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The Ukrainian Weekly, 2021 INSIDE: l Atlantic Council statement on strengthening U.S.-Ukraine relations – page 4 l International Women’s Day marches take place throughout Ukraine – page 5 l UOC-U.S.A. honors the memory of Euro-Maidan’s Heavenly Hundred – page 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXIX No. 11 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2021 $2.00 Global rankings: Ukraine improves on social progress, U.S. bans oligarch Kolomoisky from entering country boasts formidable military while backsliding on freedom as Kyiv, Washington probe him for banking fraud FREE PARTLY FREE NOT FREE Freedom House Freedom House’s 2021 Global Freedom index says that only 82 out of 195 countries in the world are free. Ukrainian presidential press service by Mark Raczkiewycz ter “in the face of the [COVID-19] pandemic President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (center) is seated next to Ihor Kolomoisky (second and political corruption, culminating in a from the right) in Kyiv on September 10, 2019. KYIV – Ukraine remained in the middle constitutional crisis.” “partly free” category among 195 countries In October 2020, multiple reports by Mark Raczkiewycz U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a yearly freedom ranking, advancing alleged that the head of the Constitutional also said in a statement that the restric- slightly on social progress while placing in Court, Oleksandr Tupytsky, had obtained KYIV – The U.S. State Department tions concern the oligarch’s “current and the upper one-fifth among global militaries. land in occupied Crimea, failed to declare imposed travel bans on Ukrainian oligarch ongoing efforts to undermine Ukraine’s Freedom House, a Washington-based luxurious real estate in Kyiv and was linked Ihor Kolomoisky and his immediate family democratic processes and institutions, human rights watchdog, on March 3 noted to a prominent case of judicial fraud. on March 5 citing the tycoon’s alleged which pose a serious threat to its future.” that Ukraine had dipped two points from Mr. Zelenskyy has since suspended the “involvement in significant corruption.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr last year in its freedom ranking, which is court’s chief justice, extending the term for Though not financial sanctions, the Zelenskyy’s office complimented the sanc- based on a 100-point scale and composed one month as of February 28. Mr. Tupytsky entry ban pertains to when Mr. Kolomoisky tions the same day in a statement while not of the summation of two overall categories has legally challenged the suspension with was governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region mentioning the tycoon’s name. The state- of civil liberties and political rights that are the Supreme Court and a hearing is still from 2014 to 2015 at the height of the ment did say the country must overcome weighed 60 and 40 percent, respectively. pending. Donbas War against Russian-led forces in the dominant caste system controlled by Scoring 60, Ukraine saw President Ukraine’s two easternmost provinces of influential oligarchs. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reform agenda fal- (Continued on page 13) Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. “Ukraine is grateful to all its partners for support on this path,” the statement said. “The battle with the oligarchs…is also NEWS ANALYSIS about creating the conditions in Ukraine in which business can grow in a transparent and competitive environment, and large A political spring for Ukraine? financial groups will not be able to domi- nate the market or influence the media and by Bohdan Nahaylo In addition to this, while simultaneous- intransigence and will be preparing a ly continuing to grapple with the grave “peace plan” that they will offer to the political decisions.” There’s hardly a dull moment in challenge of combating the COVID-19 Kremlin. We await to see what they have His spokeswoman, Iuliia Mendel, also Ukrainian politics, whether domestic or pandemic, President Zelenskyy has come up with and what the response will wrote a blog for Washington-based Atlantic international. And, so far, this month has launched a new ambitious plan to deliver be. Council that amplified the president’s goal been no exception. Ukraine’s President desperately needed legal reform. All this has been happening against the of ending “the oligarch era.” Volodymyr Zelenskyy seems to have been On the international front, in response background of recent changes in both the As such, the State Department’s 7031c politically reinvigorated, some are even to Moscow’s apparent decision to punish tone and practice of politics in Kyiv. The designation means that the mogul’s wife, saying “re-born,” and for the moment his Kyiv for its firmness and actions against unexpected debilitating blows delivered Irina Kolomoiska, his daughter, Angelika opponents seem at a loss over how to the Kremlin’s de facto agents of influence by Mr. Zelenskyy’s team against tycoon Kolomoiska, and his son, Israel Zvi respond. by terminating the precarious ceasefire in Viktor Medvedchuk, Russian President Kolomoisky, are ineligible for entry into the Mr. Zelenskyy has kept up his offensive the Donbas, the Ukrainian leader has also Vladimir Putin’s point man in Ukraine, United States. against those perceived as Moscow’s “fifth sought to seize the initiative. He is trying and the closure of three TV channels he Mr. Blinken didn’t say what specific columnists.” He has fought not only to revitalize the stalled Normandy Four controlled caught the pro-Russian forces human rights violation or corrupt act the against them, but also against corrupt offi- peace negotiations involving Germany, off guard and, despite their protests, has influential Ukrainian was or is allegedly cials and oligarchs, especially the notori- France, Russia and Ukraine by carrying left them at a loss regarding how to coun- involved in, but he is being investigated in ous Ihor Kolomoisky, who has recently the diplomatic fight to Moscow. ter-attack. the U.S. and Ukraine for one of Europe’s been sanctioned, together with his family, It has just been announced that Kyiv, But the “patriotic” forces opposed to largest bank heists. by the U.S. State Department. The presi- Berlin and Paris want to break the con- President Zelenskyy – those following for- The U.S. Justice Department suspects dent’s representatives have let it be tinuing deadlock in the Normandy Four him of misappropriating hundreds of mil- known that more is to come. peace process created by Moscow’s (Continued on page 10) (Continued on page 6) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2021 No. 11 ANALYSIS Mikheil Saakashvili’s activity strains Blinken says Biden opposes Nord Stream 2 Senate Republicans called the update “com- pletely inadequate” and demanded the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken administration place sanctions on the addi- Georgian-Ukrainian relations has assured members of Congress that the tional companies “without delay.” Members Biden administration opposes the con- lems in relations.” Mr. Zalkaliani also noted of the House Foreign Affairs Committee by Giorgi Menabde struction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and that Tbilisi intends, with the participation also asked Mr. Blinken about Moscow’s Eurasia Daily Monitor said the administration continues to review of its ambassador, to assess “what actions involvement in Venezuela and Cuba. He further sanctions. Mr. Blinken told the On March 5, Ukrainian President are necessary to ensure that the current sit- said the United States had seen a resur- Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed the head of uation does not negatively affect bilateral House Foreign Affairs Committee that gence of Russian presence and activity in the Executive Committee on Reforms, relations, cooperation in various interna- President Joe Biden thinks the nearly com- the two countries, and “we’re very attentive Mikheil Saakashvili, from his position on tional organizations, and, most importantly, pleted pipeline was a “bad idea” and had to that across the board.” (RFE/RL, with the Coordination Council for Urban joint efforts toward European and Euro- “been clear on this for some time.” He reporting by Reuters) Planning. The Presidential Office provided Atlantic integration” (RBC, May 8, 2020). added that the United States, which has no explanation for this sudden decision Nonetheless, Mr. Saakashvili has always already placed sanctions on companies Facebook blocks Russian articles (Sova, March 5). Mr. Zelenskyy had rejected such claims and continued to involved in building the pipeline, was “mak- Facebook has blocked articles by Russian appointed Mr. Saakashvili – the former actively call on Georgians to pursue regime ing clear that we stand against its comple- news agencies claiming police last month president of Georgia and one-time gover- change, including via massive anti-govern- tion...and we continue to review other pos- arrested alleged Ukrainian nationalists nor of Ukraine’s Odessa Oblast – as head of ment protests (RBC, June 11, 2020). “I will sibilities for sanctions going forward.” Nord after experts concluded the radicals were the Ukrainian Executive Committee on not leave Georgia, I will definitely return to Stream 2 is designed to reroute Russian Russian. RBK and Kommersant published Reforms back in May 2020 (RBC, May 7, help the people free themselves from the natural-gas exports to Europe under the articles in February reporting that Russian 2020). Russian oligarch [sic] Mr. Ivanishvili,” he Baltic Sea, circumventing Ukraine. law enforcement had arrested alleged The news of Mr. Saakashvili’s exclusion said
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