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Recent political, territorial and economic difficulties have done little to burnish the image of a former Soviet nation struggling to find its identity between Russian and western European influences.

Nevertheless, Ukraine is home to a host of beautiful places with a great range of tourist activities. And while some regions are advised as off-limits due to separatist clashes, most of this vast country is open for business.

Vibrant cities, ancient castles, stunning countryside, diversity of landscapes and a welcoming attitude all help make it a special destination, regardless of its troubles.

The lack of mass tourism lends Ukraine a charm and authenticity often missing elsewhere.

Here are 11 places that will make you fall in love with this eastern European country.

Seen as Ukraine's cultural capital, Lviv has the most western architecture of all the country's cities.

It boasts a splendid UNESCO-protected Old Town renowned for beautiful narrow streets, magnificent churches, fascinating museums and charming atmosphere.

It's cozy and welcoming, offering a wide range of themed restaurants, cool bars and great nightlife.

No matter the season, it's popular with Ukrainians who come here for a weekend to feel the Old Town vibes.

Nicknamed Little Vienna for the rich Austro-Hungarian architectural heritage, Chernivtsi is one of the gems of western Ukraine.

Lovers of Art Nouveau architecture can explore the elegant frescoes and beautiful interiors of the Chernivtsi Museum of Art (Teatralna Square, 10, Chernivtsi; +380 3722 26071).

With a history of multiculturalism and constantly changing jurisdictions, the city is one of the most interesting destinations in the country.

It was founded by Polish noble Stanisaw Potocki as a birthday gift to his wife Sofia.

The extensive park is home to waterfalls, lakes, statues, fountains, antique grottoes and artificial ruins, and is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxing walk surrounded by natural beauty.

Ukraine extra: Another picturesque example of 18th-century landscape design is Olexandriya Park in Bila Tserkva, a small town near Kiev.

Golden domes of superb churches, a long and rich history, eclectic architecture and nonstop city life make Kiev a go-to spot for all travelers visiting Ukraine.

There's also the Andriyivskyy Descent -- a steep and historic street paved with cobblestones -- and the awe-inspiring and gargoyle-smothered Art Nouveau-style House with chimaeras.

Ukraine extra: A good authentic local street snack is perepichka -- a fried bun with sausage inside. It's served from the window on Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street, easily recognized by the long line (Kyivska Perepichka, Bohdana Khmelnytskoho St, 3, Kiev).

This charming little destination in the western Zakarpattia region has a compact old town full of Austro-Hungarian architecture overlooked by the impressive castle that stands on a nearby hill.

Once one of the most important fortresses in the kingdom of Hungary, Palanok Castle is now a highlight of Ukrainian tourism.

Mukacheve is also a great starting point for exploring the natural wonders of the Carpathian mountains, including Synevir Lake and picturesque Shypit waterfall.

Ukraine extra: Dessert with a coffee at Bondarenko Confectionery House will complete any Mukacheve experience. (Dostoyevskoho St, 11, Mukacheve)

Often referred to as the City of Museums, Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, about 50 miles southwest of Kiev, is home to no fewer than 24 venues hosting a wide variety of artifacts.

Among them are the Museum of Bread, the Museum of Rushnyk (traditional Ukrainian ritual cloth), the Museum of Space and the Museum of Ukrainian National Dress.

But the most impressive of them all is a large open-air Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life exhibiting unique objects from ancient times until the beginning of the 20th century.

Ukraine extra: Across the mighty Dnieper River that divides east and west Ukraine sits the little city of Kaniv.

Here can be found the Shevchenko National Reserve, devoted to one of the greatest Ukrainian writers Taras Shevchenko. The hills of the reserve offer breathtaking views over the river.

Once the capital of Ukraine and now its second city, Kharkiv is a city of students who drive the thriving restaurant and bar scene.

There are enough museums and culture to make Kharkiv an interesting eastern Ukrainian destination.

Freedom Square is one of the largest squares in Europe, while the Derzhprom building is one of the most famous examples of constructivist architecture.

Completed in 1928, it was the most spacious single structure in the world at the time.

Chernihiv is one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, and was once a prospering and important center of medieval Kievan Rus, the first East Slavic state.

There are unique examples of medieval Slavic ecclesiastical architecture, and one of the oldest churches in Ukraine -- the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was completed in the 11th century and features stunning frescoes and ancient interiors.

Chernihiv is home to a third of all the eastern European historic landmarks period before the Mongol invasion.

Ukraine extra: One of the best places to try varenyky (traditional Ukrainian filled dumplings) is the Varenychna restaurant.

The 18th-century Kachanivka Palace is a popular excursion from either Chernihiv or Kyiv. It's a beautiful neoclassical mansion surrounded by well-preserved English gardens with a lake and artificial antique ruins.

Varenychna, Myru Ave, 21, Chernihiv, Ukraine

As one of Ukraine's largest seaports and trade hubs with a beautiful historic district, Odessa has plenty of treasures waiting to be discovered.

The central part of the city is packed with sights, while architecture lovers can admire the splendid palaces and unique blend of building styles.

For sea enthusiasts, Odessa offers kilometers of Black Sea beaches and lots of entertainment both during the day and night.

This little city right on the border with Slovakia has belonged to five different countries in the last 100 years.

Its historical affiliations can be seen throughout Uzhhorod's central district where you'll find Czech functionalist buildings standing next to classical Hungarian mansions, or Russian Orthodox, Catholic and Greek-Catholic churches in close proximity.

Uzhhorod is the vibrant hub of the Zakarpattia region and the gateway to the Carpathian mountains, easily reached from the major central European cities.

For spectacular views and cozy old-town vibes, Kamianets-Podilskyi is worth further exploration.

This little town in the western part of the country has one of the most breathtaking fortresses in eastern Europe. It stands majestically on an island surrounded by a canyon and encircled by the Smotrych River. Apart from the castle, Kamianets-Podilskyi is famous for the festival of hot-air balloons that is usually held in the late spring.

Pavlo Fedykovych is a creator of svitforyou.com, a travel blog about Central Europe and Ukraine. He's also a freelance contributing writer for Lonely Planet. He tweets at @de_weg_

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Ukraine: 11 best places to visit - CNN.com

MOSCOW Ukraine on Tuesday put in place new sanctions blocking Russian media and online networks from operating in the country, including VKontakte, the nations most popular social network.

The decision, signed by President Petro Poroshenko, was announced in an updated sanctions list, which included the Russian search giant Yandex, social media sites like Odnoklassniki, and a number of Russian state and private television channels.

Ukraine, along with Western countries, have targeted Russia with sanctions because of Moscows annexation of Crimea in 2014 and material support for separatists in the countrys southeast, including with direct military means. Even before Tuesdays additions, the sanctions list totaled more than 400 Russian entities.

Some Ukrainian officials, particularly in the Interior Ministry, had called for a ban of VKontakte because it helped promote Russian propaganda.

According to data put out by the market research agency Kantar TNS for April 2017, VKontakte was the third most visited site in Ukraine following Google and YouTube.

Mail.ru, an email client also on the block list, was the fourth most popular site in the country, while Yandex, the Russian search engine, is the fifth most popular site.

Odnoklassniki, another popular social engine also on the sanctions list, was the ninth most visited site in the country.

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In new sanctions list, Ukraine blocks Russian social media sites - Washington Post

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Ukraine Seeks Direct US Role in Peace Talks Wall Street Journal (subscription) BRUSSELSUkraine's government is pushing the Trump administration to take a direct role in peace talks over eastern Ukraine, the country's foreign minister said Monday, including possible three-way talks with Moscow and Kiev on ending the violence. Ukraine's participation in EU strategy on cyber security could be agreed during year - KlimkinInterfax Wishful Thinking: Ukrainian FM Reveals US Plan to Step Up 'Pressure on Russia'Sputnik International Ukraine should join EU's cybersecurity strategy KlimkinUkrinform. Ukraine and world news all 24 news articles »

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Ukraine Seeks Direct US Role in Peace Talks - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

JERUSALEM (JTA) Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman of Ukraine met with Israeli officials, including his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, after an earlier visit was canceled over Ukraines support of a United Nations resolution condemning settlements.

Groysman, his nations first Jewish prime minister, met Monday withNetanyahu in Jerusalem. They are the only Jewish prime ministers in the world.

This is a moment of great friendship because there is a common history that binds Ukraine and Israel,Netanyahu said, according to his office. Some of it is laced with tragedy, but it is also laced with hope and with sympathy.

In December, Netanyahu canceled theGroysman visit after Ukraine was one of 14 countries to vote in favor of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel for continuing to build in West Bank settlements. The United States abstained in the vote, sparking controversy.

Netanyahu said Monday that Ukraine reaffirmed its friendship to Israel withits vote against a UNESCO resolution earlier this month thatdenied Jewish ties to Jerusalem, which headded sets our relations on a future course, which I deeply appreciate.

I know your own personal involvement in this decision, and its doubly appreciated, the Israeli leader said. And I know your stance and the stance of the government against anti-Semitism, and thats triply appreciated.

Groysman invited Netanyahu to visit Ukraine at his earliest convenience, and Netanyahu accepted the invitation.

On Monday, Israel and Ukraine signed several agreements, including a joint declaration regarding cooperation in preventing disasters and dealing with their consequences; a five-year plan for bilateral cooperation in health and medicine; an administrative agreement between the Israel Tax Authority and the Ukraine Fiscal Service on the exchange of statistical data regarding bilateral trade, and a protocol for a bilateral agreement on the temporary employment of Ukrainian workers in specific sectors in the Israeli labor market.

Originally posted here:
Ukraine's Jewish prime minister meets with Netanyahu in Jerusalem - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Commentators at the final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 13 kept repeating how normal the host city of Kyiv appeared. However, with a travel ban imposed on the Russian entrant, who had performed in the annexed peninsula of Crimea, the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine left a clear mark on the event. The human and political costs of this war have been high: the total death toll is about 10,000; some 1.8 million inhabitants of the Donbas region have been displaced inside Ukraine; and about 1 million have fled to Russia.

Little attention has been paid to the population of Donbas, in particular the inhabitants of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics. Access to these territories has been restricted, and journalists have caught only occasional glimpses of the situation on the ground. The newly founded Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) has conducted opinion polls across the whole of Donbas. Between November and December 2016, 1,200 people were surveyed in both the Kyiv-controlled parts of the region and the occupied territories (the latter by telephone interview).

The survey shows that those living through the war are not characterized by clear-cut ethnic or political identities, the intensity of contact across the front line remains high, and Kyiv-controlled Donbas diverges in parts from the political consensus across Ukraine.

When asked about a change in their personal identity as a result of the events of 20132016, one-quarter of the respondents in the occupied territories said they now felt more Russianand one-fifth in Kyiv-controlled Donbas said they felt more Ukrainian. Interestingly, however, 14 and 20 percent in government-controlled and occupied Donbas respectively reported feeling more strongly that they were both Ukrainian and Russian. Majorities in both parts of Donbas described no change in identity: 62 percent in the government-controlled areas and 45 percent in the self-declared republics. Thus, the war has led to a greater realignment of identities in the occupied territories, although a significant number of respondents reported not only a stable identity but also an increase in a mixed identification.

In Kyiv-controlled Donbas, face-to-face interviews allowed for a more detailed question about identity. Of the respondents, 53 percent picked Ukrainian citizenship as their primary self-reported identity, down only marginally from 54 percent in 2012, demonstrating that a civic identity already prevailed over ethnic or regional identities before the war. Only 7 and 4 percent chose ethnic Ukrainian and ethnic Russian as their main identity five years ago. These figures have now risen to 11 and 6 percent, respectively. Self-identification as mixed ethnic Russian and Ukrainian has risen from 4 to 7 percent over the last five years.

Self-identification as a Ukrainian citizen marks an important difference between the Kyiv-controlled areas and the occupied territories. In the latter, 54 percent reported that they felt less like Ukrainian citizens than before 2013, while only 8 percent stated they felt more like Ukrainian citizens now, and 38 percent reported no change. Thus, a previously strong sensegenerally underestimated in the Westof being a Ukrainian citizen has been the price paid during the war.

Looking at the cause of the war, the views in government-controlled Donbas are surprisingly split: 37 percent blame the conflict on Russia and 10 percent on Ukraine. Thirty percent think it was the result of Western intervention, and 23 percent see it as a local reaction against the Kyiv government. The figures for the occupied territories are more similar than might be expected, with the exception of the perceived role of Russia: 50 percent think the war resulted from Western intervention, 30 percent see it as a local reaction against the national government, 11 percent blame Ukraine, and 9 percent hold Russia responsible.

The biggest discrepancy between the two parts of Donbas is over the future status of the occupied territories. In Kyiv-controlled Donbas, a clear majority of 65 percent wants the territories to be parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts without a special status, while 26 percent think a special status in Ukraine is necessary, and about 9 percent see the future of these territories in Russia.

The views in the self-declared republics are more diverse than might be expected: 21 percent want these areas to be parts of Ukraine without a special status, and 35 percent would prefer a special status in Ukraine. Conversely, 11 percent want to see the territories as parts of Russia without a special status, and 33 percent would prefer a special status in Russia. Thus, the respondents main emphasis is on recognizing the territories special status, while there is an even split between those who see these areas as parts of Ukraine and those who consider them parts of Russia.

In terms of foreign policy, the two areas of Donbas are more in line than one might have thought. While vast majorities in both parts reject NATO membership, the widespread negative views of the EU might come as a surprise: 72 percent of respondents in government-controlled Donbas and 82 percent in the self-declared republics are against Ukraine joining the EU.

Overall, two trends stand out. First, on some issues, the gap in attitudes between the two parts of Donbas is not as wide as the current political dynamics suggest, in particular with regard to mixed identities, the causes of the war, and relations with the EU. Second, attitudes in the occupied territories are more differentiated than might have been anticipated. Mixed identities across Donbas and a wide range of preferences regarding the status of the area in the occupied territories are factors of which Ukrainian, Western, and Russian policymakers should take note.

Gwendolyn Sasse is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and director of the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) in Berlin.

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The Two Parts of Ukraine's Donbas - Carnegie Europe