Leo van Doesburg

The European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) is deeply concerned over the recent developments in Kiev, condemns what clearly seems to be the excessive use of force against the peaceful demonstration and calls on the Ukrainian Government to respect the will, human dignity and fundamental rights of the Ukrainian people. " Many Ukrainians, who took to streets to protest against the reversal of President Viktor Yanukovych on the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, showed their strong support for their country's closer relations with the European Union. It is the right of people everywhere to express their views in a democratic way. Therefore, the Ukrainian government should refrain from violence and use of force and resolve political differences in accordance with the constitutional and democratic norms" , George Rukhadze, the ECPM Vice-President said. The European Christian Political Movement also condemns the pressure from Moscow on the Ukrainian government whi...

It was early morning on 21 September 2011. The hills of Dnipro stand as a symbol of the historical and cultural heritage of Ukraine, while offering a beautiful view of the city of Kiev. Although the sun has already risen, the city is still covered in fog that is slowly disappearing: it looks like Kiev is waking up. An historic event is taking place: the first Ukrainian National Prayer Breakfast and a forum of Christian politicians on “Christian values in a globalized world” are organized today. Are the hills and the waking up of the city not the best symbols you can give to these events? Will there be a waking up of politicians, representatives of religious institutions and churches, NGOs and institutions for a stronger collaboration in order to promote Christian values in the Ukraine? These were questions that occupied my mind when I stood on the hill, watching the city. The fog was soon disappearing.

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Poland and Sweden have in a joint strategy paper indicated the EU is unlikely to invite any of its post-Soviet neighbours to join the bloc in the next 10 years. Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski and Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt set out their vision for the EU's future relations with neighbouring countries in a letter on 6 October to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and neighbourhood commissioner Stefan Fuele. The letter noted that Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine could one day become EU members, unlike countries in north Africa and the Middle East. "Some [countries bordering the EU] are European and thus enjoy special status in accordance with the treaties, others will remain neighbours of Europe," it said. But the four-page-letter nowhere said the EU should give the group 'an enlargement perspective.' It instead set out an everything-but-enlargement vision in which the six gradually adopt the E...