest

[olivierdemangeon]

ATTRACTION (2017) ★★★★✮

[art-now-ukraine]

Smile of Different Music, Olga Akasi

[In private collection, Tokyo, Japan] Olga Akasi’s characters have astonishing faces. They don’t look like faces of real people; they came from another world, very far from human being. They look like images that don’t exist in our world. Artist materializes them, embodies them, makes viewer to peer at this different-being and not to recognize himself in it. Smiles of faces at her works are not mundane and not human; there is something different in human being, the mystery that unites mundane human world with non-material, spiritual image. Olga Akasi’s works give insinuation that the human isn’t momentary, that the eternal constituent of human life forces through discontinuous nature of matter, through limits scantiness of human being. Denis Karasev, poet, member of Writers Union of Moscow, The editor-in-chief of a literary magazine “Осколки”. Author of essay about O. Akasi’s artwork.

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Smile-of-Different-Music/301310/146367/view

[antonioh3796philpot]

Russia will play against Saudi Arabia in the first match of the world cup

Russia will play against Saudi Arabia in the first match of the world cup. The match is scheduled for the first day of the tournament.

The team of the Russian Federation is the favorites of the competition. The team has a good chance to win the gold medals. The main goal of the team is to win gold medals in the tournament of the international football.

The main goal for the team of Russia is to become the champion of the football. The players of the main team of this country are the following:

1. Vladimir Tarasenko, who is a main player of the national team.

2. Alexander Kerzhakov, who plays for the national football team. He is the main player for the Russian national team and he is the leader of the club.

3. Sergei Ignashevich, who has a lot of experience in the international arena.

4. Igor Akinfeev, who played for the main national team for many years.

5. Aleksandr Kerzhak, who was the main leader of this team. The player of this club is the best player in the world.

6. Vladimir Kramnik, who won the gold medal in the World Cup in 2002.

7. Alexei Shirov, the main star of the National Team.

8. Andrey Arshavin, who became the main champion of Russia in the last season.

9. https://livescores.biz Aleksei Arshin, who will play for the National team. This player is the most important player of Russia.

10. Alexander Volkov, who can play for any team. His main task is to play for his country.

11. Vladimir Medvedev, who got the gold in the European Championship.

12. Andriy Shevchenko, who scored a lot in the national championship.

13. Alekh Tkachenko, who also scored a good number of goals in the National Championship. He plays for a lot clubs.

14. Sergei Forlanov, who scores a lot for the club and he also plays for many clubs. He has a great chance to become a champion of his country in the future.

15. Sergey Karasev, a player who is the star of this national team, who doesn’t play for a long time.

16. Alejandro Zuniga, who spent a lot time in the team. It is a good choice for the player of his club. He can play in any team and it will be a good opportunity for him.

17. Vladimir Gusev, one of the best players of Russia, who recently got the silver medal in European Championship, and he played for many teams.

18. Alexey Arzamasov, the player who scored many goals for the country. He also plays in the main club of the country and he has a chance to play in the best team of Europe.

19. Alexej Guseva, who just recently got a gold medal.

20. Alejandro Zec, who made a lot and he plays for clubs. This is a great opportunity for the footballer of his team.

The results of the match of Russia and Saudi Arabia are expected to be very good.

It is expected that the main goal is to be the champion and to become one of top teams of the continent.

This is the first time that the national teams of Russia will play in this tournament. The teams of this region are the favorites for the gold.

In the last years, the team has been able to win a lot. The results of this game are expected.

However, the results of such games are not always the best.

There are many factors that can affect the results.

1) The team of Saudi Arabia is not the strongest. It has a very weak team. In the last year, the club was able to get a lot, but it didn’ t manage to win any gold medals, which is the biggest disappointment of the fans.

2) The main players of this Russian team are the same as the ones of the previous years. The national team of Russian Federation has a number of young players.

They are:

1. Alef Kasparov,

2. Aleh Tkachev,

3 4. Aleko Tkachuk, 5. Vladimir Kuznetsov, 6. Sergey Karashev, 7. Alexei Arzamassov, 8. Andrey Shevchenkov, 9. Alejandro Arzamaosov, 10. Alexander Volkov, 11. Vladimir Medveden, 12. Sergei Forlaniov, 13. Igor Akinfefev, 14. Yuri Semin, 15. Valeri Kharlamov, 16. Pavel Vorobiev, 17. Vladislav Tkalchuk, 18. Mikhail Kuzmich, 19. Ivan Kuzmin, 20. Denis Kovalenko, 21. Andrei Kovalov, 22. Roman Tkatchev, 23. Vitaly Kuzmanov, 24. Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 25. Maxim Tkachyov, 26. Viktor Kuzmenko, 27.

[atrium-86]

Short film "The interview"/Короткометражный фильм "Интервью" from Red Pepper Film on Vimeo.

The story of Sonya, which was raised by her mom. Sonya entered the faculty of journalism in Moscow, and one day she decides to meet her father, whom she had never seen before, under the guise of a journalist, in order to get answers to long-standing questions.

Written and directed by: Ivan Sosnin DoP: Ivan Solomatin General producer: Tigran Telunz Marketing: Gelmira Marinina Creative producer: Danil Golovanov Executive producer: Yana Shmaylova Associative producer: Ekaterina Nefeld, Alexander Khomich

Cast: Ivan Semenov – Alexey Serebryakov Sonya – Marina Vasilyeva Sonya’s mother – Yulia Aug Daughter – Elizaveta Elpatyevskaya Husband – Denis Zavolokin Wife – Sofia Gorshkova Roommate – Anna Kozheva Librarian – Serafima Smolina

Project manager: Elena Chigvintseva Art-director: Anastasia Levina Costume designer: Anna Gerasimenkova

Main make-up artist: Katya Kats Makemyday Studio

Assistant make-up artist 1: Ksenia Ermak

Assistant make-up artist 2: Maryana Lazareva

Composer and sound producer: Lev Sokolovskiy

Assistant director: Ekaterina Nefeld

Casting director: Elena Chigvintseva, Yana Shmaylova

Assistant casting-director: Irina Bondarovich Technical coordinator: Igor Kuznetsov

Gaffer: Vladimir Svistunov

Lighting: Vladislav Chilyaev, Dmitry Kiselev

Assistant cameraman: Fedor Bogush

Focus puller: Nikita Kotov

Colourist: Andrey Khudyakov

Location manager: Evgeniya Agarkova

Backstage operator: Dmitry Mishin, Anton Smetanin

In the film was used composition “My Rock-n-Roll”

Music and lyrics: Shura B2, Leva B2, M. Karasev

Sung by B2 feat Chicherina with accompaniment by symphony orchestra of Ministry of Interior Affairs of Russia directed by Felix Aranovskyi

Special thanks for the support and participation to Ruslan Volkov and the administration of the Polytechnic University in the person of Tatiana Solus for organizing the filming in the university library and student dormitory.

[pinktheoristcollector]

New world news from Time: Amid U.S. Impeachment Inquiry, Ukraine Left Feeling ‘Abandoned’

Ukraine is at the center of today’s east-west geopolitical battle, but it’s feeling increasingly alone and abandoned by its U.S. backers amid the impeachment drama unfolding in Washington.

The U.S. ambassador — who was pushed out earlier this year and testified Friday in Congress — hasn’t been replaced. Neither has the influential U.S. envoy tasked with helping Ukraine quell its Russia-backed separatist insurgency. The lower-level U.S. officials remaining in Kyiv are keeping an unusually low profile.

The erosion of Washington’s readiness to protect its Eastern European ally leaves Ukraine vulnerable to mounting Russian pressure, just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into high-stakes talks next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Trump Ignored Consensus U.S. Intelligence Report in Pressuring Ukraine

Ukrainians increasingly feel the U.S. impeachment inquiry is making their country toxic.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Associated Press that U.S. officials have shown increasing indifference to Ukraine and have been reluctant to attend meetings.

This has been particularly visible, the lawmaker said, since the September resignation of envoy Kurt Volker, whose departure led to the disappearance of a coordination center made up of people who were engaged in Ukraine’s affairs.

The lawmaker discussed the sensitive issue of U.S. aid on condition that his name be withheld. Ukrainian government officials refuse to talk about relations with the U.S. while the impeachment inquiry is ongoing, and influential lawmakers are similarly wary of saying anything publicly that could make matters even worse for their country.

Moscow is happy to fill the void, further bolstering Russia’s position along Europe’s geopolitical front line, with consequences around the region. The mixed messages to Ukraine from President Donald Trump’s administration are also damaging U.S. diplomatic credibility at a time when American foreign policy influence is already waning.

“Trump’s policy toward Ukraine looks badly incoherent and inconsistent,” said Mykola Sunhurovskyi, the head of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based independent think-tank. “It’s like a swing, and Kyiv has found it difficult to adapt to that.”

In a July 25 phone call that triggered the impeachment inquiry, Trump pushed Ukraine’s newly-elected Zelensky to investigate the country’s activities in the 2016 U.S. election and his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, while the Trump administration was withholding about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Democrats say that Trump was engaged in “bribery” and “extortion,” abusing his office for personal political gain. The president denies wrongdoing. The military aid was ultimately released in September after Congress was informed of the phone call.

U.S. military aid makes up about 10 percent of Ukraine’s defense budget, according to Sunhurovskyi. He said the American aid is necessary to shore up the underfunded and badly equipped Ukrainian army, but is even more crucial as an indication of Washington’s determination to stand firmly behind its ally.

“The U.S. military aid is an important political signal indicating that Ukraine is a victim and Russia is an aggressor,” Sunhurovskyi said.”

President Barack Obama’s administration provided Ukraine with nonlethal military supplies, including countermortar radars, night-vision devices and medical items. The Trump administration in 2017 agreed to provide lethal weapons, committing to sell $47 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. handed over two repurposed patrol boats Wednesday to Ukraine’s navy, part of over $1.6 billion in U.S. security assistance since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. envoy Joseph Pennington pledged continued U.S. support.

It was one of the rare high-visibility American appearances in Ukraine in recent weeks.

While American business people remain ubiquitous in Kyiv, arriving daily on flights to Boryspol Airport and filling lobbies of the city’s high-end hotels, U.S. officials appear to be lying low, notably those visiting from Washington. When Assistant Secretary of State Denise Natali visited last month, none of her schedule was made public and media had no access.

Volker, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations, used to regularly visit Kyiv, maintained close contacts with the European Union nations to coordinate their support for Ukraine and met with his Russian counterpart to defend Ukraine’s interests. The Trump administration hasn’t named a replacement since he resigned.

Trump himself encouraged Zelensky to meet with Putin and “solve your problem.”

“Trump’s hesitations and the absence of a clear U.S. strategy forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russia,” said Vadim Karasev, head of the Kyiv-based Institute of Global Strategies.

That’s worries many in Ukraine, especially ahead of Zelensky’s long-awaited meeting with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany on Dec. 9.

After Ukraine’s former Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by massive protests in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped foment a separatist insurgency in the east. More than five years of fighting has killed over 13,000 and ravaged the country’s industrial heartland. The U.S. and the EU responded by hitting Russia with a slew of sanctions that hampered Russia-EU trade.

European nations also provide Ukraine significant aid, but Ukraine fears their support is slipping too. Some EU nations have pushed for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for reaching out to Russia.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko said that could herald pressure on Ukraine to agree to a deal on Russian terms.

“The U.S. military assistance cemented the Western position,” Karasev said. “Any doubts, suspensions or delays will cause the Western coalition to collapse and allow Paris and Berlin to play their game and make a deal with Russia. Once the U.S. role in Europe weakens, Russia’s influence inevitably grows — it’s a historic pendulum that Trump has already set in motion.”

___

Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

from Blogger https://ift.tt/32M84c4 via IFTTT

[googlenewson]

Ukraine is at the center of today’s east-west geopolitical battle, but it’s feeling increasingly alone and abandoned by its U.S. backers amid the impeachment drama unfolding in Washington.

The U.S. ambassador — who was pushed out earlier this year and testified Friday in Congress — hasn’t been replaced. Neither has the influential U.S. envoy tasked with helping Ukraine quell its Russia-backed separatist insurgency. The lower-level U.S. officials remaining in Kyiv are keeping an unusually low profile.

The erosion of Washington’s readiness to protect its Eastern European ally leaves Ukraine vulnerable to mounting Russian pressure, just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into high-stakes talks next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Trump Ignored Consensus U.S. Intelligence Report in Pressuring Ukraine

Ukrainians increasingly feel the U.S. impeachment inquiry is making their country toxic.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Associated Press that U.S. officials have shown increasing indifference to Ukraine and have been reluctant to attend meetings.

This has been particularly visible, the lawmaker said, since the September resignation of envoy Kurt Volker, whose departure led to the disappearance of a coordination center made up of people who were engaged in Ukraine’s affairs.

The lawmaker discussed the sensitive issue of U.S. aid on condition that his name be withheld. Ukrainian government officials refuse to talk about relations with the U.S. while the impeachment inquiry is ongoing, and influential lawmakers are similarly wary of saying anything publicly that could make matters even worse for their country.

Moscow is happy to fill the void, further bolstering Russia’s position along Europe’s geopolitical front line, with consequences around the region. The mixed messages to Ukraine from President Donald Trump’s administration are also damaging U.S. diplomatic credibility at a time when American foreign policy influence is already waning.

“Trump’s policy toward Ukraine looks badly incoherent and inconsistent,” said Mykola Sunhurovskyi, the head of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based independent think-tank. “It’s like a swing, and Kyiv has found it difficult to adapt to that.”

In a July 25 phone call that triggered the impeachment inquiry, Trump pushed Ukraine’s newly-elected Zelensky to investigate the country’s activities in the 2016 U.S. election and his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, while the Trump administration was withholding about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Democrats say that Trump was engaged in “bribery” and “extortion,” abusing his office for personal political gain. The president denies wrongdoing. The military aid was ultimately released in September after Congress was informed of the phone call.

U.S. military aid makes up about 10 percent of Ukraine’s defense budget, according to Sunhurovskyi. He said the American aid is necessary to shore up the underfunded and badly equipped Ukrainian army, but is even more crucial as an indication of Washington’s determination to stand firmly behind its ally.

“The U.S. military aid is an important political signal indicating that Ukraine is a victim and Russia is an aggressor,” Sunhurovskyi said.”

President Barack Obama’s administration provided Ukraine with nonlethal military supplies, including countermortar radars, night-vision devices and medical items. The Trump administration in 2017 agreed to provide lethal weapons, committing to sell $47 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. handed over two repurposed patrol boats Wednesday to Ukraine’s navy, part of over $1.6 billion in U.S. security assistance since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. envoy Joseph Pennington pledged continued U.S. support.

It was one of the rare high-visibility American appearances in Ukraine in recent weeks.

While American business people remain ubiquitous in Kyiv, arriving daily on flights to Boryspol Airport and filling lobbies of the city’s high-end hotels, U.S. officials appear to be lying low, notably those visiting from Washington. When Assistant Secretary of State Denise Natali visited last month, none of her schedule was made public and media had no access.

Volker, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations, used to regularly visit Kyiv, maintained close contacts with the European Union nations to coordinate their support for Ukraine and met with his Russian counterpart to defend Ukraine’s interests. The Trump administration hasn’t named a replacement since he resigned.

Trump himself encouraged Zelensky to meet with Putin and “solve your problem.”

“Trump’s hesitations and the absence of a clear U.S. strategy forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russia,” said Vadim Karasev, head of the Kyiv-based Institute of Global Strategies.

That’s worries many in Ukraine, especially ahead of Zelensky’s long-awaited meeting with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany on Dec. 9.

After Ukraine’s former Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by massive protests in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped foment a separatist insurgency in the east. More than five years of fighting has killed over 13,000 and ravaged the country’s industrial heartland. The U.S. and the EU responded by hitting Russia with a slew of sanctions that hampered Russia-EU trade.

European nations also provide Ukraine significant aid, but Ukraine fears their support is slipping too. Some EU nations have pushed for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for reaching out to Russia.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko said that could herald pressure on Ukraine to agree to a deal on Russian terms.

“The U.S. military assistance cemented the Western position,” Karasev said. “Any doubts, suspensions or delays will cause the Western coalition to collapse and allow Paris and Berlin to play their game and make a deal with Russia. Once the U.S. role in Europe weakens, Russia’s influence inevitably grows — it’s a historic pendulum that Trump has already set in motion.”

___

Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

from World – TIME https://ift.tt/341YLq5

[newstechreviews]

Ukraine is at the center of today’s east-west geopolitical battle, but it’s feeling increasingly alone and abandoned by its U.S. backers amid the impeachment drama unfolding in Washington.

The U.S. ambassador — who was pushed out earlier this year and testified Friday in Congress — hasn’t been replaced. Neither has the influential U.S. envoy tasked with helping Ukraine quell its Russia-backed separatist insurgency. The lower-level U.S. officials remaining in Kyiv are keeping an unusually low profile.

The erosion of Washington’s readiness to protect its Eastern European ally leaves Ukraine vulnerable to mounting Russian pressure, just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into high-stakes talks next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Trump Ignored Consensus U.S. Intelligence Report in Pressuring Ukraine

Ukrainians increasingly feel the U.S. impeachment inquiry is making their country toxic.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Associated Press that U.S. officials have shown increasing indifference to Ukraine and have been reluctant to attend meetings.

This has been particularly visible, the lawmaker said, since the September resignation of envoy Kurt Volker, whose departure led to the disappearance of a coordination center made up of people who were engaged in Ukraine’s affairs.

The lawmaker discussed the sensitive issue of U.S. aid on condition that his name be withheld. Ukrainian government officials refuse to talk about relations with the U.S. while the impeachment inquiry is ongoing, and influential lawmakers are similarly wary of saying anything publicly that could make matters even worse for their country.

Moscow is happy to fill the void, further bolstering Russia’s position along Europe’s geopolitical front line, with consequences around the region. The mixed messages to Ukraine from President Donald Trump’s administration are also damaging U.S. diplomatic credibility at a time when American foreign policy influence is already waning.

“Trump’s policy toward Ukraine looks badly incoherent and inconsistent,” said Mykola Sunhurovskyi, the head of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based independent think-tank. “It’s like a swing, and Kyiv has found it difficult to adapt to that.”

In a July 25 phone call that triggered the impeachment inquiry, Trump pushed Ukraine’s newly-elected Zelensky to investigate the country’s activities in the 2016 U.S. election and his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, while the Trump administration was withholding about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Democrats say that Trump was engaged in “bribery” and “extortion,” abusing his office for personal political gain. The president denies wrongdoing. The military aid was ultimately released in September after Congress was informed of the phone call.

U.S. military aid makes up about 10 percent of Ukraine’s defense budget, according to Sunhurovskyi. He said the American aid is necessary to shore up the underfunded and badly equipped Ukrainian army, but is even more crucial as an indication of Washington’s determination to stand firmly behind its ally.

“The U.S. military aid is an important political signal indicating that Ukraine is a victim and Russia is an aggressor,” Sunhurovskyi said.”

President Barack Obama’s administration provided Ukraine with nonlethal military supplies, including countermortar radars, night-vision devices and medical items. The Trump administration in 2017 agreed to provide lethal weapons, committing to sell $47 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. handed over two repurposed patrol boats Wednesday to Ukraine’s navy, part of over $1.6 billion in U.S. security assistance since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. envoy Joseph Pennington pledged continued U.S. support.

It was one of the rare high-visibility American appearances in Ukraine in recent weeks.

While American business people remain ubiquitous in Kyiv, arriving daily on flights to Boryspol Airport and filling lobbies of the city’s high-end hotels, U.S. officials appear to be lying low, notably those visiting from Washington. When Assistant Secretary of State Denise Natali visited last month, none of her schedule was made public and media had no access.

Volker, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations, used to regularly visit Kyiv, maintained close contacts with the European Union nations to coordinate their support for Ukraine and met with his Russian counterpart to defend Ukraine’s interests. The Trump administration hasn’t named a replacement since he resigned.

Trump himself encouraged Zelensky to meet with Putin and “solve your problem.”

“Trump’s hesitations and the absence of a clear U.S. strategy forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russia,” said Vadim Karasev, head of the Kyiv-based Institute of Global Strategies.

That’s worries many in Ukraine, especially ahead of Zelensky’s long-awaited meeting with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany on Dec. 9.

After Ukraine’s former Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by massive protests in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped foment a separatist insurgency in the east. More than five years of fighting has killed over 13,000 and ravaged the country’s industrial heartland. The U.S. and the EU responded by hitting Russia with a slew of sanctions that hampered Russia-EU trade.

European nations also provide Ukraine significant aid, but Ukraine fears their support is slipping too. Some EU nations have pushed for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for reaching out to Russia.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko said that could herald pressure on Ukraine to agree to a deal on Russian terms.

“The U.S. military assistance cemented the Western position,” Karasev said. “Any doubts, suspensions or delays will cause the Western coalition to collapse and allow Paris and Berlin to play their game and make a deal with Russia. Once the U.S. role in Europe weakens, Russia’s influence inevitably grows — it’s a historic pendulum that Trump has already set in motion.”

___

Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

[wigmund]

From Smithsonian Photo of the Day; September 18, 2018:

Hong Kong

The Dragon

Photographer: Denis Karasev; Moscow, Russia

[jeremystrele]

50 Lovely L-Shaped Kitchen Designs And Tips You Can Use From Them

When designing a functional kitchen, the ‘working triangle’ should be kept in mind – that is, the distance between your sink, stove and fridge. An L-shaped kitchen lends itself perfectly to this triangular tip, being two sides of a triangle to begin with. An L-shaped layout works best in small and medium sized spaces, which fly closer to the work triangle efficiency guideline of spreading workstations at no more than 1200mm apart. A great kitchen is not all about rules though, it’s equally about how that space feels and inspires you to create fabulous food. This collection brings ideas for cabinet placement, shelving designs, statement backsplashes, eating areas and more.

Visualizer: Evgenia Belkina   Busy, busy, busy. A heavily patterned backsplash and zoned flooring are the stars of the show in this colourful kitchen. A small semi-circular breakfast bar has been implemented at one side of the room to allow guests to socialise with the busy chef, and as a spot for a quick snack or early morning coffee.

Designer: Euge & Seta   Block it out. This L-shaped kitchen layout with corner window is dominated by a colour block of solid yellow. The rectangle overlaps one half of a wall cabinet, and ends up across the window glass as coloured film. Yellow kitchen accessories complement the strong accent.

Visualizer: Liuba Kushnir   Implement striking design features to unite each arm of the kitchen. A black box shelf underlines wall cabinets on one wall of this kitchen, and another forms an end point to the line of pale cabinets on the other side.

Visualizer: umaT studio   Make the space feel more rectangular by adding an area rug. Set a tall decorative vase of flowers down on the floor at the units’ end, to soften the look of the hard edge.

Visualizer: Fenix Design   Whip out the sledgehammer – after seeking the advice of a professional! If budget allows, open up your disused kitchen wall to the great outdoors with some retractable doors. The increased natural light and perceived space will truly transform your kitchen.

Visualizer: Qide Design   A large picture window looking out to the garden can be hugely satisfying too. Note how the venetian window blinds at this one are wooden to match the horizontal strip around the kitchen base cabinets. A couple of geometric succulent planters match the geo backsplash, and provide a perfect modern flourish.

Source: Ikea   This sweet little grey kitchen is warmed up with gold cabinet handles and natural wood accessories. A table with a drop leaf makes a great addition to a small kitchen, allowing the eating space to be maximised or minimised in an instant.

Visualizer: Alesya Kasianenko   Focus on what makes you happy. wine glasses are the focal point in this home, highlighted by the glow of strip lights inside glass cases.

Source: Mansarda   Cater to the space, and your budget. If monetary constraints don’t allow for the building of bespoke kitchen cabinets into eaves, then use up that awkward space by installing a wall of open kitchen shelving at waning lengths.

Visualizer: Specht Harpman   Fashion a peninsula around a challenging architecture.

Visualizer: Anastasia Kuspeleva   It’s not just the cabinets that follow an L-shape here, the flooring follows suit too.

Visualizer: Pikcells   Choose larder units in one colour, with standard base and wall cabinets in another to break the look of a long wall.

Visualizer: Concept Vision   As L-shaped kitchens only use two walls, they naturally open up space. This is ideal for kitchens that flow into a living room or dining area.

Visualizer: Pikcells   Find inspiration in tradition. Traditionally the kitchen sink was situated in front of a window, if one was available, like in this green kitchen. Although, in a modern age of dishwashers it doesn’t seem so important to always have the best view from here. A kitchen clock is another classic that’s been bumped. Digital oven displays and microwave clocks negate the need for analogue designs, however, they still make nice wall decoration.

Visualizer: Muji   Colour coordinate. This yellow L-shaped kitchen with breakfast bar has a matching canary yellow fridge-freezer. If you like this then be sure to check out these other yellow kitchens.

Visualizer: 3D Quart Studio   Include a corner pantry. This red kitchen has an open shelving unit filled with pantry supplies that are both useful and decorative.

Visualizer: Concept Vision   Dial away wall cabinets in a paler colour. Base units in rich colours work well when teamed with white or light upper cabinets, so as not to oversaturate a space.

Visualizer: Small Studio   Use ceiling panels to deepen the layout. This dramatically dark kitchen has an equally dark ceiling extension, fitted with spotlights. The matching material across the ceiling gives the layout extra depth, whilst two-tone cabinets play with form.

Visualizer: Pikcells   Powdery perfection. A flurry of blush pink accents and copper accessories speckle a perfect measure of contrast and warmth through powder blue decor.

Visualizer: Maciej Cylkowski   Golden honey toned wood additions and heavy black accents bring an entirely different feel to a light grey and white kitchen.

Visualizer: Robby Brymer   Make a metallic mixup. A gold faucet, a silver oven, a copper vase and candlesticks. Anything goes.

Visualizer: Vera Tarlovskaya Interiors   Jazz up the unused kitchen wall with some typographical art. It’s also a great way to mark up a side-slung dining spot.

Visualizer: Maria Kukoba   Make two seperate rooms in one. With two walls to work with you could separate kitchen facilities from utilities by splitting the arrangement, like this kitchen with washing machine. Keep cooking, prep and food supplies on one arm of your L-shape, and place washing machines and utility cupboards for ironing boards, laundry supplies and baskets along the other.

Visualizer: Modom Studio   Criss cross low mounted wall cabinets over base cupboards for a unique arrangement.

Visualizer: Nataliia Dmytrievna   Use two depths of wall cabinets, in different tones, to break up a double banked arrangement.

Visualizer: Polygon   Craft stand-out perimeters. Extend a soffit of recessed lighting around an L-shaped perimeter to add to lofty proportions. Create a unique kitchen backsplash with unusual shaped tiling in a series of different hues.

Designer: Lauren Rubin   A collection of wall shelves decorate the leftover wall here, along with a series of kitchen utensil hanging rails.

Designer: Studio Zapraszam   Visualizer: Yuriy Bobak   indoor herb planters can hang along a rail too. This design allows pots to inhabit a space not deep enough for a shelf, where an open wall cupboard door from the other side might chip against its edge.

Visualizer: Andrey Karasev   Go with the flow. This completely wooden kitchen module extends its style to the hallway beyond. A matching wooden facia flows over the adjacent wall and one interior door.

Designer: Adrian Elizade   Even though the counter extends beyond the ‘L’ here, we’ve added this to the collection because it holds cunning inspiration for an L-shaped kitchen with a corner window. Notice how the end wall cabinet has been chamfered so as not to block out any of the natural light.

Visualizer: Ogovio   Curate a gallery at the end of the run. A display of decorative plates makes a beautiful and fitting end point.

Visualizer: Denis Bespalov   Simple and chic. A glowing wooden cut through between crisp white cabinets looks clean and inviting.

Visualizer: Alexandra Nyzhnyk   Create a chunky frame out of cabinets, like this white framed kitchen design with wooden inset.

Designer: BIG Design   Visualizer: Vancouver House   Create a party piece. The wine cooler that towers the full height of this black kitchen is certain to keep guests entertained!

Visualizer: Serj Fedin, Serj Kondratskyi & Yevhen Zahorodnii   A boxy plant holder fringes this L-shaped kitchen with island. LED illuminated shelves brighten a wooden feature wall.

Visualizer: Polygon   Another wine rack in an L-shaped kitchen with peninsula. This time the vino is brought right to the bench. It might prove a challenge to stop at just one bottle.

Visualizer: Daria Ozhyhanova & Denys Kozak   Dual windows look grand along a length of countertop. Intricately patterned backsplash tiles on the other branch balance the look.

Visualizer: Diễm Kiều   A large potted plant makes a natural divide between the kitchen and dining spot.

Visualizer: Diễm Kiều   Use pattern to make the most of small spaces.

Designer: SREDA interior   Open shelving units and colour blocks make an interesting scheme.

Visualizer: Kuoo Architects   Minimalist kitchens can sink away into the walls with handle-free slab fronted units.

Visualizer: Int2 Architecture   Adding light wood tone and cheerful prints to a white kitchen creates a wonderfully Scandinavian style kitchen.

Designer: Studio Bazi   Even just a few special tiles can bring a new energy a plain white kitchen.

Visualizer: Anjey Mospanyuk   If you like this look, take a glance at these other industrial style kitchen designs.

Designer: Pura Arquitectura   An open shelf occupies one wall, whilst closed cabinetry completes the other. The change keeps the small space looking airy and open, rather than overwhelmed with too many units.

Visualizer: BY Visuals   Metro tiles help a small space to appear wider.

Visualizer: Anastasia Andryushchenko   A horizontal stripe is another method to visually widen the space.

Visualizer: Schmidt Kitchens   Nope, this isn’t strictly an L-shaped kitchen but we’re taking a look at the L-shaped arrangement of wooden units that are complemented by a cheerful orange unit. The unusual piece has a series of open fronted and closed volumes for displaying and concealing choice items from view.

Visualizer: Amr Moussa   Two bar stools make the end of a cabinet run into a breakfast bar.

Visualizer: RNDR Studio   Wrap a countertop down the side of the end cabinet for a sleek luxurious finish.

1. Kitchen canisters 2. Fruit kitchen clock 3. Evercut Furtif Knives 4. Touch kitchen faucet 5. Comfort kitchen mat 6. Kitchen trash can with step lid 7. Counter edge cutting board with collapsible bin 8. Green foldable cutting board 9. Green and white sink strainer 7. Nesting bowl set 8. Modway kitchen stool 9. Swan ladle

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[ivankarasev-blog1]

Ivan Karasev’s D.O.P. Showreel - 2018

actors: Mila Maximova, Denis Vasiliev, Angelina Strechina, Anastasia Richi, Ekaterina Marchenko

shot with: Canon C300, Canon C300 Mark II, Carl Zeiss 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, Canon 70-300mm

[ukrainenews-blog1]

The authorities are preparing a strategic blow to freedom of expression

The attack on the "Land" - part of the overall policy of the current leadership of Ukraine to reject

democratic freedoms

13:00, 13 January 2017

Attempts to overcome the channel 1 + 1, Inter arson, the pressure on channel 112 - attacks by the authorities on the media in Ukraine every day are becoming more rampant.

Now about provocations being prepared against our newspaper, warned several mutually independent sources in law enforcement agencies.

In particular, there is information that the Security Service of Ukraine in the near future intends to make a mask-show in the edition of "Country". In addition, on the received data, the SBU accelerated pace fabricate criminal cases to arrest leaders of the Internet newspaper "Country". In these cases we have already questioned dozens of people, of which, in many hours of questioning, trying to draw out evidence against the chief editor of "Countries" Igor Guzhva.

Who and what comes to freedom of speech in Ukraine

Background facts

As the "Country" from their sources in the security services, the formal reason for the collision with online newspaper is still a criminal case in 2014. Back then the government was at war with media holding "Vesti", which was headed by Igor Guzhva. The holding consists of and "Vesti.Reporter" magazine. Representatives of the SBU decided to fabricate a criminal investigation into the release of several articles in this journal, which allegedly contained calls to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine (although, in reality, no appeals were not there).

The result then began searches in the office of "Messages" in the beginning of September 2014, that for a whole day paralyzed edition. However, over time, the case began to fall apart. Since the allegations about calls for separatism in the articles, to put it mildly, does not correspond to reality. Various examination conducted on these materials, contradict each other. There were examinations, which are completely denied the claim to the articles.

To at least do something in this case, "security officers" decided to write suspected former Acting chief editor Dmitry Lyukaytisu, who had already left the Ukraine. To report to the authorities that there is a suspicion, but no man, SBU translated this hopeless case in the category of "pending".

In this way it stayed until July 2016. By then Igor Guzhva already left the holding "News" and created a new project - online newspaper "Country", which was started nearly a year ago.

Authority do not like Many materials of "Country".

And the SBU team received an urgent matter to revive in early July. And sharpen specifically for Igor Guzhva. Why does it matter? Because there is a heavy item - 110 of the Criminal Code, Part Two (encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine committed on preliminary arrangement by group of persons). If it imposed the suspicion that there is only one measure of restraint - arrest.

"The logic of this - in any way tied to this case Igor Guzhva, make him a suspect, arrest him, and then what will happen with this case -. Matter main thing Heads editor of " Country " will have to stay n jail", - he told us the source in the security services.

It has since been questioned dozens of people and all of them asked one question - what is wrong, they can say about Guzhva. This "country" reported themselves questioned.

However, to get any coherent evidence against the chief editor of "Countries" was not possible to .

In November and December 2016 the site "Country" published a number of materials on the basis of the people's deputy Oleksandr Onishchenko revelations about corruption in the higher echelons of power. They talked about payoff of deputies by the president and other egregious facts. In addition, our editorial staff announced that it intends to continue to publish material of this kind.

To our knowledge, this has caused strong dissatisfaction in the President's Administration. And the SBU team came in any way to pursue the case.

According to the "Countries", searches were planned in the editorial office, and then - a notice of suspicion followed by arrest.

After a public statement "Countries" of the impending attack of the authorities, SBU was quick to issue a statement that there were no searches planned.

Perhaps really changed their minds, fearing publicity. And perhaps take a break. In any case, "Country" will monitor the situation.

Strategic response authorities

Meanwhile, the events surrounding the "Country" and other media, which do not enjoy the power to indicate a new trend in relations between the state government and the media.

In short - it is a policy of "tightening the screws" on the pretext of the fight against the forces that "undermine the situation in the country." Their list includes all the politicians and journalists who criticize the government. They immediately declared enemies of the people and agents of the Kremlin. On this occasion, there was even already a popular figure :

Not so long ago, one of the MPs from the Bloc Petro Poroshenko, former journalist Vadim Denisenko announced his plan to combat "rods", saying that Ukraine needs trimming unwanted channels, which inspire citizens' lack of confidence in the Ukrainian state.

"Cleaning the information space without drastically drastic steps to clean up the information field is impossible to continue to move the National Council on Television has all the features to thin out the ranks of the pro-Russian television stories that Europeans will not understand us - .. Nonsense Simultaneous closing of three or four TV channels will allow within one month drastically improve the information situation in the country This is the base point for the beginning of the exit from the crisis of confidence to the state ",. -. Denisenko wrote on my page to Facebook.

Experts believe that these statements are not random. This is a strategic response to the ruling groups in Ukraine on the deteriorating situation for them in Ukraine and abroad. The socio-economic situation remains dire. Corruption scandals occur one after the other. Confidence in the government is close to zero. Prospects of relations with the West after winning Trump is very vague and does not bode well.

In such hands, the authorities believe it is logical that they can only rely on their own strength and resources, but it needs to mercilessly crush the sedition within the state, giving up, if necessary, democratic freedoms.

"The situation in Ukraine is complicated, the government wants to stop the risks and potential threats of protest activity, the government needs a more convenient information picture and are therefore used methods of direct or indirect pressure, - says political scientist Vadim Karasev -. You can talk about attempts to limit the alternative points of view , until recently, in Ukraine were alternative points of view, but it has the merit of not only own the media or public opinion leaders as a result of the opposition forces. the opponents of the authorities are not allowed to narrow the information space. but now is the strengthening of the presidential vertical. this is evident by the nominating "their" people in the the governor's office, and burst right laws. to reset the protest and opposition activity, to prevent early parliamentary elections, backstage action may be used. This is a hint that journalists were more careful. Warnings mask show does not mean that will be masked themselves It shows, perhaps it is only an attempt to threaten, warn the situation. "

Characteristically, and then, he said the political scientist, the official Kiev is not very much listens to Western institutions on the part of the recommendations on the conduct of dialogue between the authorities and the media.

"Now, Ukraine can generally find enough excuses For example, since you do not give us visa-free, why would you tell us what to do with our publications Resonance no one is afraid ..", - Says the "Land" the political scientist.

On one zradu - three Peremohy

"Pressure, threats, intimidation - this is a deliberate policy of the authorities in relation to those that do not - says" Country "political expert Ruslan Bortnik -. We have seen a campaign to" close the mouth of the Kremlin ", there are proposals of People's Deputies to restrict freedom of speech on the background of a huge mistrust of. authorities, namely the media are a public expression of this relationship allows media to comprehend the chaos and lawlessness in the country media pushes to criticize the government's actions and the only way for the government to survive -... is to seize the media ".

According to experts, the pressure on freedom of speech continues.

"We should expect and closing unwanted media and mask-show in the offices, and revocation of licenses channels and change of ownership of major media so will operate the power, simultaneously attracting towards these goals radical elements, as well." Titushek "- said the expert.

"In a private conversation with a top manager of one of the major television channels, he told me that, well, now we have 1 treason give 3 victory, 1 critical expert - 3 pro-government, on the one fact of corruption - three 3 facts improvements, Authority compels media managers smooth corners, "- added the analyst.

On the other hand, it is unclear how long the government will be able to broadcast in the major media iskrevlenie picture of reality.

Firstly, the information space in the 21st century is not sealed. We can not cover all sources of negative income. Secondly, most of the major media groups owned by oligarchs, who may at any time change its position (as it was during the time of the Maidan and Yanukovych). Third, in the deteriorating situation in the country and uncertain relations with its allies in the West, the authorities have less space and resources for the maneuvers.

And sooner or later, the spring, which is now struggling clamped unclench with equal force.

Source:www.strana.ua

[pinktheoristcollector]

New top story from Time: Amid U.S. Impeachment Inquiry, Ukraine Left Feeling ‘Abandoned’

Ukraine is at the center of today’s east-west geopolitical battle, but it’s feeling increasingly alone and abandoned by its U.S. backers amid the impeachment drama unfolding in Washington.

The U.S. ambassador — who was pushed out earlier this year and testified Friday in Congress — hasn’t been replaced. Neither has the influential U.S. envoy tasked with helping Ukraine quell its Russia-backed separatist insurgency. The lower-level U.S. officials remaining in Kyiv are keeping an unusually low profile.

The erosion of Washington’s readiness to protect its Eastern European ally leaves Ukraine vulnerable to mounting Russian pressure, just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into high-stakes talks next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Trump Ignored Consensus U.S. Intelligence Report in Pressuring Ukraine

Ukrainians increasingly feel the U.S. impeachment inquiry is making their country toxic.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Associated Press that U.S. officials have shown increasing indifference to Ukraine and have been reluctant to attend meetings.

This has been particularly visible, the lawmaker said, since the September resignation of envoy Kurt Volker, whose departure led to the disappearance of a coordination center made up of people who were engaged in Ukraine’s affairs.

The lawmaker discussed the sensitive issue of U.S. aid on condition that his name be withheld. Ukrainian government officials refuse to talk about relations with the U.S. while the impeachment inquiry is ongoing, and influential lawmakers are similarly wary of saying anything publicly that could make matters even worse for their country.

Moscow is happy to fill the void, further bolstering Russia’s position along Europe’s geopolitical front line, with consequences around the region. The mixed messages to Ukraine from President Donald Trump’s administration are also damaging U.S. diplomatic credibility at a time when American foreign policy influence is already waning.

“Trump’s policy toward Ukraine looks badly incoherent and inconsistent,” said Mykola Sunhurovskyi, the head of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based independent think-tank. “It’s like a swing, and Kyiv has found it difficult to adapt to that.”

In a July 25 phone call that triggered the impeachment inquiry, Trump pushed Ukraine’s newly-elected Zelensky to investigate the country’s activities in the 2016 U.S. election and his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, while the Trump administration was withholding about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Democrats say that Trump was engaged in “bribery” and “extortion,” abusing his office for personal political gain. The president denies wrongdoing. The military aid was ultimately released in September after Congress was informed of the phone call.

U.S. military aid makes up about 10 percent of Ukraine’s defense budget, according to Sunhurovskyi. He said the American aid is necessary to shore up the underfunded and badly equipped Ukrainian army, but is even more crucial as an indication of Washington’s determination to stand firmly behind its ally.

“The U.S. military aid is an important political signal indicating that Ukraine is a victim and Russia is an aggressor,” Sunhurovskyi said.”

President Barack Obama’s administration provided Ukraine with nonlethal military supplies, including countermortar radars, night-vision devices and medical items. The Trump administration in 2017 agreed to provide lethal weapons, committing to sell $47 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. handed over two repurposed patrol boats Wednesday to Ukraine’s navy, part of over $1.6 billion in U.S. security assistance since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. envoy Joseph Pennington pledged continued U.S. support.

It was one of the rare high-visibility American appearances in Ukraine in recent weeks.

While American business people remain ubiquitous in Kyiv, arriving daily on flights to Boryspol Airport and filling lobbies of the city’s high-end hotels, U.S. officials appear to be lying low, notably those visiting from Washington. When Assistant Secretary of State Denise Natali visited last month, none of her schedule was made public and media had no access.

Volker, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations, used to regularly visit Kyiv, maintained close contacts with the European Union nations to coordinate their support for Ukraine and met with his Russian counterpart to defend Ukraine’s interests. The Trump administration hasn’t named a replacement since he resigned.

Trump himself encouraged Zelensky to meet with Putin and “solve your problem.”

“Trump’s hesitations and the absence of a clear U.S. strategy forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russia,” said Vadim Karasev, head of the Kyiv-based Institute of Global Strategies.

That’s worries many in Ukraine, especially ahead of Zelensky’s long-awaited meeting with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany on Dec. 9.

After Ukraine’s former Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by massive protests in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped foment a separatist insurgency in the east. More than five years of fighting has killed over 13,000 and ravaged the country’s industrial heartland. The U.S. and the EU responded by hitting Russia with a slew of sanctions that hampered Russia-EU trade.

European nations also provide Ukraine significant aid, but Ukraine fears their support is slipping too. Some EU nations have pushed for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for reaching out to Russia.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko said that could herald pressure on Ukraine to agree to a deal on Russian terms.

“The U.S. military assistance cemented the Western position,” Karasev said. “Any doubts, suspensions or delays will cause the Western coalition to collapse and allow Paris and Berlin to play their game and make a deal with Russia. Once the U.S. role in Europe weakens, Russia’s influence inevitably grows — it’s a historic pendulum that Trump has already set in motion.”

___

Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

from Blogger https://ift.tt/2XiZKiQ via IFTTT

[newstechreviews]

Ukraine is at the center of today’s east-west geopolitical battle, but it’s feeling increasingly alone and abandoned by its U.S. backers amid the impeachment drama unfolding in Washington.

The U.S. ambassador — who was pushed out earlier this year and testified Friday in Congress — hasn’t been replaced. Neither has the influential U.S. envoy tasked with helping Ukraine quell its Russia-backed separatist insurgency. The lower-level U.S. officials remaining in Kyiv are keeping an unusually low profile.

The erosion of Washington’s readiness to protect its Eastern European ally leaves Ukraine vulnerable to mounting Russian pressure, just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into high-stakes talks next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Trump Ignored Consensus U.S. Intelligence Report in Pressuring Ukraine

Ukrainians increasingly feel the U.S. impeachment inquiry is making their country toxic.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Associated Press that U.S. officials have shown increasing indifference to Ukraine and have been reluctant to attend meetings.

This has been particularly visible, the lawmaker said, since the September resignation of envoy Kurt Volker, whose departure led to the disappearance of a coordination center made up of people who were engaged in Ukraine’s affairs.

The lawmaker discussed the sensitive issue of U.S. aid on condition that his name be withheld. Ukrainian government officials refuse to talk about relations with the U.S. while the impeachment inquiry is ongoing, and influential lawmakers are similarly wary of saying anything publicly that could make matters even worse for their country.

Moscow is happy to fill the void, further bolstering Russia’s position along Europe’s geopolitical front line, with consequences around the region. The mixed messages to Ukraine from President Donald Trump’s administration are also damaging U.S. diplomatic credibility at a time when American foreign policy influence is already waning.

“Trump’s policy toward Ukraine looks badly incoherent and inconsistent,” said Mykola Sunhurovskyi, the head of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based independent think-tank. “It’s like a swing, and Kyiv has found it difficult to adapt to that.”

In a July 25 phone call that triggered the impeachment inquiry, Trump pushed Ukraine’s newly-elected Zelensky to investigate the country’s activities in the 2016 U.S. election and his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, while the Trump administration was withholding about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Democrats say that Trump was engaged in “bribery” and “extortion,” abusing his office for personal political gain. The president denies wrongdoing. The military aid was ultimately released in September after Congress was informed of the phone call.

U.S. military aid makes up about 10 percent of Ukraine’s defense budget, according to Sunhurovskyi. He said the American aid is necessary to shore up the underfunded and badly equipped Ukrainian army, but is even more crucial as an indication of Washington’s determination to stand firmly behind its ally.

“The U.S. military aid is an important political signal indicating that Ukraine is a victim and Russia is an aggressor,” Sunhurovskyi said.”

President Barack Obama’s administration provided Ukraine with nonlethal military supplies, including countermortar radars, night-vision devices and medical items. The Trump administration in 2017 agreed to provide lethal weapons, committing to sell $47 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. handed over two repurposed patrol boats Wednesday to Ukraine’s navy, part of over $1.6 billion in U.S. security assistance since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. envoy Joseph Pennington pledged continued U.S. support.

It was one of the rare high-visibility American appearances in Ukraine in recent weeks.

While American business people remain ubiquitous in Kyiv, arriving daily on flights to Boryspol Airport and filling lobbies of the city’s high-end hotels, U.S. officials appear to be lying low, notably those visiting from Washington. When Assistant Secretary of State Denise Natali visited last month, none of her schedule was made public and media had no access.

Volker, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations, used to regularly visit Kyiv, maintained close contacts with the European Union nations to coordinate their support for Ukraine and met with his Russian counterpart to defend Ukraine’s interests. The Trump administration hasn’t named a replacement since he resigned.

Trump himself encouraged Zelensky to meet with Putin and “solve your problem.”

“Trump’s hesitations and the absence of a clear U.S. strategy forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russia,” said Vadim Karasev, head of the Kyiv-based Institute of Global Strategies.

That’s worries many in Ukraine, especially ahead of Zelensky’s long-awaited meeting with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany on Dec. 9.

After Ukraine’s former Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by massive protests in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped foment a separatist insurgency in the east. More than five years of fighting has killed over 13,000 and ravaged the country’s industrial heartland. The U.S. and the EU responded by hitting Russia with a slew of sanctions that hampered Russia-EU trade.

European nations also provide Ukraine significant aid, but Ukraine fears their support is slipping too. Some EU nations have pushed for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for reaching out to Russia.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko said that could herald pressure on Ukraine to agree to a deal on Russian terms.

“The U.S. military assistance cemented the Western position,” Karasev said. “Any doubts, suspensions or delays will cause the Western coalition to collapse and allow Paris and Berlin to play their game and make a deal with Russia. Once the U.S. role in Europe weakens, Russia’s influence inevitably grows — it’s a historic pendulum that Trump has already set in motion.”

___

Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

[pinktheoristcollector]

Ukraine is at the center of today’s east-west geopolitical battle, but it’s feeling increasingly alone and abandoned by its U.S. backers amid the impeachment drama unfolding in Washington.

The U.S. ambassador — who was pushed out earlier this year and testified Friday in Congress — hasn’t been replaced. Neither has the influential U.S. envoy tasked with helping Ukraine quell its Russia-backed separatist insurgency. The lower-level U.S. officials remaining in Kyiv are keeping an unusually low profile.

The erosion of Washington’s readiness to protect its Eastern European ally leaves Ukraine vulnerable to mounting Russian pressure, just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into high-stakes talks next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Trump Ignored Consensus U.S. Intelligence Report in Pressuring Ukraine

Ukrainians increasingly feel the U.S. impeachment inquiry is making their country toxic.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Associated Press that U.S. officials have shown increasing indifference to Ukraine and have been reluctant to attend meetings.

This has been particularly visible, the lawmaker said, since the September resignation of envoy Kurt Volker, whose departure led to the disappearance of a coordination center made up of people who were engaged in Ukraine’s affairs.

The lawmaker discussed the sensitive issue of U.S. aid on condition that his name be withheld. Ukrainian government officials refuse to talk about relations with the U.S. while the impeachment inquiry is ongoing, and influential lawmakers are similarly wary of saying anything publicly that could make matters even worse for their country.

Moscow is happy to fill the void, further bolstering Russia’s position along Europe’s geopolitical front line, with consequences around the region. The mixed messages to Ukraine from President Donald Trump’s administration are also damaging U.S. diplomatic credibility at a time when American foreign policy influence is already waning.

“Trump’s policy toward Ukraine looks badly incoherent and inconsistent,” said Mykola Sunhurovskyi, the head of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based independent think-tank. “It’s like a swing, and Kyiv has found it difficult to adapt to that.”

In a July 25 phone call that triggered the impeachment inquiry, Trump pushed Ukraine’s newly-elected Zelensky to investigate the country’s activities in the 2016 U.S. election and his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, while the Trump administration was withholding about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Democrats say that Trump was engaged in “bribery” and “extortion,” abusing his office for personal political gain. The president denies wrongdoing. The military aid was ultimately released in September after Congress was informed of the phone call.

U.S. military aid makes up about 10 percent of Ukraine’s defense budget, according to Sunhurovskyi. He said the American aid is necessary to shore up the underfunded and badly equipped Ukrainian army, but is even more crucial as an indication of Washington’s determination to stand firmly behind its ally.

“The U.S. military aid is an important political signal indicating that Ukraine is a victim and Russia is an aggressor,” Sunhurovskyi said.”

President Barack Obama’s administration provided Ukraine with nonlethal military supplies, including countermortar radars, night-vision devices and medical items. The Trump administration in 2017 agreed to provide lethal weapons, committing to sell $47 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. handed over two repurposed patrol boats Wednesday to Ukraine’s navy, part of over $1.6 billion in U.S. security assistance since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. envoy Joseph Pennington pledged continued U.S. support.

It was one of the rare high-visibility American appearances in Ukraine in recent weeks.

While American business people remain ubiquitous in Kyiv, arriving daily on flights to Boryspol Airport and filling lobbies of the city’s high-end hotels, U.S. officials appear to be lying low, notably those visiting from Washington. When Assistant Secretary of State Denise Natali visited last month, none of her schedule was made public and media had no access.

Volker, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations, used to regularly visit Kyiv, maintained close contacts with the European Union nations to coordinate their support for Ukraine and met with his Russian counterpart to defend Ukraine’s interests. The Trump administration hasn’t named a replacement since he resigned.

Trump himself encouraged Zelensky to meet with Putin and “solve your problem.”

“Trump’s hesitations and the absence of a clear U.S. strategy forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russia,” said Vadim Karasev, head of the Kyiv-based Institute of Global Strategies.

That’s worries many in Ukraine, especially ahead of Zelensky’s long-awaited meeting with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany on Dec. 9.

After Ukraine’s former Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by massive protests in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped foment a separatist insurgency in the east. More than five years of fighting has killed over 13,000 and ravaged the country’s industrial heartland. The U.S. and the EU responded by hitting Russia with a slew of sanctions that hampered Russia-EU trade.

European nations also provide Ukraine significant aid, but Ukraine fears their support is slipping too. Some EU nations have pushed for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for reaching out to Russia.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko said that could herald pressure on Ukraine to agree to a deal on Russian terms.

“The U.S. military assistance cemented the Western position,” Karasev said. “Any doubts, suspensions or delays will cause the Western coalition to collapse and allow Paris and Berlin to play their game and make a deal with Russia. Once the U.S. role in Europe weakens, Russia’s influence inevitably grows — it’s a historic pendulum that Trump has already set in motion.”

___

Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

[pinktheoristcollector]

Ukraine is at the center of today’s east-west geopolitical battle, but it’s feeling increasingly alone and abandoned by its U.S. backers amid the impeachment drama unfolding in Washington.

The U.S. ambassador — who was pushed out earlier this year and testified Friday in Congress — hasn’t been replaced. Neither has the influential U.S. envoy tasked with helping Ukraine quell its Russia-backed separatist insurgency. The lower-level U.S. officials remaining in Kyiv are keeping an unusually low profile.

The erosion of Washington’s readiness to protect its Eastern European ally leaves Ukraine vulnerable to mounting Russian pressure, just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads into high-stakes talks next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: Trump Ignored Consensus U.S. Intelligence Report in Pressuring Ukraine

Ukrainians increasingly feel the U.S. impeachment inquiry is making their country toxic.

A member of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Associated Press that U.S. officials have shown increasing indifference to Ukraine and have been reluctant to attend meetings.

This has been particularly visible, the lawmaker said, since the September resignation of envoy Kurt Volker, whose departure led to the disappearance of a coordination center made up of people who were engaged in Ukraine’s affairs.

The lawmaker discussed the sensitive issue of U.S. aid on condition that his name be withheld. Ukrainian government officials refuse to talk about relations with the U.S. while the impeachment inquiry is ongoing, and influential lawmakers are similarly wary of saying anything publicly that could make matters even worse for their country.

Moscow is happy to fill the void, further bolstering Russia’s position along Europe’s geopolitical front line, with consequences around the region. The mixed messages to Ukraine from President Donald Trump’s administration are also damaging U.S. diplomatic credibility at a time when American foreign policy influence is already waning.

“Trump’s policy toward Ukraine looks badly incoherent and inconsistent,” said Mykola Sunhurovskyi, the head of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based independent think-tank. “It’s like a swing, and Kyiv has found it difficult to adapt to that.”

In a July 25 phone call that triggered the impeachment inquiry, Trump pushed Ukraine’s newly-elected Zelensky to investigate the country’s activities in the 2016 U.S. election and his potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, while the Trump administration was withholding about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Democrats say that Trump was engaged in “bribery” and “extortion,” abusing his office for personal political gain. The president denies wrongdoing. The military aid was ultimately released in September after Congress was informed of the phone call.

U.S. military aid makes up about 10 percent of Ukraine’s defense budget, according to Sunhurovskyi. He said the American aid is necessary to shore up the underfunded and badly equipped Ukrainian army, but is even more crucial as an indication of Washington’s determination to stand firmly behind its ally.

“The U.S. military aid is an important political signal indicating that Ukraine is a victim and Russia is an aggressor,” Sunhurovskyi said.”

President Barack Obama’s administration provided Ukraine with nonlethal military supplies, including countermortar radars, night-vision devices and medical items. The Trump administration in 2017 agreed to provide lethal weapons, committing to sell $47 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The U.S. handed over two repurposed patrol boats Wednesday to Ukraine’s navy, part of over $1.6 billion in U.S. security assistance since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. envoy Joseph Pennington pledged continued U.S. support.

It was one of the rare high-visibility American appearances in Ukraine in recent weeks.

While American business people remain ubiquitous in Kyiv, arriving daily on flights to Boryspol Airport and filling lobbies of the city’s high-end hotels, U.S. officials appear to be lying low, notably those visiting from Washington. When Assistant Secretary of State Denise Natali visited last month, none of her schedule was made public and media had no access.

Volker, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine peace negotiations, used to regularly visit Kyiv, maintained close contacts with the European Union nations to coordinate their support for Ukraine and met with his Russian counterpart to defend Ukraine’s interests. The Trump administration hasn’t named a replacement since he resigned.

Trump himself encouraged Zelensky to meet with Putin and “solve your problem.”

“Trump’s hesitations and the absence of a clear U.S. strategy forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russia,” said Vadim Karasev, head of the Kyiv-based Institute of Global Strategies.

That’s worries many in Ukraine, especially ahead of Zelensky’s long-awaited meeting with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany on Dec. 9.

After Ukraine’s former Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by massive protests in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and helped foment a separatist insurgency in the east. More than five years of fighting has killed over 13,000 and ravaged the country’s industrial heartland. The U.S. and the EU responded by hitting Russia with a slew of sanctions that hampered Russia-EU trade.

European nations also provide Ukraine significant aid, but Ukraine fears their support is slipping too. Some EU nations have pushed for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for reaching out to Russia.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko said that could herald pressure on Ukraine to agree to a deal on Russian terms.

“The U.S. military assistance cemented the Western position,” Karasev said. “Any doubts, suspensions or delays will cause the Western coalition to collapse and allow Paris and Berlin to play their game and make a deal with Russia. Once the U.S. role in Europe weakens, Russia’s influence inevitably grows — it’s a historic pendulum that Trump has already set in motion.”

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Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.