Around Russia Semi -Europe May 28, 2007 Alexey Makarkin The development of the Ukrainian political crisis last week once again confirmed the intermediate - a kind of “semi -European” - the nature of Ukraine, which is not included in the European community, but really wants to get into it.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development are preparing a bill to exempt non-profit organizations from income tax, Kommersant wrote on Monday. According to the Tax Code, NPOs are currently exempt from income tax, but only on income in the form of charitable contributions and budget revenues. At the same time, NPOs pay 24 percent income tax on income from the provision of services.

Another escalation of the protracted power crisis occurred in Kyiv from Thursday to Friday, and it seems that in the entire – already three-month – history of the confrontation between the president and the coalition at that time the situation looked more serious than ever before.

This is an initially provocative, illiterate law. What does it mean to be involved in politics? If it clearly states that NGOs should not participate in election campaigns or party activities, I can understand that. That is, a ban on civil organizations transferring money for party needs and elections. This is normal and complies with Russian legislation. But, on the other hand, this is already unacceptable within the framework of current laws.

I watched the program of Vladimir Solovyov "to the barrier." Vladimir Zhirinovsky was opposed by an American political scientist, my classmate at the History of Moscow State University Nikolai Zlobin.

The development of the Ukrainian political crisis last week once again confirmed the intermediate – a kind of “semi-European” – character of Ukraine, which is not part of the European community, but really wants to join it. All the main players behaved with an un-European contempt for law and procedure, but constantly looked back to Europe to understand when to stop, so as not to lose the European perspective for their country and themselves.