Epstein Secrets

me.? A prominent theme that runs through authoritarian media is the imperfect nature of electoral processes in the leading democracies, especially the United States. The goal is less to portray elections in Russia, Venezuela, or Iran as paragons of democratic practice than to muddy the waters—to make the case t

lution as the latest form of American interventionism, and began a process of restricting Russian NGOs that was to reach a climax a decade later. Yanukovych eventually won the presidency in a 2010 comeback. but a second protest-driven revolution www.freedomhouse.org 23 EFTA00804747 BREAKING DOWN DEM

religious harmony, boast of government policies to ensure fair treatment for Russia's large Muslim population, and denounce those who brought down Yanukovych's government in Ukraine as fascists and pogromists. Yet when it comes to potential allies in Europe, it makes no difference to the Kremlin whether

e terrorists. This search for a political transition has also drawn together a disparate group of nations, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States. These nations met quietly in Geneva on Nov. 21 to discuss ways to EFTA00636705 provide humanitarian relief for thousands of civilians who face th

republic. Russia, for its part, reproached the EU for putting pressure on Ukraine. The EU is now under criticism for mishandling negotiations with Yanukovych, who had previously rejected European terms for closer association. So why Ukraine's last-minute reversal on the EU deal? In retrospect, Yanukovyc

how about 45 percent of Ukrainians supporting closer integration with the EU, and a third or less favoring closer ties with Russia. EFTA00636722 Yanukovych, a wily politician, is hoping to win reelection in 2015 and must balance several constituencies. He was elected in part based on his promise to imp

sia. Longtime allies in Europe and in the Persian Gulf are worried by the inconsistency of a president who came to office promising the end of the United States' post-Sept. 11 wars. Now Ukraine has emerged as a test of Obama's argument that, far from weakening American power, he has enhanced it through smart

rgely in the hands of the European Union, given that its economic ties to Russia, particularly as a source of energy, are far greater than those of the United States. EFTA00705927 The most immediate threat that has surfaced: Obama could skip the G-8 meeting scheduled for June in Sochi, a day's drive from Crime

e English-language Kyiv Post published a classic in the genre when it reported how journalists arriving at the "inner sanctum" of the mansion where Yanukovych had lived in splendor discovered that he had been cohabiting not with his wife of four decades but, rather, with—and try not to faint—a younger wom

the world as a result of its objectionable behavior in Iraq and on other issues. She was somewhat taken aback when informed that, however unpopular the United States might be, China was even less popular, especially among neighbors like Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Australia. Altogether, out of EFTA00

o the verge of military confrontation. The pro-Russia region of Crimea is seething, and the new central government that took over in Kiev after Mr. Yanukovych fled is barely functioning. President Obama, speaking at the White House, was right to warn Russia against any military move and to indicate that