THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXVI No. 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 2018 $2.00 Sen. Portman: New anti-tank weapons Poroshenko tells soldiers: “Thank you for Ukraine will help bring peace for protecting every piece of Ukrainian land” by Rostyslav Khotin calls for better ties, his administration has continued stepping up pressure on Russia, RFE/RL using sanctions and other tools to punish PRAGUE – A top U.S. senator says Moscow for its actions in Ukraine, Syria, advanced U.S. anti-tank weapons will allow cyberspace and elsewhere. Ukraine to better defend itself against The Republican-led Congress has also Russian aggression as the conflict there taken a harder line toward Russia, passing enters its fifth year. a new sanctions bill last year over Mr. In an April 2 interview with RFE/RL, Trump’s objections. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) also said that anti- Javelins are advanced anti-tank missiles tank weapons, called Javelins, should also that could help Ukrainian forces as they lead to a lasting peace deal, including the battle Russia-backed fighters. With covert fulfillment of the so-called Minsk Accords, support and heavy weaponry from Russian which aimed to end the fighting that has armed forces, those fighters have fought killed more than 10,300 people since 2014. the Ukrainian troops to a stalemate in the “Now there is an opportunity for [the eastern Donbas region. Ukrainians] to have additional weapons to Ukraine has sought those and other simply be able to say: ‘There will be conse- weapons for years. President Trump’s pre- quences,’ if the aggression continues,” Sen. decessor, Barack Obama, was reluctant to Portman said. give Javelins to Ukraine, however, fearing it “And I think that will lead to a more would antagonize Russia and fuel the con- KYIV – During a working visit to the Donetsk region on April 1 (Palm Sunday, accord- peaceful solution, including an agreement flict further. ing to the Julian calendar), President Petro Poroshenko met with the servicemen of to live by the Minsk agreement and Minsk 2 Some U.S. officials have also voiced fears the 79th assault brigade and the warriors of the National Guard who defend Ukraine in rather than what we have seen up to date, that the weapons would end up disappear- the east and presented them Easter baskets prepared by his wife, Maryna, as well as which is without being able to push back, ing, fall into the hands of separatist fighters talismans from children of the Sumy region. “Today, when the whole country celebrates without having consequences there was or be sold on the black market. Palm Sunday, I would like to convey words of sincere gratitude not only from myself, but more aggression and, therefore, more “I think the right thing for the United also from my entire family,” Mr. Poroshenko said. “Thank you for protecting every piece bloodshed,” he said. States, for others to do on behalf of Ukraine of Ukrainian land.” The Minsk ceasefire and peace deals were is to allow them to purchase weapons to be – Presidential Administration of Ukraine negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and able to defend themselves, including these France and signed in September 2014 and new weapons that are being delivered February 2015, respectively, aimed at ceas- now,” Sen. Portman said. ing hostilities in eastern Ukraine. President Trump recently voiced doubts Mr. Portman, who sits on the influential about the overall conflict in Ukraine, saying Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster: Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke there was no war there and, even if there to RFE/RL ahead of his arrival in Ukraine, was, the United States had no part in it. Th e toughest man on Russia? where he’s expected to meet top officials. Corruption reforms by Ashish Kumar Sen Mr. Trump, whose presidential cam- The delivery of the Javelin missiles come Atlantic Council paign is the focus of an investigation by as President Donald Trump’s administra- Sen. Portman said the conflict – along Special Prosecutor Robert S. Mueller III into tion moves toward a harder approach in its with Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald J. links with Russia, was quick to congratulate relations with Russia. Crimea Peninsula – required a strong Trump assured the leaders of the Baltic Mr. Putin over a flawed election victory last response from world community. states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – at a Harder line month and even invited the Russian presi- White House meeting on April 3 that no dent to Washington. In his remarks at a Despite President Trump’s repeated (Continued on page 16) one has been tougher on Russia than him. joint press conference with the Baltic lead- Hours later, he was almost upstaged by ers on April 3, Mr. Trump said he thinks his outgoing National Security Advisor Lt. that he could have a “very good relation- Gen. H.R. McMaster, who delivered a blis- ship” with Mr. Putin. tering rebuke of Russia in remarks at the Those prospects would seem bleak Atlantic Council. Gen. McMaster said that given Gen. McMaster’s assessment. the West has “failed to impose sufficient Gen. McMaster contended that the West costs” on Moscow for its aggressive behav- is engaged in a “fundamental contest ior that has ranged from cyberattacks to between our free and open societies and near-fatal poisonings. closed and repressive systems.” “Russian aggression is strengthening our In a clear reference to Russia, he added: resolve and our confidence. We might all “Revisionist and repressive powers are help Mr. Putin understand his grave error,” attempting to undermine our values, our Gen. McMaster said, referring to Russian institutions and our way of life.” President Vladimir Putin. [Editor’s note: Gen McMaster also stated Gen. McMaster spoke at a dinner hosted in his address at the Atlantic Council: “Since by the Atlantic Council for the leaders of the the denial-of-service attacks on Estonia in three Baltic states. These were his last public 2007 and the invasion of Georgia in 2008, remarks before leaving office. He will be Russia has used old and new forms of replaced by John Bolton, a former U.S. ambas- aggression to undermine our open societ- RFE/RL sador to the United Nations who is well- Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). known for his hawkish foreign policy views. (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 2018 No. 14 ANALYSIS Moscow plans new Arctic port U.S. cites ‘burdens’ on civil society by Russia-backed separatists. The list included Mr. Sushchenko and filmmaker The U.S. State Department is calling on Oleh Sentsov, who is serving a 20-year sen- Ukraine to repeal a law that it says has put to bypass Baltics and Ukraine tence in a Russian prison after being con- undue burdens on civil society organiza- And finally, unless sanctions end soon, victed of plotting terrorist attacks in a trial by Paul Goble tions and is for that reason discouraging Russia will not be able to build the fleet of supporters called absurd. The list, which the Eurasia Daily Monitor their work. The law requires civil-society Parliament statement said was not com- coal-transport ships the new facility will groups and international members of the Because oil and natural gas are Russia’s require. That means that Mr. Sokolov’s supervisory boards of state-owned enter- plete, also included several leaders of the largest exports (Gks.ru, accessed April 3), it announcement may be more of a bluff than prises to declare their assets – a require- Crimean Tatar minority, which rights groups is entirely understandable that Moscow’s a real threat, unless Western countries or ment that the department said was exces- say has faced abuse and discrimination efforts to build pipelines to the West China step in to provide the shipping – and sive. “Ukraine’s asset-declaration system since Russia’s takeover. (RFE/RL) bypassing the three Baltic states and they may be less than willing to do so given should hold public officials accountable, and Ukraine continue to attract a great deal of Ex-prisoner Soloshenko dies at 75 the sanctions regime and also given that not place unnecessary burdens or pressure attention. But much less attention has been the United States is now interested in A Ukrainian man who was freed from a given to Moscow’s new efforts to develop on civil society,” department spokeswoman becoming a major coal exporter to Ukraine Heather Nauert said in a statement on Russian prison and returned home in a infrastructure intended to allow it to export and Eastern Europe (Energy.gov, July 31, high-profile prisoner exchange in 2016 has coal to global markets by bypassing these March 30. “This punitive law targets those 2017). very individuals who seek to increase trans- died at the age of 75. Yuriy Soloshenko died same countries. With regard to the second question, if on April 4, Verkhovna rada Vice-Chair Iryna If these Russian plans prove successful, parency and accountability in Ukraine, ful- despite all this, Russia were able to redirect filling the promises of the Euro-Maidan and Herashchenko wrote on Facebook. they will deprive Ukraine and the Baltics of coal flows away from the three Baltic states According to Ms. Herashchenko, Mr. the transit fees they have long depended the Ukrainian people’s aspirations for a and Ukraine, this would hurt them, but not Soloshenko had been diagnosed with can- upon. Indeed, judging from the comments democratic country governed by the rule of all by the same amount and not fatally – cer several years ago.