www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: How to rescue Ukraine, and Europe – page 3 Communities: from Connecticut to Arizona – pages 8-9 Celebrations of Shevchenko bicentennial – pages 10-11 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXII No. 15 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014 $1/$2 in Ukraine Ruslana creates mini-Maidan Pro-Russian protesters seize at Women in the World summit state buildings in Ukraine’s east by Zenon Zawada ists and hotheads who are demanding to halt the disorder at any price: the situation KYIV – Pro-Russian activists took control will be brought under control without of state buildings in several eastern blood,” Mr. Avakov said. Ukrainian cities this week. In Donetsk, they Two days after his assurance, the declared an independent republic on April 7 Ukrainian government launched a morning and invited Russian soldiers to ensure a ref- anti-terrorist operation in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s erendum on joining the Russian Federation, second-largest city where Mr. Avakov grew just as in Crimea three weeks earlier. up and served for five years as head of the The Russian government didn’t meet the oblast state administration, which is the request for military support. Ukrainian law local representative organ of the Presidential enforcement authorities used limited force Secretariat. to free most of the buildings, not firing their The building was taken over on April 6 weapons at the radicals and thereby deny- by pro-Russian separatists who declared no ing the Russian army a pretext to invade. confidence in the Kharkiv Oblast Council, The Russian media portrayed the take- announced the creation of a Kharkiv overs as mass uprisings in the spirit of the People’s Republic and set fire to the build- Euro-Maidan movement, but they were avoid- ed by locals. The biggest seizure involved up ing after they were evicted by police the to 500 activists storming the Kharkiv Oblast night of April 7. Council building the night of April 6, report- They threw hand grenades and fired at Marc Bryan-Brown ed local journalists. Earlier that day, about police during their eviction, reported acting Ruslana was one of the honorees at the Women in the World summit. 5,000 pro-Russian activists gathered for a President Oleksandr Turchynov. The police demonstration, reported the atn.ua news operation involved blocking the surround- ing center streets and shutting down the by Irene Jarosewich annual Women in the World summit host- site. The number of protesters was less than underground metro rail. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly ed by Tina Brown Live Media. .5 percent of the city’s population. An internationally recognized pop star, as “Putin and Yanukovych ordered and paid As a result, 70 pro-Russian activists were NEW YORK – Ruslana’s dynamic energy well as a former member of the Ukrainian for the latest wave of separatist unrest in arrested, 64 of whom were confirmed to be filled the auditorium as she strode onto the Parliament, Ruslana Lyzhychko was one of the country’s east,” wrote Internal Affairs residents of the Kharkiv Oblast, Mr. Avakov stage of the David H. Koch Theater at the leaders of the four-month vigil for Minister Arsen Avakov on his Facebook said. They did $1 million worth of damage Lincoln Center, singing Ukraine’s national Ukraine’s future now known around the page on April 6. He said many of those to the building, which also houses the anthem against a dramatic video backdrop world as Maidan. For more than 100 nights – involved were paid provocateurs, including Kharkiv Oblast Council, reported the of Euro-Maidan. Included in the opening at times throughout the entire night – she women and youngsters. Interfax-Ukraine news agency. program on Thursday, April 3, Ruslana was “They were provoking the conflict into one of the women honored at the fifth (Continued on page 4) blood and victims. I’ll answer the separat- (Continued on page 3) Canada’s Harper stands with Ukraine against Russian onslaught by Christopher Guly matic and economic isolation of the regime Special to The Ukrainian Weekly in place in Moscow.” The prime minister’s brief one-day visit OTTAWA – In the fall of 2010, Canadian to Ukraine on March 22 to meet and show Prime Minister Stephen Harper received a solidarity with acting President Oleksandr couple of gifts from the since-ousted Turchynov and interim Prime Minister Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych. Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and his condemnation One was a leather-bound, gold-inlaid of Russia’s annexation of Crimea revealed – atlas of Ukraine, “now presumably out of in the words of Toronto Star national date with the loss of the Crimean Peninsula reporter Tim Harper (not known to be to Russia,” as The Canadian Press news related to the Canadian politician) – the agency noted in a recent report on the “final transformation” of Stephen Harper mementoes. The other, as CP added, was a into the “Hawk of Sussex Drive,” the Ottawa bronze statue of 17th century Kozak hero street where the Prime Minister’s official Bohdan Khmelnytsky, considered “the residence is situated. father of an independent Ukraine, today Just as Canada on December 2, 1991, perhaps turning in his grave.” became the first Western country to recog- Prime Minister of Canada The gifts now serve as symbols more nize Ukraine’s independence, Prime Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada (right) during his March 22 meeting in than reminders for Mr. Harper as he Minister Harper became the first Group of Kyiv with Ukraine’s interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Mr. Harper is the Seven leader to visit Ukraine since Russia unabashedly stands with Ukrainians during first G-7 leader to visit Ukraine since the annexation of Crimea. the current crisis and unreservedly criticizes invaded Crimea. His rhetoric in Kyiv was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions a March 27 joint news conference with said “the effect of President Putin’s attempt not sanitized for diplomatic niceties. as a “clear and unacceptable violation of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. to impose the law of the jungle ought to be “By his open repudiation of the Budapest sovereignty and territorial integrity of Five days earlier, during his second visit to redouble the free world’s unwavering Memorandum [through which Ukraine Ukraine,” as the prime minister remarked at to Ukraine as prime minister, Mr. Harper fervor and to reinforce the growing diplo- (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014 No. 15 ANALYSIS NATO foreign ministers try to deter Official threatens force if talks fail tity” of explosives and she was sending a sabotage group to Donetsk. People in KYIV – Ukrainian Internal Affairs Russia who know Ms. Koleda said she has a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine Minister Arsen Avakov says force would be changed her political views several times, used if negotiations fail to remove separat- once being a member of radical groups by Pavel Felgenhauer shilos-smi-275617.html). German ists from regional government buildings in Other Russia and Avant Garde of Red Youth, Eurasia Daily Monitor Canceller Angela Merkel told journalists Mr. Putin promised her a partial troop eastern Ukraine. Mr. Avakov told journalists then switching to a pro-Kremlin group, The unscheduled meeting in Paris of U.S. withdrawal and that she “does not have in Kyiv after a government meeting on Young Russia. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Secretary of State John Kerry with his any grounds not to believe the promise” April 9 that the situation will be resolved in Agence France-Presse) Russian counterpart, Foreign Affairs (http://www.interfax.ru/print. the next two days. He said there are two Minister Sergey Lavrov, on March 30, had asp?sec=1446&id=368822). The Russian ways to solve the problem – negotiations or U.S. criticizes Russia’s gas price hike force – and “for the minority who want raised hopes in Moscow that a compromise Defense Ministry announced the withdraw- WASHINGTON – The White House conflict, they will get a forceful answer solution to the Ukrainian crisis may be al of one battalion of the 15th Mechanized objected to Russia’s increase in natural gas from the Ukrainian authorities.” Hundreds found (http://www.kommersant.ru/ Brigade from the Rostov Oblast near prices for Ukraine and said markets should of pro-Russia protesters stormed govern- doc/2441781). After annexing Crimea, the Ukraine, to its home base in the Samara determine prices. White House Spokesman ment buildings in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kremlin is demanding constitutional reform region on the Volga (Interfax, April 1). Jay Carney spoke on April 3 after Russian Luhansk on April 6. Pro-Russian separat- in Ukraine – the so called “federalization” – It was reported in Moscow that Messrs. natural gas producer Gazprom announced ists were expelled from the Kharkiv gov- that would create a loose agglomeration in Kerry and Lavrov made progress in Paris it would raise the gas price for Ukraine to and a deal was imminent: The United ernment building by Ukrainian special forc- which different regions could pursue sepa- $485 per 1,000 cubic meters this month, rate foreign and economic policies. States would de facto “forgive” the Crimea es on April 8. But protesters in Donetsk which Ukraine said was politically motivat- During the Lavrov-Kerry talks, the pro- annexation, recognize Russia as a protector proclaimed the creation of a sovereign ed. “That kind of action taken coercively Moscow Transnistria secessionist region in of Transnistria, and put pressure on the “people’s republic” from within the region- against Ukraine is something we oppose,” Moldova, where Russia still has a military government in Kyiv to begin immediately al government building on April 7 and have Mr.