Another Ukraine Revolution?

An anti-government protester holds a Ukranian flag as he advances through burning barricades in Kiev's Independence Square in this February 20, 2014 file photo. Reuters/Yannis Behrakis/Files

Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg: Will Ukraine's Next Revolution be Nonviolent?

Ukraine's most successful reforming minister tendered his resignation Wednesday, citing widespread corruption in Ukraine's government and accusing a top ally of President Petro Poroshenko of blocking reform. If it wasn't clear to everyone by now that the current Ukrainian leadership is as thoroughly dysfunctional as the previous one, the case of Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius should remove the last doubts.

A former asset manager, the 40-year-old Abromavicius is Lithuanian by birth; he accepted Poroshenko's invitation to join the government, and his offer of Ukrainian citizenship, a little more than a year ago. I talked to him then, and he was full of plans -- to cut his ministry's bloated staff, to change the government procurement system, to privatize thousands of Ukraine's state enterprises. "We shouldn't waste this crisis," he said. "It's a unique chance for reforms."

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WNU Editor: Everyone I know in Ukraine .... family, friends, acquaintances .... everyone is telling me the same thing .... they are worst off today than before the Maidan revolution. And while the West continues to support Ukraine President Poroshenko and his corrupt government, his support among Ukrainians who must now face mass unemployment, inflation, and social collapse is non-existent. But as bad as the situation is, my fear is that it may get even worse .... especially if politicians like Mikheil Saakashvili become perceived as the savours of the Ukraine nation .... which is unfortunately becoming the case.