Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. No particular reason for the picture -- I just like the way it looks. Notice how the arms and the lines in the background focus attention on her face and how it is more brightly lit than those around her; how the dark areas are balanced left and right; how her eyes are the only ones directly focused on the camera while the others are directed at her. Nice composition! [Hat tip to Publius Pundit.]
Actually there is a lot of news out of Ukraine these days. The Russian-speaking minority, led by remnants from the Kuchma regime, is launching protests against the new government. These don't seem to be going anywhere. They're only drawing a few hundred people. But they might provide an excuse for Russian meddling. Check out Publius for the latest.
And, I might note that there is a good article by Timothy Garton Ash and Timothy Snyder in the New York Review of Books. It provides some context for the current situation in Ukraine. Two aspects of the article are particularly important. It details the ruthless nature of the Kuchma regime that preceded the Orange Revolution and it shows the extent of US involvement in Ukrainian political activities over the past two years. Putin's complaints about US meddling have some basis in fact, as do western complaints about Russian meddling. Those who would deny George W. Bush any credit for the wave of democratic reform that is sweeping through much of the world have to contend with the fact that the Bush administration was very active in promoting democratic reform in Georgia and Ukraine over the past few years. Read it here.
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