Orwellian: Despite closure of opposition TV & other media, creation of single news program on all TV channels, censorship & persecution of journalists & "despite the war, Ukraine has risen from 106th to 79th place in the press freedom index." #PressFreedompravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/…
"By ordinary standards, the position of the press in Ukraine has not improved in the past year, but dramatically worsened. In an exhaustive article, Branko Marcetic (Jacobin) thoroughly outlined how democratic institutions have deteriorated in Ukraine." fair.org/home/ukraines-…
"Ivan Katchanovski, a Ukrainian political scientist at the University of Ottawa: "Zelenskyy used the Russian invasion and the war as a pretext to eliminate most of the political opposition and potential rivals for power, and to consolidate his largely undemocratic rule.""
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Orwellian: Routledge refuses to publish my open access book "From the Maidan to the Russia-Ukraine War" which is under contract. They express “concern” with my analysis of the West blocking the peace deal, @elonmusk involvement in promoting my GoFundMe gofundme.com/f/openaccess-b… open access book crowdfunding, my analysis of Ukrainian and US involvement in the Nord Stream bombing, and my analysis of all other conflicts and issues. They state that I have to include "alternative" sources and perspectives.
This unprecedented refusal to publish my book is made by Routledge even though two anonymous reviewers provided extremely favorable reviews and recommended my book publication by Routledge without any substantive changes. And four leading American, British, and Ukrainian experts wrote very favorable endorsements of the book. Several of my book chapters are also based on my updated and expanded peer-reviewed publications.
My book was supposed to be published by Routledge, a major British academic press, under the terms of the signed contract simultaneously as an open access electronic book, paperback, and hardcover the last summer since I submitted my final manuscript in February 2024: routledge.com/our-customers/…
I already paid Routledge the standard open access fee, which, in addition to a University of Ottawa grant, was crowdfunded via GoFundMe & PayPal with over 200 contributions, including by world-renowned American podcasters and journalists, in spite of Ukrainian far-right-linked attempt to block it: gofundme.com/f/openaccess-b…
But Routledge states that my book cannot be published unless I would revise the entire manuscript, including chapters based on my peer-reviewed publications, and would use other perspectives and alternative sources concerning the Russia-Ukraine war, the peace deal, the Nord Stream bombing, and all other issues and conflicts that I examine in my book, including the EuroMaidan, the Maidan massacre, the war in Donbas, and the far-right. They specifically state that "significant differences of opinion need to be reflected" on the Nord Stream bombing. This essentially means the conspiracy theory of Russian false flag bombing of its own pipeline.
In my two major revisions of the manuscript, I addressed all the comments and suggestions, examined all major narratives and sources, and added hundreds of additional sources which corroborate my analysis. In addition to a Zelensky adviser and a former German chancellor, I cited similar statements by an ex-Israeli prime-minister, the head of Ukrainian delegation, Ukrainian officials close to Zelensky, a Turkish foreign minister, and other corroborating sources concerning the blocking of the peace deal by the US and the UK. I also added statements and suggestions by Victoria Nuland, two members of the Ukrainian delegation and the Turkish president that the US and the UK blocked peace deal which was closed to being finalized. I also added discussions of results of the official German investigation of the Nord Stream bombing and investigations by leading German, US, and Danish media.
I am a Ukrainian and Canadian scholar and the most cited political scientist, who specializes primarily in conflicts in Ukraine. My academic publications include 5 books, 21 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and 13 chapters. My new open access book concerning Maidan massacre was just published by a major British academic press: link.springer.com/book/10.1007/9… I have another forthcoming book concerning Ukraine since independence from another major Western academic press. But many books by overnight experts in the conflicts in Ukraine were already published by Routledge and other Western academic and trade presses.
My book is based on the analysis of tens of thousands of primary and secondary sources, overwhelmingly Ukrainian and Western. I cite about 1,500 of them in my book manuscript and its video appendixes. I posted many of such sources concerning the Russia-Ukraine on @X and they reached over 100,000,000 views.
I am now given a choice by Routledge to delay significantly my book publication and to do a full revision of my book using "alternative sources" or to cancel my book contract. But I cannot commit academic fraud and base my book on politically convenient narratives and sources propagated by any government and media. My study does not accept at face value any claims by any governments, the media, the social media, or any other sources, unless they are corroborated by independent and reliable sources or if they go against vested interest.
I can cancel the contract and publish the open access book with another academic press. But the peer-review and publishing process would take close to 1 year and would significantly delay the publication of my book on the crucial ongoing war in Ukraine.
I have never received before such decisions by the publishers concerning my 5 other books and 13 chapters, including chapters in 3 Routledge books. I do not know any such refusals to publish books by Routledge and other such academic presses. This highly irregular and unprecedented decision by Routledge looks like political censorship and is extremely dangerous development.
This is from peer-review by anonymous expert: "I recommend the book for publication. This will be a very important contribution, based on the unsurpassed broad empirical base, to some of the hotly debated issues of the Russia-Ukraine war, with high attention from the academic and non-academic audiences all over the world.
I will certainly buy this book and recommend it to my library. I would also recommend it to students as a recommended source and essential for those who want to study Ukrainian and Russian politics, post-Soviet revolutions, wars, nationalism, violent conflicts, and political radicalism.
There are very few issues that are more timely for the international public than the Russia-Ukraine war. The book is likely to become one of the most cited sources on the subject. The author is one of the best-known researchers of Ukrainian politics, both in the scientific community and among the non-academic public. He is certainly qualified to write this book. All previously published materials on which parts of the chapters are based have been widely read and cited by both professional and lay audiences. The scholarship of the book is very good and the amount of sources that the author has analyzed is outstanding. The author's attention to factual accuracy is very commendable."
This is from peer-review by second anonymous expert: "The author meticulously examines the evidence to come to his conclusions. He has presented his findings in numerous venues, and his analysis has withstood criticism. Katchanovski’s work is widely, if not universally, respected.
The book could hardly be more timely, given the fact that Europe today is roiled by the biggest war since 1945, and one that looks like lasting a long time and with the potential to escalate into some sort of global conflict. A work like this is greatly needed. The shelf life is indefinite, given that although the author deals with a finite time span, the debates over the war will endure for generations.
The author is uniquely qualified to write a work of this sort. As mentioned above, he is widely respected. He has a long and distinguished track record in publications, interviews and media commentary. He is one of the leading figures and most-quoted experts in the field."
Neo-Nazi Azov movement & other neo-Nazi organizations seized by force cathedral of Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Cherkasy in Ukraine after violent clashes with priests & parishioners to transfer it to Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Apparent Facebook & X/Twitter accounts of alleged suspect in another attempt to assassinate Trump are filled with support of proxy war in Ukraine, including personal involvement in recruiting of foreigners to fight & trip to Ukraine. His Facebook account, which I examined, is now removed. This is his photo on Maidan in Ukraine.
In this interview, reported suspect in attempted assassination of Trump says in 2022 that he is recruiter for International Legion in Ukraine & that he himself came to Ukraine to fight. His Facebook & X/Twitter accounts are dominated by posts with support of proxy war in Ukraine. newsweek.ro/international/…
FBI confirms that Ryan Wesley Routh is suspect in Trump assassination attempt. Media reports confirm that his social media accounts, which I examined, are dominated by Ukraine war. His X/twitter account is not yet removed, in contrast to his Facebook account.
Wow! Nuland basically admits that Ukraine-Russia peace deal, which was close to being finalized in spring 2022, “fell apart” because US, UK & other Western governments “advised” Zelensky government that it was not “good deal” even though even members of Ukrainian delegation stated in recent interviews that this was very good deal, best deal that Ukraine could get & “very real compromise” & that Ukrainian delegation celebrated it with champagne. She basically confirms statements by ex-Israeli PM, head of Ukrainian delegation, Ukrainian officials close to Zelensky, ex-German chancellor & Turkish FM that US & UK blocked this peace deal, which was close to being finalized.
Victoria Nuland does not mention at all Russian war crimes in Bucha, which were inflated & mispresented by politicians, media & self-proclaimed experts as reason for ending peace talks. The peace deal agreement included withdrawal of Russian forces from all territory of Ukraine, with exceptions of Donbas & Crimea, whose status was to be determined at meeting of Putin & Zelensky, in exchange for neutral status & demilitarization of Ukraine. youtu.be/HiS2dg_atfc?si…
Former Israeli prime minister said that US and other Western leaders blocked #Ukraine & #Russia peace deal which he negotiated on #Zelensky request in March because they wanted to continue to strike Putin. He said that there was good chance of such deal.
Ukrainian delegation head at Ukraine-Russia talks confirmed that Western countries told Zelensky not to sign peace deal in spring 2022 & said that "Boris Johnson came to Kyiv and said that we would not sign anything with them at all, and let's just fight."
Hunka debacle: "Releasing names of 900 alleged Nazi war criminals who fled to Canada could embarrass federal government, bureaucrats told. Large numbers of soldiers from a Ukrainian Waffen SS division fled to Canada after the Second World War. Those consulted included members of Canada’s Ukrainian community, records show, but Library and Archives Canada, also known as LAC, did not include Holocaust survivors nor Holocaust scholars who had advocated for a full release of the list of alleged Nazi war criminals, Jewish and Holocaust academics say."
I was not consulted even though I am both scholar researching this issue & Ukrainian Canadian & had leading role in exposing SS Galicia veteran debacle in Canadian parliament. ottawacitizen.com/news/national/…
"It has been almost a year since MPs of all parties gave two standing ovations to Yaroslav Hunka, a resident of North Bay, Ont., who was described by then House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota as a hero.
But news quickly emerged that Hunka had served in a Ukrainian Waffen SS unit.
The incident became an international embarrassment for Canada as Holocaust historians, Jewish groups and the Polish government pointed out that Hunka’s unit had been involved in war crimes, including massacres of women and children. The division was also used by the Nazis to crush a national uprising in Slovakia, again prompting allegations of war crimes.
But the sight of MPs cheering on a Waffen SS veteran caused intense anger among Canadians, according to documents obtained in June by the Ottawa Citizen using the Access to Information law." ottawacitizen.com/news/national/…
Orwellian: "Ottawa warned release of names of Nazi war criminals who settled in Canada could help Russia" theglobeandmail.com/politics/artic…
Freedom & democracy: "The Verkhovna Rada adopted in its entirety bill No. 8371 on the de facto ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In the second reading, the document was supported by 265 people's deputies. The president's party cast 173 votes out of a faction of 233 deputies." strana.today/news/470668-ra…
As I said, Zelensky became Poroshenko on steroids. He abandoned as result of far-right & Western pressure his election promises of peace & reconciliation & adopted Poroshenko's nationalist election program of "army, language & faith" after defeating him in presidential elections. This opportunism & weakness of Zelensky had devastating consequences to Ukraine & Ukrainians.
The ban of the largest church in Ukraine on false grounds is Zelensky's decision