Ukraine's latest challenge: oligarchs with private armies

CSM/Yahoo ^ | Fred Weir

[Paid_Russian_Troll]

Gov. Igor Kolomoisky, who was given political power and the right to create a private army last year, last week used that power to seize the state oil company's headquarters in Kiev.

As Ukraine struggles with near-financial meltdown and a shaky peace deal with pro-Russian rebels in the east, the last thing it needs is a showdown with a powerful oligarch with a private army. But that may be just what is brewing.

Igor Kolomoisky, governor of the restive Dnipropetrovsk region of east Ukraine and a rough-and-tumble tycoon, was handed political power and the right to establish an army in the wake of last year's Maidan revolution. Last week, he triggered what some are calling a serious political crisis by using that force to seize the state oil company's headquarters in Kiev. At stake, experts say, is a harsh redivision of property and influence under way as Ukraine tries to meet International Monetary Fund demands for deep reforms to its oligarch-dominated economy.

The standoff at the oil company escalated Tuesday as Mr. Kolomoisky's supporters in Dnipropetrovsk announced that they will stage a huge rally Wednesday in support of greater regional "decentralization" and more cash from Kiev.

A DOMESTIC AFFAIR

Unlike the war against rebels in the east, who enjoy considerable support from Moscow, this is an entirely home-grown problem. One of the key demands of the Maidan protesters who overthrew former President Viktor Yanukovych was to end the economic reign of predatory oligarchs. Instead, many oligarchs were empowered by the new government, given governorships of important regions and a relatively free hand to maintain order.

Some experts have warned that enabling economic oligarchs to effectively transform themselves into warlords was storing up trouble for the future. Kolomoisky, a banking and media mogul, cracked down hard on rebel sympathizers in Dnipropetrovsk

[gleeaikin]

Just what Ukraine needs more aggressive dictators.

[DirtyPigpen]

The whole country is full of people like this. All the more reason to stay out.

[Paid_Russian_Troll]

True. They aren’t seems like very much talented at self-govering.

[SampleMan]

Well, this obviously justifies Putin’s war against former Soviet subjects.

Clearly the Ukrainians need Mother Russia to reestablish clean and impartial government.

Only capitalist exploitationists would resist such pure Russian altruism.

If not for NATO forcing itself on central Europe, none of this would be necessary. Russia is the defender of all that is good and right. Putin is both a genius and a rough hewn man-god.

There, I think I hit all of your talking points for you.

[binreadin]

Read “The Bloodlands.” Millions upon millions of Ukranians were purposefully starved to death under Stalin. The more successful were deported to the Gulag in Siberia. The Russians came to take their places. With the history there, it’s a wonder there is a functioning society at all.

[Paid_Russian_Troll]

No. I haven’t said any of the above.

[SampleMan]

Obviously you’re mistaken. The Ukrainian people love the Russianss.

These threads only appear to serve Mother Russia. You need to get on board with the program. I think I detect a lack of fervor on your part. Lack of fervor will not be tolerated.

[exit82]

You need to get on board with the program. I think I detect a lack of fervor on your part. Lack of fervor will not be tolerated.

I don't care who you are, that there's funny! Thanks for the laugh.

[SampleMan]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3271794/posts

Ukrainian President removed the governor.

Obviously a plot to make themselves look good, strategically timed to play off the large number of accidental deaths of leading players in Russia.

Just despicable to take actions so contrary to the official Russian line.

[Paid_Russian_Troll]

Hmmm, what ‘large number of deaths’ in Russia?

Why plot to look good? Even a broken clock is right every day, twice.

[SampleMan]

Hmmm, what ‘large number of deaths’ in Russia?

Yes, yes, excellent comrade. There are no deaths occurring in Russia of prominent people or anyone else. These rumors must be tamped down.

Here is photo proof that Anna Politkovskaya (27th row back, 3rd from right) and the other 300+, so called missing or murdered prominent dissenters, are all alive and well. In fact, the truth is that they simply saw the error of their ways and are at this very moment attending this street celebration in Ukraine, celebrating the vast improvements to be brought about by Vladimirovich Putin.

[Cossak]

Those murdered people became prominent in Western media after their death, in Russia they were unknown to public and still are. Several persons are known and prevailing opinion about them is negative. Deaths of 50 000 persons per year of drugs from Afghanistan since NATO operation against Talibs is much greater concern for Russia.

[SampleMan]

Those murdered people became prominent in Western media after their death, in Russia they were unknown to public and still are. Several persons are known and prevailing opinion about them is negative.

Yes Comrade, yes! Excellent! Glorious confirmation that the Motherland's "news" outlets know who butters their bread.

Certainly coincidental that so many of those people with unfortunate deaths were journalists that didn't seem to understand the importance of Putin's truth and the need to lay blame for Russian social problems on the West ;-)

But just between you and me, having something current to blame Russian ills on is so much more sellable than back in the 1980s, when pre-Revolution capitalism had to be blamed.

So few people, like you, understand that substance abuse is something totally new to Russia, where sobriety and healthy living has always been every young man's guiding light. I think the sudden spike of Russian soldiers returning dead from the Central and Southern Federal Districts should be reported as a drug issue as well, don't you. The people require a meaningful explanation and someone to blame.

[Cossak]

There are plenty of alternate outlets available to Russians nowadays including Western ones and people can share their opinions on numerous Internet resources.

When Russia became capitalist country in its worst form of peripheral oligarchic capitalism, criminality skyrocketed. 50 000 persons murdered per a year, 30 000 or so disappear without notice. Do not see reason why journalists must be immune from violent crimes. Or state is obliged to provide personal guards for them? During Yeltsyn rule journalists were murdered at higher rate but it did not bother Western propaganda.

In videos with Russian citizens in Ukraine who are on rebels side many of them look too old for military service.
I heard from Ukrainian media about Altai's militia tank battalion while militia in Russia was renamed to police 3 or 4 years ago and there is no such thing as tank battalions in police. Soldiers in Central and Southern regions can be conscripts from other Federal Districts. I do not know no single case of soldier returned dead. Maybe somewhere else some soldiers, who knows. But this number is not big, no media can hide information nowadays. People have access to Internet, all have mobile phones.

[SampleMan]

Capitalism is the rule of law and the free investment of private capital. At no point was Russia ever capitalist.

Cleptocracy and crony socialism are not forms of capitalism. The definition of capitalism is not that some people are allowed to make money.

You are obviously sold on believing what you want to believe. Evidence to the contrary is substantial and impossible to logically dispute, but you obviously are not encumbered by those things.

[Cossak]

I am not believer but rather skeptical about many things. I am thinking that capitalism is some abstraction nonexistent in reality, like, say, spherical horse in a vacuum.

[SampleMan]

Capitalism was alive and well in thru United States until the 1930s. Since then it’s been whittled down to a shadow; however, by comparison the rule of law and opportunity in the USA is orders of magnitude better than Russia.

[SampleMan]

Where do you live? For how long? Where did you live before? For how long?

[Cossak]

Capitalism caused disaster in the USA in 1929. Without invasion of strong enemy, without droughts or earthquake or any other natural catastrophe. It was not first time as I remember but previous occurrences were less destructive.
USA never were under pressure of external and internal challenges so strong as Russia, they had opportunity for developing and maturing the rule of law. USA has dozen organizations that can arrest civilians but still in big towns areas populated by blacks and Latinos are not safe for whites as I heard. And police is quite dangerous for ordinary people. In Russia they do not kill or taze people on the streets, they do not arrest for debts. They do not take off your kids if you slap them buttocks for misbehavior. They do not assign absurd prison term 100+ years. Rule of law sometime produces side effects.