INSIDE: Aircraft manufacturer Antonov severs ties with Russia – page 3 President Petro Poroshenko addresses U.N. General Assembly – page 6 Tryzubivka’s celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day – page 10 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIV No. 39 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016 $2.00 Ukraine in Rio: Message of YES conference: Ukraine a Paralympic power cannot rely solely on Western support by Ihor N. Stelmach and Matthew Dubas Kyiv must act on improving In the international sports competi- how the country is run tion arena these days, the United States, Russia, China and Great Britain are by Mark Raczkiewycz almost always atop the leader board. KYIV – Last year, foreign technocrats and Every four years the above four coun- Western-educated Ukrainians represented tries rule the medals tables at the the government at the annual Yalta Olympics and Paralympics. European Strategy, the pre-eminent event The last dozen years have seen one that gathers high-profile officials and busi- underdog nation turn into a world ness leaders to discuss the country’s place superpower once the Paralympics in a constantly changing world. begin. Sixth in Athens (2004), fourth at This year, they were replaced by political both Beijing (2008) and London stalwarts like Prosecutor General Yurii (2012), Ukraine went one better in Lutsenko, former Prime Minister Arseniy 2016, finishing a remarkable third in Yatsenyuk, and technocrats who’ve left gov- the medal table at Rio – a position ernment like Natalie Jaresko, who was serving as finance minister in 2015, but Ukraine held for most of the competi- YES © 2016/Sergei Illin, Aleksandr Indychii, Aleksandr Pilyugin and Valentіna Tsymbaliuk tion. Ukraine proudly accumulated 117 now chairs the Aspen Institute in Kyiv. Taking place for the third time in Kyiv At the Yalta European Stategy conference, speakers included Mikheil Saakashvili (on total medals, including 41 gold, 37 sil- the left), the former president of Georgia and current governor of the Odesa Oblast; ver and 39 bronze. instead of Yalta because of Russia’s illegal and Swedish economist Anders Aslund, senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic annexation of Crimea, the yearly meeting Ukraine’s performance in Rio is Council. sent a clear message to the Ukrainian pan- especially amazing taking into account elists and speakers: Kyiv cannot count on Elites in Ukraine,” Mikheil Saakashvili, the the ministers are the management execu- the country’s plight with a deepening Western support if it doesn’t improve how former president of Georgia and current tives, and the Verkhovna Rada is simply the economic crisis, ongoing war versus the country is run, especially in rule of law governor of the Odesa Oblast, likened supervisory board. Russian and Russia-backed forces in the and how government institutions function. Ukraine to a joint-stock company in which east and the loss of its premier training Speaking on a panel titled, “Changing the nation’s oligarchs are the shareholders, (Continued on page 2) center in Crimea after the region was annexed by Russia. Petro Poroshenko, president of Ukraine, described the performance of the Ukrainian Paralympic team as Embassy of Ukraine holds reception to mark Ukrainian Independence Day “incredible,” adding that these athletes prove “the impossible is possible.” Valeriy Sushkevych is the person receiving most of the credit for Ukraine’s Paralympics success. The president of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine developed a training program called Invasport, which works by having schools and facilities dedicated to Paralympic sports in every Ukrainian oblast. The goal is to set up the best system possible of phys- ical education, sports and rehabilitation for people with disabilities. The program requires infrastructure all over Ukraine with schools for dis- abled children. Based on the results in Rio, the system appears to be working. The system is based on people who withstand and overcome problems like lack of money, political crisis, war and other troubles. Almost all involved are extremely dedicated. Yaro Bihun Sushkevych has spent most of his life A large crowd of representatives of Ukrainian American, diplomatic, government, business and other organizations fills the central hall using a wheelchair for mobility, having of the United States Institute of Peace on September 13 in Washington to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. been stricken with polio as a child. His Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S. bolic meaning for the country – the ical analysts and NGOs activists, represen- system stresses rehabilitation for dis- Institute of Peace, which is located in the tatives of international financial institu- abled children at the outset, but prom- WASHINGTON – To celebrate the 25th very center of downtown. tions and U.S. business, the local Ukrainian ises more for those who show potential anniversary of Ukraine’s independence in There were over 500 guests at the community and the media. Washington, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Embassy’s reception, among them U.S. offi- (Continued on page 15) U.S. chose a venue whose name has sym- cials and foreign diplomats, American polit- (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016 No. 39 Message of YES... (Continued from page 1) He accused ex-President Leonid Kuchma, the father-in-law to the event’s Poroshenko meets with Hillary Clinton Ukraine’s Crimea territory and backing of organizer, oligarch Victor Pinchuk, of set- armed separatists in eastern Ukraine, and KYIV – Ukraine’s President Petro ting up the allegedly oligarch-run system for continuing “to interfere in the affairs of Poroshenko met on September 20 with the during his rule in 1994-2005. its neighbors.” He added, “It may be popular Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Perhaps the most significant conclusion at home. It may fuel nationalist fervor for a Hillary Clinton. The president’s press ser- came from attendee Timothy Ash, the time. But over time it is also going to dimin- vice reported: “The Ukrainian head of state London-based head of Central Eastern ish [Russia’s] stature and make its borders emphasized that Ukraine today fights for Europe, Middle East and Africa credit strat- less secure.” Nations are wrong to embrace freedom and democratic values, which egy for Nomura International. a government model that favors “the strong unite the whole democratic world. The After the September 15-17 gathering man” over democratic institutions and interlocutors agreed that consolidated closed, he said the following in a note to relies on quashing dissent and stoking fears trans-Atlantic unity and solidarity with investors: “Ukraine… cannot rely on the of foreign enemies, he said. The U.S. presi- Ukraine is important in resisting Russian West to defend its sovereignty, which is in YES © 2016/Sergei Illin, Aleksandr Indychii, dent launched a bid to “reset” troubled rela- Aleksandr Pilyugin and Valentіna Tsymbaliuk aggression. Also noted was the effective- disarray… and it might end up as defending tions with Russia early in his first term, but ness of the sanctions policy against Russia. itself and European values in the process – Among other speakers at the YES con- ties have been severely strained by ference was Leon Panetta, former U.S. Petro Poroshenko thanked Hillary Clinton with Europeans no longer sure what those Moscow’s interference in Ukraine and ten- secretary of defense and former director for continuous and firm supportive stance very same values are (perhaps now just sion over other issues since Mr. Putin of the CIA. on Ukraine. The U.S. presidential candidate taken for granted) or indeed willing to fight returned to the Kremlin in 2012. (Carl also highlighted the important progress to defend them.” “What was interesting during the YES Schreck of RFE/RL, with reporting by AP) Ukraine has recently made on reforms and President Petro Poroshenko invoked this conference was the focus by speakers on her support for those continued steps.” In connection during his 40-minute opening the global trend towards the emergence of Biden, Poroshenko discuss energy reform related news, reported by various media speech on September 16. Referring to the new anti-establishment, nationalist and sources, it was noted that although WASHINGTON – U.S. Vice-President Joe Ukrainian military fighting against com- populist forces and movements,” Mr. Ash President Poroshenko had invited both the Biden has told Ukraine’s president that bined Russian-separatist forces in the wrote. “There was a failure (amongst the Democratic and the Republican U.S. presi- reforms to the country’s energy sector are Donbas, the president said, “they defend speakers) to link this back to Ukraine dential candidates to meet with him, only imperative and need to be accelerated. The our sovereignty, our freedom and our itself… Putin’s strategic objectives with Ms. Clinton accepted. Donald J. Trump, it White House said in a statement on democracy… Not our – Ukrainian, but our – regard to Ukraine… remain to bring the was reported, did not even respond to the September 21 that Mr. Biden also told European. And this is the battlefield.” country back under Russia’s orbit of con- invitation. Foreign Policy carried the story President Petro Poroshenko that he needed Domestically, the consensus was that trol… But Putin thinks that the West is fac- under the headline “Trump gives Ukraine to do more to clean up Ukraine’s judiciary reforms and the fight against corruption ing inevitable decline, and the coalition cold shoulder in New York.” (Presidential and prosecutor’s office, which have been must move ahead to unleash additional ranged against it, to defend Ukraine (via sanctions) will more than likely crumble if Administration of Ukraine, Foreign Policy) tainted by corruption for years. The two Western financial assistance and diplomatic met in New York on the sidelines of the U.N.