by Pierluigi Franco

(ANSA) - TRIESTE - Hauled down the flags symbol, the spirit of Maidan seems to be completely forgotten. Forgotten Iulia Timoshenko, whose face stood out in every corner of Kiev, forgotten every reason to that uprising, excluding the hatred for the Russian citizens once brothers of flag, Ukraine seems to have surrendered completely to those oligarchs who manage politics. Business in place of democracy and democracy confused with business. Meanwhile, citizens do not really know what to expect in a Country managed without much attention to GDP, debt and budget. While in the East, between a ceasefire and the other, fighting and death, everything seems to revolve around private capital, the economic power of a few people, with the energy sector that continues to dominate the scene until causing the craving overseas. So, a confused battle in Europe could each day to light a new and dangerous fire in the international arena. The continuous presence of Kerry in Kiev is emblematic.  Yet the US is very far, seven time zones, while the EU is just at few kilometres.

In the chaos of Ukraine, the early days recommendations of the most careful diplomats were for nothing, with the OSCE in the front row. All advices addressed to caution about possible diversions of Maidan. Movements that at the end came, with the European Union demonstrating its lack of diplomatic skills and the complete absence of an independent policy capable of safeguarding the interests of EU countries. In this regard, the initiatives of France and Germany are commendable, but also these seem to turn back over time and erase the spirit of the EU. Founded the bad guy on duty, the situation was quickly supported without considering the consequences. Of reasoning and diplomatic balance even the shadow. So in countries like Italy, for example, the sanctions imposed on Putin seem to have done more damage to their companies than to Russians. Maybe like a hammer on the feet. And the question arises if today, in EU foreign policy, the will of Poland and the Baltic countries, always terrified by the Soviet memory, is more important or that of the countries of the Treaty of Rome in 1957 or, at least, the countries that launched the European Union at Maastricht in 1993.

The fact is that today's Ukraine is likely to spill over its harmful effects in the rest of Europe, at least if the West does not go back to analyze carefully the events, to distance itself from both sides and to recover such a credible mediation role. It is hard that this comes from the US. Firstly because America does not risk the arrival of more than a million refugees escaping from Donets Basin inflamed by the bombs, desperate which seem to be ignored by the world while crossing the river at 25 degrees below zero, and to whom it is difficult to provide accommodation in the Russian winter. Secondly because, in the logic of the business that exceeds all other logic, what happens in the Donbass seems to be more a matter of interest, deposits and corridors, rather than a dangerous escalation that could bring Europe back of many years. That same Europe that has quickly forgotten the offenses, such as the interceptions of US diplomatic Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State and sent by Obama in Ukraine to handle the situation. It was immediately forgotten that "fuck the Eu" pronounced by Nuland on the phone with the US ambassador in Kiev, who, instead, cared about the relationship with the European Union.

It is disturbing to think, as highlights Fulvio Scaglione on Limes, that while dying under needless bombs and many European companies increase their difficulties, a group of gentlemen, who became rich beyond measure in a few years, is working turbidly in post-Maidan to continue to increase their wealth by taking advantage from semblance of political man, far from that of a statesman. And the field of action is not EU: it is Russian or American. In fact, if the star does not seem to shine for Rinat Akhmetov, the richest man in Ukraine and 88th richest man in the world according to Forbes, who was selling to Russia much of its steel produced in Donbass, things are differently going for Ihor Kolomoisky, ranked as the second richest man in Ukraine and became governor of Dnipropetrovsk after Maidan. He heads the company that, in perspective, can greatly benefit from the future of Ukraine. One of these organizations is the Burisma Holdings which, although based in Cyprus, is an "independent oil and gas company operating in Ukraine", as stated in the official website. Anyway, always on the website of Burisma it turns out that, since April of 2014, Hunter Biden, son of US Vice President Joe, and Devon Archer, man of confidence of the Secretary of State John Kerry of which was 'senior advisor' during the 2004 presidential campaign, are part of the board of the company, already authorized to market gas and already holding the rights to exploit shale gas in Ukraine. In May 2013, instead the banker Alan Apter entered, while in January 2014 (in the center of Maidan) joined the board of Burisma another excellent name of politics, former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Speaking last October at the Ukrainian television "Channel One", Kolomoisky announced (according Tass, he "confessed") to have three citizenships: Ukrainian, Cypriot and Israeli. Anything unusual in a country where, although there is a law banning dual citizenship, three ministers, including two key ministers of economic scene, have obtained Ukrainian citizenship with emergency decree on December 2, 2014, the same day that they have been appointed ministry. The Finance Minister Jaresko Natalie is a US citizen, born in Chicago and grew up in the USA where she made her career in Washington within the State Department, for which she was sent 22 years ago in Ukraine. Instead is a Lithuanian citizen the banker Aivaras Abromavicius, Minister of Economy, while is Georgian the Health Minister Alexander Kvitashvili, who has studied and worked in the US before becoming minister in Georgia under President Mikheil Saakashvili. So, three key ministries to three foreign neo-Ukrainians, considering that even the Health sector is a big deal and in Ukraine is one of the sectors with the highest rate of corruption. And recently the group of Ukrainians of adoption has increased with the appointment of the same Saakashvili as presidential adviser of Poroshenko. An assignment that stunned and confused the diplomatic world. Former Georgian president, indeed, lives since a long time as a refugee in the US, which refuse to deliver him to Georgia where he is wanted for "abuse of power" and other suspected crimes during his presidency.

But Petro Poroshenko, the president, has done the nomination to Saakashvili. Someone says that "he had to do." On the other hand, Poroshenko is another important oligarch. But his case moves a context of great balancing act: he had the affairs (and has them, between a requisition and others) also in Russia. Everyone knows him as the "King of Chocolate" because his "Roshen" is at 18th place of the largest confectionery companies in the world. A giant, with about ten thousand employees, that has factories not only in Ukraine (four), Hungary (a) and Lithuania (a), but also in Russia (two). And there are many Russians who in recent years have eaten tablets and chocolates Roshen. An important market, as well as important have always been the two factories in Lipek, industrial city since the days of Peter the Great. In the middle of controversy, the Russian authorities have first banned the sale of the chocolate Roshen for presumed presence of benzopyrene. Then they ordered the closure of factories, bringing serious harm to the coffers of the Ukrainian President. Then, between a meeting and other in Minsk, the plants were reactivated and the Russians have resumed with joy to eat chocolate Roshen. But it is still unknown how long.

All this while Europe, also threatened by the Islamists clashes in South, continues to face always greater risks. Nevertheless some hint of common sense has risen, though unheard. As the "Alto Adige" model suggested by Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Or a federalist turning that would solve many problems, taking into account the history and the different souls of Ukraine. But, perhaps, these diplomat paths are not so much liked from those who see Kiev as a business. And while in the East people are still dying, West Europe increases its risks. (ANSA).