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Ukraine and its region, 2 April 2018
Summary
A look back at the regional news on the eve of 2 April 2018, from the Skripal poisoning fallout to Ukraine's health reform and 4G launch.
What was the mood in Ukraine and its neighbourhood on 2 April 2018? Security concerns from the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal sat alongside domestic changes that touched everyday life.
Security fallout abroad
On 27 March 2018, NATO and the government of Australia expelled Russian diplomats in reaction to the Skripal poisoning. The next day, 28 March, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, himself the victim of a September 2004 poisoning, called for military action against Russia to be considered.
The same day, Poland signed a deal with the United States to buy a US$4.75 billion Patriot missile system.
Changes at home
Inside Ukraine, the news was of a different kind. On 30 March 2018, lifecell and Vodafone launched 4G mobile service. On 1 April 2018, the official national campaign to choose a family doctor began, as part of the country's medical reform.
Taken together, these reports show a region where diplomatic confrontation over the poisoning and defence purchasing developed in the same days as concrete changes for Ukrainian households: a new mobile standard and a new system of registering with a family doctor.
By 2 April 2018, the diplomatic expulsions, Yushchenko's call, the Polish Patriot purchase, the 4G launch and the start of the family doctor campaign had all been reported.
