"The new york times" about contemporary Ukraine: conceptualization attempt

In the material from December 11, 2013 «A Dangerously Divided Ukraine», the editorial board expresses the views that a political compromise and economic support from the EU side could help resolve the escalating conflict. However, at the same time the newspaper also publishes the contrary news stories, e.g. «Russia Offers Cash Infusion for Ukraine» («The New York Times», 17.12.2013), «Putin Is Expected to Offer Ukraine a Financial Lifeline» («The New York Times», 17.12.2013), covering the issues of Russia's provisional support to Ukraine in the amount of 15 billion dollars and reduction of the gas price, which receives approval of the Ukrainian authorities as allows to avoid the economic crisis, and followed by a press conference of Russian and Ukrainian leaders on confirmation of the «financial» agreement conclusion in December 2013 («Russia and Ukraine Defend Pact», «The New York Times», 18.12.2013), which was convicted by the IMF in the article from December 20, 2013 «I.M.F. Criticizes Ukraine Plan for Economy» («The New York Times», 20.12.2013).

The special attention should be paid to the article «Kiev Isn't Ready for Europe», written by Samuel Charap and Keith A. Darden («The New York Times», 20.12.2013), in which the authors express an idea that for slightly more than 20 years of independence, no political leader has managed to reform the deeply corrupted political and economic spheres in Ukraine. Another publication «What the West Must Do for Ukraine» by John E. Herbst, William Green Miller, Steven K. Pifer and William B. Taylor Jr. («The New York Times», 20.12.2013) presents an idea that Washington and Brussels should increase pressure on Ukrainian President for crisis resolution.

Considering the rhetoric of the analyzed publications, the position of «The New York Times» with relation to the Ukrainian matters can be modeled:

- leaders of the protest movement should find a peaceful way of conflict resolution;

- a radical revolution change of power in the country cannot occur.

In parallel with the coverage of the events in Ukraine, «The New York Times» also studied the causes of the conflict: the analysis of democracy and its principles in general, the aging of the political system in Europe and the need for its revision. The publication «Europe's Vision for Ukraine» («The New York Times», 10.12.2013) presents an idea that Europe has carried out a certain experiment, tested Ukraine for devotion and forced the country to make a civic choice.

Since the end of February 2014, after the election of the temporary government of Ukraine, the analytical publications of the «The New York Times» focused on the disappointing forecasts for the country, in particular, the materials «Ukraine's Uncertain Future», «How Ukraine can be Saved», «Has the West already Lost Ukraine?» («The New York Times», 25.02.2014) featured that Europe, USA and Russia should prevent the war in a deeply divided country.

It is important to note that the materials of the postmaidan period are centered around the support of the European Union for a new Ukrainian course and concerns over the events in Crimea and Donbass. It is also vital to add that the US position was the observing one during the events' active phase. The leading role in the stabilization and resolution of the protests on Euromaidan took the European Union. However, with the conflict start in the East and the annexation of Crimea, USA began to intensify its active participation and involvement by condemning Russia's actions, which can be proved by the following publications in «The New York Times»: «Obama warns Russia against Ukraine» (28.02.2014), «US calls Russia «to stay away from Crimea» (28.02.2014), «Obama Warns Russia on Ukraine» (28.02.2014), «Obama warns Russia against any military intervention in Ukraine» (28.02.2014), «Obama Warns Russia Not to Use Force in Ukraine» (28.02.2014), «Russia wresting control of Crimea from Ukraine» (1.03.2014). Further materials focused on the condemnation of Russia's actions by the EU-member states, the United States, the UN, the imposition of sanctions against Russia.

Starting from April 2014, the majority of publications featured the allocation of financial assistance to Ukraine; resolution of the conflict in Donbass; imposition of sanctions against Russia as well as the presidential elections in May 2014. The presidential election were covered in the analytical publication «A Critical Election in Ukraine» (21.05.2014), which states that the elections should be won by a person who is able to overcome corruption and also solve the core political and social problems; as well as the following news: «Election puts Ukraine Future in Balance» (23.05.2014), «Election of President Seen as a Beginning to Repairing Ukraine» (25.05.2014), «Polls open in Ukraine» (25.05.2014), «Poroshenko, Tymoshenko Cast Votes» (25.05.2014), «Klitschko Brothers Vote in Ukraine Presidential Election» (25.05.2014).

With the victory of Petro Poroshenko in the 2014 presidential election, Ukraine begins a new stage in the process of preparation for the signing of the economic part of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. It is worth highlighting that the political part of the Document was signed on March 21, 2014 and this event was not covered by «The New York Times» despite its importance for Ukraine. At the same time, there are several news articles, published at the end of June 2014 and devoted to the signature of the economic part of the Agreement.

During 2015-2017, European integration issues, specifically, the adoption of laws, the implementation of reforms, the introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU etc., were not covered by the American newspaper, although the news featuring Ukrainian themes occasionally appeared on the paper's pages and mainly focused on the conflict in the Eastern Ukraine, its resolution, the imposition of sanctions against Russia and provision of the US assistance to Ukraine.

In 2017 the Ukrainian news did not emerge in the newspaper, demonstrating a change in the political priorities of the United States after the presidential elections in 2016. The analytical material of Adrian Bonenberger «The War No One Notices in Ukraine» (20.06.2017) is demonstrative hereof due to its key thesis about the following fact: while Russia continues to support the conflict, the administration of the new President does not take any action for its ending. Under the op-ed section, the publication of Michael Kofman «For the U.S., Arming Ukraine Could Be a Deadly Mistake», published in August 2017, judges Ukrainian inactivity in the reforms implementation and inability to withstand Russian aggression, «the latter, incidentally, over the last two years, does not carry out active attacks and does not try to seize large territories of Ukraine» [21].

In 2018 a few articles featuring Ukrainian issues are published in the newspaper. Some critical materials deal with corruption, e.g. «In Ukraine, Corruption Is Now Undermining the Military» («The New York Times», 19.02.2018).

Conclusions and Perspectives

A thorough analysis of the publications of «The New York Times» from 2013 till 2018 demonstrated that active and almost daily (or even publication of several articles per day) coverage of the Ukrainian events was a typical characteristic for the years of 2013-2014, making it a turning point in the geopolitical and civic choice of Ukraine. Starting from May 2014 a period, characterized by the presidential elections and the determination of a concise foreign policy towards integration with the EU, Ukrainian issues disappear from the pages of the newspaper, and only a few articles, related to the description of the situation in the Eastern Ukraine, and the provision of the US financial and other assistance to Ukraine in resolving the conflict in Donbass, are published in the newspaper. It is possible to assume that fewer events, which deserve «The New York Times» coverage, happen in Ukraine. At the same time, the events, directly referring to the European integration, are almost absent.

Occasionally, «The New York Times» issues critical reviews that outline the country's prospects for development, criticizing the situation after the events of 2013-2014. A year after the presidential elections in 2014, «The New York Times» published an article M. Hercenhornen titled «In Ukraine, Corruption Concerns Linger a Year After a Revolution» on the website. In the printed version, the title was even more radical: «Ukraine has got stuck in the political and economic chaos a long time after the revolution» (17-18.05.2015). The author's main ideais considered to be expressed in the lead of publication: «The country is on the brink of bankruptcy. A number of politically motivated murders and mysterious suicides of former government officials sowed fear in the capital. The struggle began to split the pro-European coalition majority in Parliament. In addition, the constant threat of war is slowly stretching along the Russian-Ukrainian border» [22].

To sum up, it is worth mentioning that before the presidential elections in the United States in 2016, the key priority for America was the resolution of the conflict in the East of Ukraine, while the Ukrainian progress achieved in reforms introduction and other European integration issues were not high on the US agenda. With the election of the new US president in 2016, the focus has shifted. The low progress on reforming, political, economic and social problems along with the high level of corruption have emerged as the top themes to be covered about Ukraine in the media, leading to the forming of the negative world public opinion, one-sided global perception and the lack of understanding of the Ukrainian matters.

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