The Ukrainian Weekly, 2020
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INSIDE: l Supporting the spiritual rebirth of Ukraine – page 8 l ‘At the Frontline’: art from Ukraine comes to Canada – page 10 l Our community: Chicago and North Port, Fla. – page 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020 $2.00 ANALYSIS New agreements in Minsk seen as attempt Keeping up with whirlwind to legitimize Russia-backed militants in Donbas of Ukraine’s political activity by Roman Tymotsko by Bohdan Nahaylo KYIV – The most recent meeting of the Trilateral Contact KYIV – Earlier this month, President Volodymyr Group on Peaceful Settlement of the Situation in the Zelenskyy unexpectedly fired two-thirds of the Donbas was held in Minsk, Belarus, without being publicly Ukrainian government and the country’s prosecutor announced beforehand. Only after the media of militant general. groups in the occupied Donbas published news about the Both domestic and foreign observers agree that the March 11 meeting did a news release appear on the web- changes of senior officials were rash and mishandled site of the Presidential Office of Ukraine. from a PR point of view. But they remain divided on The March 11 meeting was attended by the head of the what was behind them. Do they reflect the impulsive- Presidential Office of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and the dep- ness and inexperience of a political newcomer deter- uty head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian mined to achieve prompt results? Or do they signify a Federation, Dmitry Kozak. The results of the meeting capitulation to the forces from the past, a new Faustian included an agreement on additional troop withdrawals, deal with a reshuffled pack of hegemonic oligarchs? an exchange of prisoners and checkpoint openings. Public Meanwhile, other critical questions have been re- outcry was provoked by news about the establishment of opened alongside these concerning how the an advisory council, a new body that could legitimize the Zelenskyy administration is handling its approach occupational authorities of the uncontrolled areas of towards Russia and the war in the Donbas. Donetsk and Luhansk regions (known by the Ukrainian- Presidential Office of Ukraine Is the Zelenskyy administration preparing to deal based acronym ORDLO). Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office of directly with Moscow’s puppet enclaves in the The Presidential Office reported that the meeting in Ukraine. Donbas? Why has a senior official – an advisor to the Minsk resulted in four decisions – first of all, an exchange secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of detained persons. A statement on the presidential web- political subgroup after consultations with representatives Serhiy Syvokho – been allowed to call the war in the site says that the parties agreed “To submit to the TCG of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in east an internal Ukrainian conflict? Would Kyiv be pre- [Trilateral Contact Group] a list of persons subject to mutu- Europe], the French Republic and the Federal Republic of pared to trade renewing water supplies to occupied al release, taking into account the need to complete the Germany” is expected to happen on March 25 in Minsk. Crimea in return for concessions from the Kremlin, as said release as soon as possible” and “To submit to the TCG A source in the negotiation group shared the protocol of initially implied by the country’s new prime minister, definitively agreed lists of persons subject to the mutual the March 11 meeting with the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia news Denys Shmyhal? release procedure, including the results of the verification outlet. That version of the document contains decisions Last, but not least, why have the president and the carried out by the International Committee of the Red different from those published on the Presidential Office chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Dmytro Razumkov, Cross, with the unconditional and unimpeded access of website. Dzerkalo Tyzhnia published the document on remained silent about a visit on March 10 to Moscow ICRC representatives to designated persons in the territo- March 13, commenting that the agreements reached in by the leader of Russia’s fifth column in Ukraine, ries of Ukraine and ORDLO.” Minsk legitimize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk peo- Viktor Medvedchuk, at the head of a delegation of dep- The second and third decisions of the meeting related to ple’s republics and give them voting rights on the advisory uties from the Opposition Platform – For Life? “disengagement of forces and assets” and “simultaneous council. The new body is expected to include 20 members: In short, the main topic of the month has been what opening of the checkpoints in Zolote and Shchastia.” The 10 representing Ukraine and 10 representing the tempo- do President Zelenskyy’s actions mean for Ukraine’s fourth and final point of agreement – “the establishment of rary occupied territories. proclaimed course both at home and abroad? an advisory council” – is the most controversial. The deci- sion on the council’s establishment “as part of the TCG (Continued on page 19) (Continued on page 18) Organization for the Defense of Lemkivshchyna looks to the future at its 31st National Convention by Diana Howansky Reilly val with distinct Lemko performances by the band Demaj and folk singer Julia Doszna YONKERS, N.Y. – “Lemkivshchyna may from Poland; providing materials and con- have been destroyed as a geographic entity ducting lectures for young members of the and others may have tried to stamp out the Ukrainian American Youth Organization fire of the Lemkos, but what ended up hap- about the 70th anniversary of the Akcja pening was that sparks from that fire flew - everywhere, so that Lemkos are now spread ing an electronic library to house all issues across the world and are stronger than Wisłaof Lemkivshchyna forced relocation magazine; campaign; helping develop to set ever,” said Mark Howansky after being elect- up the Yurij Kowalczyk Memorial Fund and ed unanimously to his third term as presi- direct charitable donations towards the res- dent of the Organization for the Defense of toration of Lemko churches in Poland and Lemkivshchyna (known by the Ukrainian- Ukraine; organizing Lemko Easter egg-dec- based acronym OOL) on March 7 at its 31st orating workshops and social gatherings to National Convention in Yonkers, N.Y. preserve the Lemko vernacular; and secur- During the plenary session of the day- ing a sizeable donation for the creation of a long convention, which takes place every Lemko scholarly fund, among other things. three years, Mr. Howansky summarized the “We have honest, passionate people and organization’s cultural, educational and I thank you for your persistent work and humanitarian work over the past term. With support,” Mr. Howansky said, recognizing the 50 delegates of the plenary session, he Julie Wislocki discussed: OOL’s annual Lemko Vatra festi- Delegates of the 31st OOL National Convention. (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020 No. 12 ANALYSIS Geo-economics of water deficit in Crimea First coronavirus death in Ukraine announced later. The government announced on March 16 that subway oper- Ukraine on March 13 reported its first Soviet period, it reached 402,000 hectares; ations would be suspended as of March 17, by Ridvan Bari Urcosta novel coronavirus death. Authorities said before the annexation, in 2013, the area still while all rail, air and bus transportation Eurasia Daily Monitor an elderly woman died after being hospital- covered 140,000 hectares. But by 2014, it between towns and cities, as well as inter- ized a day earlier in the western region of In Russian-occupied Crimea, people are was only 17,000 hectares, which bottomed regional passenger links will be stopped on the country, prompting security officials to praying with Christian Orthodox priests for out at 10,000 in 2015. Those amounts have March 18. As of March 17, 14 coronavirus announce a border closure to foreigners rain and snow because the last six months rebounded slightly since then: 14,000 hect- cases have been registered in Ukraine, up within two days. Later, the chairman of the passed by with virtually no precipitation. ares in 2017 and 17,000 in 2018 (Rk.gov.ru, from seven the previous day. Two deaths Verkhovna Rada said authorities would be Because of the dry winter, local reservoirs December 26, 2017). Russia plans to reach have been reported. (RFE/RL) are now almost empty. Journalists forecast 20,000 hectares of irrigated land by the end shutting down all air traffic after March 16. apocalyptic drought scenarios for the pen- of 2020 (Expocrimea.com, accessed Officials were also said to be shutting down Ukraine to close border for two weeks most of Ukraine’s 200-plus border cross- insula. And in the administrative capital of February 26, 2020). Ukraine will close its borders to foreign Still, according to the Crimean Ministry ings, which could deal a blow to the 2 mil- Symferopol, the authorities have gradually nationals for two weeks in 48 hours, introduced rationing measures to conserve of Agriculture, the Crimean economy loses lion or so Ukrainians who work as migrant Secretary of the National Security and the limited water supply. 14 billion rubles ($210 million) per year labor elsewhere in Europe. Ukraine has Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said on Since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, due to the lack of water (Vzglayd, August 14, announced three confirmed cases of infec- March 13, at a briefing during a break in the Kremlin initiated unprecedented infra- 2019). And Russia is spending around 200 tion by the new coronavirus. The 71-year- structure projects that have had important million rubles ($3 million) to restore irriga- old woman who died of the resulting the NSDC meeting.