crimea: the war before the war

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Tetiana Shevchuk photo

Tetiana Shevchuk

Tetiana Shevchuk is the international relations head at the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), a Ukrainian NGO founded in 2012 to uncover corruption in Ukraine. Shevchuk is also a legal expert at the International Center for Ukrainian Victory (ICUV).

Articles

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives to speak to parliamentarians at the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2024.

Tired, scared, or deliberately obstructive: Why Ukrainian lawmakers refuse to vote for reforms

by Tetiana Shevchuk
As Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada enters its seventh year without a general election, a troubling narrative has taken hold in Kyiv's political circles that parliament is broken, paralyzed, and incapable of delivering the reforms Ukraine's international partners require. MPs and governmental officials are giving two explanations for this supposed dysfunction: personal exhaustion and fear of anti-corruption investigations. Neither holds up to scrutiny. The crisis may be real, but it originates not in

Ukraine's Constitutional Court appointments: A test of EU commitment

by Tetiana Shevchuk
As Ukraine continues its path toward European integration while defending itself against Russian aggression, the strength of its democratic institutions remains paramount. Among these institutions, the Constitutional Court plays a unique role in protecting citizens' rights and maintaining the rule of law. Yet today, this crucial judicial body still lacks the judges needed for full functionality, with six out of 18 seats remaining vacant. This situation, while concerning in any circumstances,

Halushka, Shevchuk: A call to put Russian assets toward Ukraine's reconstruction

Last week, the U.K. co-hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Held on June 20-21, the event was dedicated to mobilizing the public and private sectors for Ukraine’s recovery. While a lot of brilliant plans were voiced, the elephant in the room remained the question of who will actually pay to reconstruct what Russia has destroyed. There is some sort of general consensus that, eventually, the aggressor will get the bill. However, over the past 16 months of Russia’s full-scale war, pol