Russian propagandists have thrown many slurs at Ukraine since Vladimir Putin’s invasion in 2014. Especially prominent among them in the lead-up to the presidential election has been the claim that Nazi sympathizers and fascists run Ukraine. While anti-Semitism, unfortunately, still exists in Ukraine, Ukraine ranks as the least anti-Semitic country in the region. Moreover,...
Tag: ODIHR
Task Force Update: One Third of the Way There
Congratulations to the people of Ukraine for turning out in impressive numbers—close to 63 percent, higher than in the 2014 election—to vote in the first round of the country’s presidential election. With the upcoming second round runoff set for April 21 and then the parliamentary (Rada) elections in the fall, Ukrainians have additional opportunities...
Task Force Update: From First to Second…
In the homestretch of Ukraine’s presidential race, we should know in just a few days which two candidates will face off in the second round on April 21. That assumes, of course, that no candidate gets a majority of the vote in the first round on March 31, that there will be no problems...
Round II: Kremlin’s Media Misrepresent International Observers
As we have reported many times already, Kremlin-controlled propaganda frequently manipulate reporting to create the impression that the Ukrainian presidential election on March 31 will be rigged and falsified. The disinformation machine uses the authority of respected international organizations to buttress its claims. Previously, it was the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;...
Ukraine Tries to Ban Russian Election Observers
On February 7, 2019, Ukraine’s parliament introduced legislative amendments to ban citizens of the Russian Federation from acting as official observers in Ukraine’s elections. While the ban drew criticism (mostly from Russia), the Kremlin’s interference efforts in Ukraine’s election thus far create the distinct possibility that Russian observers in Ukraine may likely be Kremlin...