The Ukrainian Weekly, 2016
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INSIDE: l Testimony of ambassador designate for Ukraine – page 7 l Riabchuk discusses changing attitudes in Ukraine – page 10 l Headliners of the 10th Ukrainian Cultural Festival – page 21 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIV No. 26-27 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 26 - JULY 3, 2016 $2.00 Groysman urges West to keep sanctions Trudeau reaffirms close partnership until Russia withdraws from Ukraine between Canada and Ukraine PM announces his first official visit to Ukraine by Christopher Guly Mr. Trudeau will visit Ukraine on July Special to The Ukrainian Weekly 11-12 and will meet with both President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Volodymyr Groysman, after attending the will make his first official visit to Ukraine NATO Summit of Heads of State and next month, and will likely bring the same Government in Warsaw. message he delivered to the Canada-Ukraine The Canadian PM met with Mr. Business Forum in Toronto on June 20 that Poroshenko at last year’s Paris Climate Canada remains “a staunch ally” of Ukraine. Conference, and his ministers of foreign Mr. Trudeau told the audience that affairs (Stéphane Dion) and defense (Harjit Canada would continue to defend Ukrainian Sajjan) have met several times with their sovereignty “in response to Russia’s illegal Ukrainian counterparts since Mr. Trudeau’s annexation of Crimea, as well as its support Liberals formed the government last to insurgents in eastern Ukraine,” and that November. Canada stands “firmly” beside Ukraine in its efforts to “strengthen democracy, respect One of Prime Minister Trudeau’s top pri- the rule of law, and encourage economic orities while he’s in Ukraine will be to sign growth.” the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement “We will continue to contribute assis- (CUFTA), which International Trade Facebook/Volodynyr Groysman tance and expertise whenever possible,” Minister Chrystia Freeland, a Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman of Ukraine speaks at the National Press Club said the prime minister, “because we Canadian, who also spoke at the forum, has in Washington on June 16. understand that a strong democracy is at been finalizing. trol of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that the heart of economic prosperity.” Mr. Trudeau’s prime ministerial prede- by Mike Eckel “Ultimately, we want to help create sta- cessor, Stephen Harper, announced during RFE/RL Moscow seized from Kyiv in 2014. Speaking at the National Press Club in bility in Ukraine so that the middle class WASHINGTON – Ukrainian Prime Washington on June 16, Mr. Groysman also can grow and thrive,” he added. (Continued on page 9) Minister Volodymyr Groysman urged heralded his government’s steps toward Western governments to maintain tough institutional and economic reforms, saying sanctions on Russia until it withdraws its forces from eastern Ukraine and cedes con- (Continued on page 7) Ambassador-designate for Ukraine testifies before Senate committee Foreign Service Institute, said her objec- UNIS Rada approves language quotas for radio tives as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine will be WASHINGTON – Speaking before the to assist in reforming key sectors in by Zenon Zawada quotas on the Ukrainian language on commercial radio. The existing rules Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Ukraine and fighting corruption. KYIV – Ukraine’s Parliament voted on required 50 percent of a radio station’s June 21, Marie L. Yovanovitch, nominee for As regards implementing the Minsk June 16 to set quotas for Ukrainian lan- content merely to be produced by U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, stated that peace protocols, she noted that Russia bears guage content on commercial radio, Ukrainian nationals – and that content “more progress has been made in Ukraine the weight and responsibility of ensuring approving legislation that served as a had usually been in the Russian language. in the past two years” than in the past 25 security and stability in eastern Ukraine. compromise between two bills – one The compromise involves a two-year years of Ukraine’s renewed independence. (Ambassador-designate Yovanovitch’s full favored by radio lobbyists and the other transition to Ukrainian-language quotas She was one of three nominees for remarks appear on page 7 of this issue.) by language activists – that were rejected (25 percent in the first year, 30 percent in ambassadorial posts throughout the world Sen. Cardin asked all the nominees two weeks earlier. the second and 35 percent afterwards) who appeared at confirmation hearings about best practices in combating and The measure earned 268 votes and for two time blocks, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 before the committee. Also on the docket countering Russian disinformation and was strongly supported by all five of the p.m. to 10 p.m. The quota is based not on were nominees for Lithuania, Anne Hall; propaganda in the region. Verkhovna Rada’s pro-Western factions, the number of songs, but on the total vol- and Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt (the current U.S. Ms. Hall, the nominee for ambassador to two of which (the Radical Party and ume of content. ambassador to Ukraine). Lithuania, replied that “Russia has never Batkivshchyna) didn’t support the earlier This gives radio stations more flexibil- The nominees were greeted by the really stopped targeting the Baltics” with drafts. They were sent back to commit- ity from the four six-hour blocks that had Senate Foreign Relations Committee its false information. She offered that train- tee, where the approved version was been proposed by activists to prevent Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and ing Lithuanian journalists and being active drafted by a working group that included radio stations from dumping all their Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who in civil society is the best way to counter deputies, lobbyists and activists. Ukrainian-language content for the late thanked them for their public service to the the Russian narrative. “These aren’t quotas for Ukrainian night/early morning shift, as they had country. The nominee proceeded with Ms. Yovanovitch enumerated three songs on the radio. This is vital space for been typically doing. opening statements about their anticipated aspects to countering Russian propaganda: the Ukrainian song,” Petro Poroshenko The bill prevented exceptions for spe- roles in their respective countries and how 1) get the story out, 2) put a premium on Bloc National Deputy Viktor Kryvenko cialty format stations such as rock, R&B, to bolster and enhance their relationship analyzing the stories and countering with told Parliament following the vote. He classical and folk, as proposed by the lob- with the United States. facts, and 3) build capacities in training added, “Today is a very decisive day for byists’ bill. At the same time, it set a 25 In her opening remarks, Ambassador- journalists to recognize the disinformation our state.” designate Yovanovitch, who currently and how best to reply. The legislation introduces the first (Continued on page 16) serves as dean of the School of Language Studies at the Department of State’s (Continued on page 15) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 26 - JULY 3, 2016 No. 26-27 ANALYSIS Party of Regions spent $66 million EU prolongs sanctions against Crimea ty of neighboring countries… take us back to the times from which we believed we BRUSSELS – The European Union has had escaped, times that nobody can wish on bribes and paid articles in media agreed to extend its investment ban and for.” On June 18, Mr. Steinmeier warned other economic sanctions on Ukraine’s NATO against “warmongering” by staging Crimean Peninsula, which was forcibly military exercises on its eastern flanks. He annexed by Russia in 2014. The EU sanc- urged the alliance to replace the training tions package against Crimea includes a exercises with more dialogue and coopera- ban on the import of goods originating in tion with Russia. Mr. Steinmeier said on Crimea unless they have Ukrainian certifi- June 19 that, if the Kremlin does its part to cates; a ban on exports to the peninsula implement the Minsk peace plan for related to transport, telecommunications, Ukraine, the European Union should gradu- and the energy sectors – including the ally phase out sanctions imposed against exploration of oil, gas and mineral resourc- Russia for its role in Ukraine’s crisis. (RFE/ es. EU companies are also prohibited from RL, based on reporting by AP and Reuters) investing in Crimea or financing Crimean companies. Furthermore, cruise ships that France sees Ukraine summit in July are owned or controlled by a European PARIS – France says a four-way summit company or flying the flag of an EU mem- on Ukraine is “feasible” next month in the ber state may not dock at Crimean ports, light of “progress” in the crisis. Government including Sevastopol, a naval port city that spokesman Stephane Le Foll quoted Russia considers a separate administrative President Francois Hollande as making the district. The ban was first imposed when comments at a Cabinet meeting on June 22. Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian pen- Mr. Le Foll did not give any details about insula two years ago and it has been pro- the progress that the president said had longed every year by the 28 EU member been made. Mr. Hollande referred to the so- states. EU ambassadors are expected to dis- Ukraine Crisis Media Center called Normandy format for the summit on cuss a broader list of economic sanctions it Sevgil Musayeva-Borovyk and Sergii Leshchenko speak at their press conference Ukraine that would involve the leaders of has on Russia on June 21, with a view to about the “black bookkeeping” of the Party of Regions. France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. The extending them by six months ahead of the previous such meeting took place in June financed and what the money in question EU summit on June 28-29.