INSIDE: Documents from EU and NATO meetings re Ukraine – page 3 UWC president in Ukraine, Europe and beyond – page 5 Community: Syracuse, Wilmington, Philadelphia – page 15 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXVI No. 29 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 $2.00 Poroshenko: Russia UCCA, UWC react to Trump’s statements in Helsinki must be held accountable PARSIPPANY, N.J. – In the aftermath of territorial integrity and sovereignty of UCCA statement the July 16 meeting in Helsinki between Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova’s interna- In his joint press conference with Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir tionally recognized borders.” for ‘terrorist act’ of MH17 Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Putin, the Ukrainian Congress The UWC stated that the U.S. president President Donald Trump stunned the RFE/RL Committee of America and the Ukrainian “made no mention of the numerous bla- World Congress expressed concern that tant violations by the Russian Federation world when he failed to publicly con- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says the U.S. leader did not publicly condemn of its international obligations and our demn Russia for attacking the United Russia “must be held accountable” for down- Russia for its multiple transgressions most fundamental values,” and called for States’ election process. Asked directly if ing Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014 over and violations of international law, “the international community to he held Russia at all accountable or the war zone in eastern Ukraine. including its war on Ukraine and down- unequivocally demonstrate its support responsible for anything in particular, Mr. Poroshenko wrote on Facebook on July ing of a Malaysian Airlines passenger jet. for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and President Trump not only dismissed the 17, the fourth anniversary of the tragedy, that The UCCA noted that Mr. Trump further uncover Russian disinformation findings of U.S. intelligence agencies Ukraine “has been providing investigators “demonstrated a shocking ignorance of that undermines the common values of regarding Russian meddling in U.S. elec- with all necessary assistance.” Russia’s international crimes, failing to the democratic free world.” tions, but demonstrated a shocking igno- MH17 was shot down over the conflict condemn the Russian Federation’s con- The full texts of the releases from the rance of Russia’s international crimes, zone in Ukraine’s Donetsk region on July 17, tinuing war against Ukraine, or to reiter- UCCA (dated July 16) and the UWC (July 2014, killing all 298 people on board. ate the United States’ support for the 17) follow. (Continued on page 18) “A joint investigative group consisting of representatives of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Netherlands and Ukraine has estab- lished that the aircraft was shot down by a Buk missile complex that belonged to Russia’s NEWS ANALYSIS: Putin was clear summit victor, analysts say armed forces and brought [to the territory with bilateral ties sinking to lows not (GRU) officers accused of conspiring to controlled by Russia-backed separatists] from by Mike Eckel RFE/RL seen since the Cold War. meddle in the election campaign. the Russian Federation. Therefore, Russia must But it also came at a time when The summit also came on the heels of be held accountable for that terrorist act,” Mr. WASHINGTON – As U.S.-Russian sum- President Trump faces a growing cloud a European trip for Mr. Trump that was Poroshenko wrote. mits go, the just-concluded meeting in at home, as U.S. intelligence agencies, punctuated by discord with NATO allies, Earlier in May, the Dutch-led Joint Helsinki between U.S. President Donald congressional committees, and Special public statements undermining British Investigative Team said in a statement that the Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Counsel Robert Mueller’s criminal inves- Prime Minister Theresa May and massive international criminal investigation had con- Putin ranked high for drama, but, ana- tigation continue to probe the extent to anti-Trump protests in London, and then cluded that the Buk missile that shot down lysts say, surprisingly low in terms of which Russia interfered in the 2016 pres- Helsinki. the plane came from Russia’s 53rd Anti- concrete outcomes. idential election that Mr. Trump won. Here are several takeaways from the Aircraft Missile Brigade. The July 16 one-on-one meeting Just three days earlier, the latest indict- Helsinki summit and what it means for Russia denies any responsibility. between Messrs. Trump and Putin came ments were announced in Washington, at a tense moment for the two countries, targeting 12 Russian military intelligence (Continued on page 8) (Continued on page 18) Soyuzivka holds 12th Ukrainian Cultural Festival Levko Khmelkovsky/Svoboda KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Soyuzivka Heritage Center held its 12th annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival on Friday-Sunday, July 13-15, under the patronage of the Embassy of Ukraine. Organized by the Ukrainian National Foundation, the festival presented performers from Ukraine, the United States and Canada. Featured were actor/performing artist Orest Lutiy, singer Anastasia Prykhodko, violinist Vasyl Popadiuk, the Ukrainian Dance Workshop of Roma Pryma Bohachevsky, as well as the Dobriansky Brothers vocal trio, vocalist Khrystyna V and the bandurist duo Malvy. Guests also had the opportunity to experience a gala fund-raiser for Soyuzivka dubbed “Retro-Lviv,” an arts and crafts vendors’ court, a varenyky-eating contest, a demonstration of Ukrainian village life and film screenings. The band Brattia z Prykarpattia provided live music. Seen above is the opening number by the Ukrainian Dance Workshop. (Details about the festival will appear in subsequent issues of The Weekly.) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 No. 29 ANALYSIS Russia expands fleet in Sea of Azov OSCE’s mission concerned about spy leak politically motivated. “I will not try to per- suade you that Oleh is innocent, although I Russian intelligence has acquired internal believe he is,” Lyudmila Sentsova wrote in a to some 40 ships, Kyiv warns documents of the international team moni- letter addressed to the Russian president toring the conflict in eastern Ukraine, includ- Sea of Azov, has “almost completely taken and published on the website of Ekho by Paul Goble ing dossiers with personal information about under control all sea routes used by civilian Moskvy radio. “I just want to say that he did Eurasia Daily Monitor its hundreds of staff members, from a spy, ships” going to and from the Ukrainian not kill anyone. He has served four years in likely a staff member, according to German The Russian navy has boosted its pres- ports of Berdiansk and Mariupol via the prison already. His children are waiting for broadcaster ARD. In a report aired on July 16, ence in the Sea of Azov to approximately 40 Kerch Strait (5.ua, July 27). him, his youngest son suffers from autism,” ARD’s Fakt program reported that Russia’s ships, giving it the ability to control that One of Russia’s favored tactics, he and she wrote. “It’s hard for them without him. domestic intelligence agency, the Federal body of water and to strike virtually at will others say, is to delay the passage of ships They will never be happy without their Security Service (FSB), was now in posses- along Ukraine’s coastline there, Vadim father.” She continued: “I beg you, Vladimir in the name of inspections (see EDM, June sion of the data. The Organization for Skibitsky, a representative of the main intel- Vladimirovich, to show mercy and pardon 11). That may seem neutral and natural; Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Special ligence directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Oleh Sentsov. Don’t ruin his life and the but if the ships carry perishable cargo like Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) in Ukraine Ministry, said on June 27 (5.ua, June 27). lives of his loved ones.” Mr. Sentsov, a native food, it can lead to the loss of the entire on July 16 expressed concern over the Russian naval vessels on the Sea of Azov still of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, which was shipment. And even the threat of that for alleged spy activities. “The mission is con- have fewer than 1,000 marines attached; a seized by Russia in 2014, marked his 42nd ships that might carry Ukrainian agricultur- cerned about any alleged breach of its securi- landing by these forces would likely be al products is sufficiently serious that their birthday on July 13. He has been on hunger ty and is determined to examine all the alle- strike since May 14, demanding the release repulsed by Ukrainian coastal defenses. owners are refusing to send them to these gations thoroughly in accordance with estab- Therefore, a sudden Russian assault on ports. Kyiv and some of its supporters, of 64 Ukrainian citizens he considers politi- lished procedures,” the Ukraine mission said cal prisoners. Western governments and Ukraine’s Azov coast would likely be a feint most prominently Vilnius, have complained in a statement. Reached by RFE/RL via and an indication that Moscow actually about this tactic to the international arbi- rights organizations have called for Mr. e-mail, the OSCE SMM declined to provide Sentsov to be released, and the Russian intends to launch a far larger, simultaneous trage court (Dsnews.ua, June 21). further comment. The dossiers reportedly attack on Ukraine along another vector. Mr. Samus, however, sees a far greater human rights group Memorial considers contained personal information about moni- him to be a political prisoner. Kremlin The latest developments not only repre- danger in what Russia is doing. In his view, tors, including their telephone numbers and spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters sent a continuation of Russia’s moves to take Russia would fail if it sought to attack only habits, the types of women they were attract- on July 13 that the letter from Mr.