INSIDE: l Russian-occupied Crimea’s water problems – page 4 l Central and East European Coalition on Belarus – page 9 l UNA Scholarship winners for 2020-2021 – pages 11-12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 35-36 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 $2.00 FOR THE RECORD Ukraine celebrates 29th anniversary President Zelenskyy’s speech of re-establishment of independence on Ukraine’s Independence Day Below is the full text of President dren should be healthy. Today we are doing Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech on the occa­ everything possible to overcome the coro- sion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, August navirus in Ukraine. We are provided with 24. The text was posted on the official web­ everything we need, we have established site of the president of Ukraine (https:// our own production, we are renovating hos- www.president.gov.ua/). pitals and laboratories, and the most impor- tant thing we have is Ukrainian doctors. Fellow citizens of Ukraine! They bravely fight the disease, they are A year ago, I talked about how every our magicians and superheroes. And we morning of mine starts with a text message must treat our doctors in the same way, be from the General Staff of Ukraine. SMS responsible, follow safety rules. And then about the number of wounded and dead the day will surely come when a joyful text over the past day on the frontline. The message from the General Staff will be fol- numbers may be different, but only one lowed by a no less joyful message from the message makes the morning good: zero minister of health: For the past 24 hours, wounded, zero dead. the number of patients in Ukraine is zero; Today is the 29th day in a row when the the number of dead is zero. morning is really good for me and the I believe that we will overcome the virus whole of Ukraine. Yes, we face many new and will be “infected” only by football in the challenges. But today is 29 days with no stadiums, music at concerts and travels all Presidential Office combat losses in the east of Ukraine. over our wonderful country. During official events on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, August 24, at Twenty-nine days during which I also think every mother wants her chil- St. Sophia Square in Kyiv. Ukrainian cities and villages have not bur- dren not to quarrel. worsening. The number of coronavirus ied their heroes. Twenty-nine days during So, maybe children should stop compet- by Roman Tymotsko cases had been setting records almost which moms haven’t cried. Twenty-nine ing about who loves their mother more and KYIV – Ukraine celebrated the 29th every day, and Ukraine ranked third in days during which wives and children hear more correctly? Ukraine dreams of us anniversary of the re-establishment of its Europe in terms of the number of newly on the phone: “I kiss you, my love. I’ll be being united and cohesive. And we can def- independence on August 24 with an infected people. Nonetheless, the main dif- home soon.” initely make such a gift to it. We must address to the nation by the president, fes- ference between the 2020 celebrations and Recently, while in the east, I asked the remember that, regardless of language, tive events on St. Sophia Square and the previous years’ Independence Days was locals if they had heard the news that we religion, nationality, we are brothers and unofficial March of Defenders of Ukraine. the occasional mask regime, which is had agreed on “silence” [a ceasefire]. They sisters. We are all children of Ukraine. And impossible to enforce in large crowds. replied: “We do not hear the news. We hear As Ukraine geared up for the festivities, (Continued on page 4) the COVID-19 situation in the country was As always, the celebrations began on the silence.” eve of Independence Day, which is also a And today, on the 29th day of the truce, holiday, Ukrainian National Flag Day. For on the 29th anniversary of Ukraine’s inde- the occasion, the Kyiv City Administration pendence, we all ask God for only one Diaspora organizations condemn desecration constructed a new memorial that features thing: let the days of silence become the largest flag in Ukraine. The height of the months. Months – years. Years – centuries, flagpole is about 90 meters, and the size of and then millennia. Peace, harmony and of statue at Holodomor memorial in Kyiv the flag itself is 16 by 24 meters. Kyiv prosperity for the Ukrainian land. August 22, just two days before Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said that the memo- And we believe that this will definitely Ukraine’s Independence Day celebra- rial was built with funds donated by pri- happen, because we send requests to Heaven tions, the statue “Bitter Memory of vate patrons. from this very landmark, St. Sophia Square. Childhood” at the Holodomor memorial On August 24, the official festive events Here Yaroslav the Wise defeated the complex in Kyiv was desecrated. The dedicated to the Independence Day took Pechenegs. Community meetings were held statue of a young starving girl holding place on St. Sophia Square in Kyiv. here and all important decisions were several stalks of grain is an international- “A year ago, I talked about how my every made. Here Hetman Khmelnytsky was con- ly recognized symbol for one of the most morning starts with a text message from gratulated on his victory, here the “Akt tragic pages in Ukraine’s history: the the General Staff of Ukraine,” President Zluky” and the unity of Ukraine were pro- genocidal famine engineered by Soviet Volodymyr Zelenskyy began his speech. claimed. Here, in 1943, the expulsion of the dictator Joseph Stalin that killed millions “SMS about the number of wounded and Nazis from Kyiv was celebrated. And in of people on Ukrainian territory. dead over the last day on the frontline. The August 1991, the people’s council in support The general director of the National numbers may be different, but only one of independence was held here. And today, Museum of the Holodomor Genocide, message makes the morning good: zero returning to the traditions of our ancestors, Olesia Stasiuk, was quoted by the BBC as wounded, zero dead. Today is the 29th day it is here that we celebrate the 29th anni- saying that sometime during the might of in a row when the morning is perfect for versary of Ukraine’s independence. August 21-22, three unknown persons me and Ukraine. Yes, we face many new This is a day when 65 million Ukrainians torn the statue off its pedestal. “Thank challenges. But today is 29 days with no on the planet have a big holiday. The birth- God, the statue itself was not damaged, Ukrainian World Congress combat losses in the east of Ukraine.” day of our mother, independent Ukraine. because they could not lift it, it was too Close-up of the statue “Bitter Memory “And today, on the 29th day of the truce, What gift would our mother Ukraine heavy.” of Childhood,” which is part of the on the 29th anniversary of Ukraine’s inde- like to receive from us? Holodomor memorial complex in pendence, we all ask God for only one thing: I think the main thing for every mother (Continued on page 9) Kyiv. is the happiness of children. First of all, chil- (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 No. 35-36 ANALYSIS Quasi-recognition of armed formations Biegun reasserts U.S. support for Kyiv with Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanou skaya to discuss the situation in of Donetsk-Luhansk: A play-by-play account United States Deputy Secretary of State Belarus and how civil society can strength- Stephen Biegun, during a meeting with en democracy and human rights in the Yermak are yielding willingly or readily. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal country. Mr. Biegun affirmed the U.S. com- by Vladimir Socor in Kyiv, assured that the United States sup- Eurasia Daily Monitor The open-source record shows that the mitment to Belarus’s sovereignty and terri- Kremlin does need to apply some pressure ports the Ukrainian government’s efforts to torial integrity, and to the sovereign right of Open-source evidence makes it possible in the negotiations. implement reforms. “In a meeting with its people to elect their own leaders and to trace the steps that led Ukrainian Meeting on July 3-4 in Berlin, the diplo- Prime Minister Shmyhal, Deputy Secretary determine their own future. (U.S. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his matic advisors to the Normandy heads of Biegun reiterated U.S. support for the Department of State) chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, to quasi-rec- state and government agreed on recom- Ukrainian government’s efforts to imple- ognize the Donetsk and Luhansk “armed mending to the Minsk Contact Group to dis- ment reforms that strengthen its democrat- Zelenskyy comments on election in Belarus ic institutions, improve the investment cli- formations” in a signed agreement at the cuss additional ceasefire-strengthening Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens- mate and ensure Ukraine can fulfill its political level (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, measures in the near future. However, the kyy said on August 23 that, if he were in Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” the Embassy July 29, 30, August 5). While the agree- French and German negotiators disagreed Belarusian President Alyaksandr Luka- said in a statement on its Facebook page on ment’s full text has been released by all sig- with Mr.