Saturday, October 28, 2017

Russia Fails to Destabilize Ukraine, Yet Again


 
By Matthew Dubas

The following commentary was submitted in response to the recent assassination attempt on Ukrainian politician Ihor Mosiychuk

These kinds of events are meant to destabilize and to show Ukraine as a volatile place for foreign investments, where politicians are under threat. The fact that people die as a result is part of the FSB/KGB modus operandi (Litvinenko, Nemtsov, Magnitsky, Politkovskaya, Sheremet, etc). Even in the U.S. we have seen lawmakers targeted, injured, and some killed in what would be described as terrorist acts (some religiously motivated, others racially, etc). In Russia, it is simply another day, where you either have the protection of Putin, or you don't (even if you paid for it).

Ukraine is about to enact laws that would strip parliamentarians of prosecutorial immunity, in addition to creating an anti-corruption court and reforms to the electoral system that would create open party lists instead of the closed system. Some national deputies are known criminals who have avoided prosecution and the typical response for anyone being investigated or forced to appear in court is that the accused develops a condition that requires hospitalization delaying or avoiding the case altogether (as per Ukrainian law). Same thing in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

The steps that Ukraine is taking (slowly, some say too slowly, others say at the right pace to avoid shock to local consumers) is shifting Ukraine's permanent course away from systems that breed corruption and provide levers for Russian influence.

Canada just enacted its version of a Magnitsky Law (S-226), targeting human rights abusers and politicians guilty of "significant foreign corruption" crimes. This really irks Putin and the Kremlin. It is a reminder that the rule of law prevails in a system where countries uphold the law, and it also reminds the world that Russia resembles a lawless mafia state as more and more names are added to lists of sanctioned individuals and companies. As one of the co-sponsors of the bill, Sen. Raynell Andreychuk, rhetorically asked, "Why is the Russian government so nervous about Canada's Magnitsky law?" The fear in the Kremlin will increase when other countries enact similar laws. Canada should expect more politicians to be banned from Russia. Eventually, no one will be allowed in Russia.


Matthew Dubas is editor of the nationally-distributed publication The Ukrainian Weekly. The newspaper is also distributed throughout Canada and serves as a major source of news and information for the Ukrainian community in America and abroad. He has reported on many of the country’s political and social conflicts and worked with ambassadors, politicians, policy advisers, activists and scholars on a range of issues concerning Ukraine. The views expressed by Mr. Dubas do not necessarily reflect those of the publication's management or editorial staff.

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