Car Bomb Murder of Pavel Sheremet Dashes Hopes in Post-Maidan Ukraine
MOSCOW — Pro-western hipsters flocked to Ukraine's Maidan Square two years ago to cheer the popular uprising that ousted Russian ally Viktor Yanukovych.
This week's killing of investigative journalist Pavel Sheremet, who was blown up in a car half-a-mile from the famous protest site, is a reminder how much of that optimism has been lost.
Instead of becoming a market-driven democracy with respect for the rule of law, Ukraine is feared by many to have descended instead into corruption, violence and political chaos.
The rumbling conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the country's east, and the annexation of Crimea, only heighten the sense that Ukraine has lost its way.
"What's happening in the country is a catastrophe," ran a typical comment on social media after Wednesday;s explosion. "There are enough reasons for a third Maidan [revolution]."
The economy is in a downward spiral, leadership is constantly changing and hit jobs are back in the news — such as in April, when pro-Russian journalist Oles Busina was shot dead in Kiev. President Petro Poroshenko's approval rating stood at 17 percent in April, according to Rating Group pollster.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/car-bomb-murder-pavel-sheremet-dashes-hopes-post-maidan-ukraine-n614041
