No. 15, April 12, 2020
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THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 15 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2020 $2.00 Unprecedented quarantine measures Retired Metropolitan-Archbishop enacted to fight coronavirus in Ukraine Stephen Sulyk dies of COVID-19 PHILADELPHIA – Metropolitan-Arch- bishop emeritus Stephen Sulyk, who head- ed the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States in 1981-2000, died on April 6 at the age of 95. A day earlier, he had been hospitalized with symptoms of the corona- virus. Archbishop-Metropolitan Borys Gudziak wrote on Facebook on April 5: “A few hours ago, Archbishop Stephen was hospitalized. He is presenting the symptoms of COVID-19, and his vital signs are weak. The Archbishop is receiving comfort care. Everything is in the Lord’s hands.” Metropolitan Borys provided the follow- ing biography of the deceased hierarch. Stephen Sulyk was born to Michael and Mary Denys Sulyk on October 2, 1924, in Serhii Nuzhnenko, RFE/RL Balnycia, a village in the Lemko District of National deputies leave the Verkhovna Rada wearing protective masks. the Carpathian mountains in western Ukraine. In 1944, he graduated from high Retired Metropolitan-Archbishop Stephen Sulyk by Roman Tymotsko infectious diseases, a person faces criminal school in Sambir. After graduation, the events prosecution. of World War II forced him to leave his native with the additional responsibilities of chan- KYIV – As Ukraine enters the second Beginning on April 6, being in public land and share the experience of a refugee. cery secretary. month of its coronavirus quarantine, new places without a facemask or a respirator is He entered the Ukrainian Catholic From July 1, 1957, until October 5, 1961, restrictions were enacted on April 6. With prohibited. “Considering the rate of the Seminary of the Holy Spirit in Hirschberg, he was pastor of St. Michael’s Church in 1,668 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of spread of the coronavirus, all people are Germany. In 1948, he migrated to the United Frackville, Pa. During his short tenure of April 8, Ukraine remains one of Europe’s considered to be potentially infected,” the States and continued his priestly studies at four years, he built, furnished and paid for a least affected countries (per capita). government explained. “One may not be St. Josaphat’s Seminary and The Catholic new church and parish social hall. Annual However, the paucity of virus testing leaves aware that he/she carries the virus, but University of America in Washington. gross income rose from $10,000 in 1957 to observers to suspect that the real number puts other people at risk. The mask serves In 1952, he received his S.T.L. degree $60,000 in what was considered a finan- of those taken ill is highly undercounted. as the barrier to the possible infection of from the Catholic University of America cially depressed area. New quarantine measures are forcing others. When the mask is on the face, the and was ordained to the priesthood on June After a short stay at St. Nicholas Parish Ukrainians to stay home both for fear of amount of released biological material into 14, 1952, at the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia, on March 22, 1962, he was infection and a huge fine for non-compli- the surrounding air that may contain the Cathedral in Philadelphia. appointed pastor of Assumption Church in ance with the rules. For a violation of quar- pathogen is reduced.” After ordination, he served as assistant Perth Amboy, N.J. Within a year, he com- antine rules, a penalty of between 17,000 Also banned are: groupings of more pastor in Omaha, Neb., Brooklyn, N.Y., pleted a new elementary school. During his hrv ($623 U.S.) and 34,000 hrv ($1,246) is than two persons (except for exigencies of Minersville, Pa., and Youngstown, Ohio. pastorate, Father Sulyk converted the rec- envisaged. Moreover, for violating sanitary Father Sulyk received his first pastoral laws and regulations for the prevention of (Continued on page 14) assignment in 1955 in Phoenixville, Pa., (Continued on page 5) Transatlantic Task Force reviews Ukraine’s reform efforts amid COVID-19 crisis by Adrian Karmazyn the passage of a banking legislation ban- ning the return of nationalized banks to WASHINGTON – In the aftermath of previous owners and a land market law President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s govern- that allows for the sale of farmland. The ment shake-up on March 4 that brought to appointment of new, respected finance and power a number of ministers with ques- health ministers also bolstered what had tionable reform credentials, observers been waning confidence in Ukraine’s tra- were concerned that Ukraine would be jectory. Still, Ukraine’s reform path remains backtracking on the progress that had been fragile as the crisis deepens. made by the previous Cabinet of Ministers. During an April 2 webinar linking Unexpectedly, the coronavirus pandemic experts in Washington, Kyiv and Brussels, as and the ensuing global economic crisis well as an international audience online, the have forced Ukraine to demonstrably Transatlantic Task Force on Ukraine (TTFU) recommit to reform efforts in order to sought to examine the way forward for access major loans from the International ongoing Ukrainian reform efforts, including Monetary Fund (IMF), which have again good governance, judicial reforms, the rule become critical to the country’s stability. of law, combatting corruption and promot- That funding comes with strings attached – Adrian Karmazyn ing economic development. conditionalities requiring that Ukraine stay A screenshot of the webinar linking experts in Washington, Kyiv and Brussels who on track with reforms, particularly through discussed Ukraine’s reform efforts on April 2. (Continued on page 19) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2020 No. 15 ANALYSIS Legalization of Ukrainian PMCs: Agreement on pre-Easter prisoner swap sists of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, is meant to Ukraine and Russian-backed militants in bring the countries closer to the EU with- the east of the country have agreed to Challenges and opportunities out the concrete offer of future member- another prisoner swap ahead of Julian cal- trol: “[I]f Donbas is overtaken by the army – ship in the bloc. The statement stops short by Sergey Sukhankin endar Easter. The Russian and Ukrainian this is a clear violation of the Normandy of calling for future EU membership for the Eurasia Daily Monitor sides in the so-called Trilateral Contact agreements. If this is done via PMCs,” it six, saying only that “political association Group (TCG) made the announcement late On February 3, the deputy secretary of could be explained away as part of the and economic integration of the Eastern on April 8 following a video conference. the National Security and Defense Council of ongoing “civil war,” and no legitimate puni- partners with the EU remain our main The talks led to “fundamental agreements Ukraine, Maj. Gen. Serhiy Kryvonos, suggest- tive steps could be undertaken in response goal.” It also supports their “gradual access” on the lists for the mutual release of ed the necessity to legalize private military (Tvzvezda.ru, February 6). to the EU markets. The Visegrad statement detained persons” no later than Orthodox companies (PMC) in Ukraine. According to Referring to the positive side of legaliz- will be included in the debate on the Easter on April 19, according to a state- the national security official, many ing Ukraine’s PMCs, National Deputy Eastern Partnership that EU foreign minis- Ukrainian soldiers – especially those coming Vasylevska-Smahliuk stated that the coun- ment on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s website. Russia’s envoy to the ters are scheduled to have at the end of the from the frontlines in the Donbas – are try already has such private-sector military month. An Eastern Partnership summit is formations anyway; the problem is that TCG, Boris Gryzlov, said Kyiv and “separat- unable find decent jobs upon their demobili- still scheduled for June 18 in Brussels, “they are registered abroad… and they do ists” in the Donbas region had “principally zation (UNIAN, February 3). The following although it might be postponed due to the not pay taxes in Ukraine” – if they obtain coordinated the lists of detained persons day, National Deputy Olha Vasylevska- pandemic. (Rikard Jozwiak of RFE/RL) Smahliuk (representing the majority legal status, this situation can change. Most for exchange.” It was not immediately clear Servant of the People party), officially intro- Ukrainian military experts tend to agree how many prisoners the two sides would Ukraine confirms 1,892 coronavirus cases duced a bill “On Military-Consultancy with the need for such a bill as well as its exchange. The last prisoner swap in Activities,” de facto proposing to legalize prospective positive impact on both the December 2019 involved 200 people. Ukraine had 1,892 laboratory-confirmed national PMCs. The bill regulates terms and Ukrainian war veterans and the state bud- During the video conference, held in keep- COVID-19 cases as of April 9, according to conditions under which Ukrainian PMCs are get (UNIAN, February 11). ing with recommendations against in-per- the Public Health Center of the Health to operate (Rada.gov.ua, February 4). Yet, not everyone shares such optimism. son gatherings because of the coronavirus Ministry of Ukraine. Among those were 57 The issue of legalizing PMCs in Ukraine Already in 2018, one former employee pandemic, the sides also discussed demin- lethal cases. Some 45 patients have recov- became more pressing after 2014 (Russia’s of a Ukrainian PMC (on conditions of ano- ing and negotiations on the disengagement ered. Over the past day, 224 new cases annexation of Crimea and war in the nymity) pointed out the potentially detri- of troops in the Donbas region.