INSIDE: • The post-Soviet generation in Lviv – page 3. • Groundbreaking conference on the Holodomor – pages 9-10. • Ice sculptors from Ukraine at Canadian festivals – page 13. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVII No.10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine SBU raids offices of Naftohaz Rada dismisses Ohryzko demanding gas deal documents Foreign affairs minister is latest casualty of political battle by Zenon Zawada Tymoshenko alleges has been funneled by Zenon Zawada Kyiv Press Bureau into the private coffers of President Kyiv Press Bureau Yushchenko and his political allies. KYIV – The war between billionaire Party of Regions politicians Yurii KYIV – Ukraine’s Parliament voted on businessman Dmytro Firtash and Prime Boiko and Serhii Liovochkin are also March 3 to dismiss Foreign Affairs Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for control of involved in siphoning money from the Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko. The pro- Ukraine’s natural gas transport system re- natural gas trade through Mr. Firtash, the Western diplomat became the latest casu- ignited on March 4 when 12 masked offi- prime minister alleges. alty in the ongoing three-way battle cers of the Security Service of Ukraine Through her agreement reached with between the Presidential Secretariat, the (SBU) armed with assault weapons Mr. Putin, Ms. Tymoshenko succeeded in Cabinet of Ministers and pro-Russian stormed Naftohaz Ukrainy headquarters eliminating RosUkrEnergo, the opaque opposition forces. to make arrests and demand documents. intermediary established by President The Party of Regions of Ukraine The officers arrested Taras Shepitko, Yushchenko in January 2006 and con- (PRU), the Communist Party of Ukraine accusing him of participating in the theft trolled by Mr. Firtash that she alleges is (CPU) and 49 deputies of the Yulia of 6.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas, the structure through which billions of Tymoshenko Bloc (YTB) assembled 250 and demanded the original copy of the dollars are funneled. votes to dismiss Mr. Ohryzko, no longer January 19 natural gas agreement that As for the 11 billion cubic meters cur- willing to tolerate his pro-Washington Ms. Tymoshenko signed with Prime rently being fought over, Mr. Firtash positions and loyalty to President Viktor Minister Vladimir Putin, which she has alleges that natural gas belongs to him, a Yushchenko in his attacks against Prime yet to provide to the SBU or Parliament. position supported by President Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. While authorities allege the original Yushchenko, who controls the SBU and While contempt for Mr. Ohryzko from Zenon Zawada was necessary to confirm the pact’s con- approved of the March 3 raid. pro-Russian forces had long been boiling, Foreign Affairs Minister Volodymyr ditions, Ms. Tymoshenko and her allies Messrs. Boiko and Liovochkin also it was his recent criticism of Ms. Ohryzko was dismissed by the claim the criminal charges and subse- support returning the gas to Mr. Firtash, a Tymoshenko that pushed her over the Verkhovna Rada on March 3. quent search were merely a pretext to position that caused a rift within the Party edge, prompting her to sacrifice him in the 49 deputies who voted to dismiss Mr. intimidate Naftohaz officials from aiding of Regions after its failed February exchange for support in canceling pre-term Ohryzko acted emotionally in defiance of the Cabinet’s attempts to eliminate the attempt to dismiss Ms. Tymoshenko from elections for the Ternopil Oblast Council, her instructions to abstain from the vote, corruption related to gas transit. her post. where her bloc faced big losses. “I think that very few naive politicians Meanwhile, Ms. Tymoshenko has “It was a so-called barter, in which the an assertion rejected by political observ- and journalists are left in Ukraine who alleged Mr. Firtash stole that gas, which Tymoshenko Bloc helped the Party of ers. would think that the special forces would the Ukrainian government purchased Regions dismiss Ohryzko, and in the next “I doubt that such a large group of act without the president’s command,” from Gazprom, and it’s merely her vote the Party of Regions helped the deputies, particularly those so closely Ms. Tymoshenko told journalists during responsibility as prime minister to reclaim Tymoshenko Bloc, which lacked enough linked to Tymoshenko, would act on emo- her March 4 visit to Paris. it for the Ukrainian people. votes, to cancel the election to the tions,” said Oleksander Palii, a political “As prime minister, I will painfully rap The conflict and ensuing chaos seemed Ternopil Oblast Council,” said Oleh expert with the Institute of Foreign Policy the hands of those who encroach upon to play right into the hands of Mr. Putin, Zarubinskyi, a national deputy with the at the Diplomatic Academy of the state property,” she added, referring to the who announced on March 5 that the Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc, which didn’t Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas at Russian government would cut off natural support either vote. About four hours after the vote, Ms. the heart of the current conflict. gas supplies yet again if the Ukrainian Borys Kolesnikov, a top PRU national Tymoshenko continued to feign disap- Ukraine’s most powerful politicians government didn’t fulfill a $360 million deputy, claimed no trade was involved pointment with her deputies, as if they are fighting over control of the country’s obligation that was due March 7. and that both votes were a coincidence of truly defied her orders, telling reporters natural gas trade because it involves bil- common interests. that she understood what motivated them. lions of dollars in profit, which Ms. (Continued on page 5) Meanwhile, Ms. Tymoshenko claimed “They don’t agree with the foreign affairs minister sending abroad instruc- tions which shame the prime minister, the Ukrainian government and the state,” she Yushchenko and Tymoshenko pledge reforms in letter to IMF said. “I not only understand this, but also share their indignation.” by Pavel Korduban The IMF approved the stand-by loan for February 28). “However, today, when the political Eurasia Daily Monitor Ukraine last November. Its first $4.5 billion Eventually, the IMF postponed the allo- situation in the country is indefinite, and tranche arrived promptly for the National cation of the loan’s $1.845 billion second the economy is difficult, I would advise Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to start refinancing tranche, which Ukraine expected on our deputies to find within themselves the and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko have banks, several of which were about to col- February 15. The IMF mission left Kyiv. strength to curb their outrage and anger, managed to set their differences aside and lapse. This was the last thing that an economy and not surrender to their emotions.” agree on a reform package in an effort to Ms. Tymoshenko, however, intervened in teetering on the brink of collapse needed. Minutes after that statement, however, save the economy from imminent collapse. the process. She told the NBU to coordinate Ukraine has been the East European country Ms. Tymoshenko cleared the smoke- Mr. Yushchenko and Ms. Tymoshenko refinancing with her Cabinet, suspecting that most severely affected by the crisis. The screen and admitted that Mr. Ohryzko agreed on March 2 on the content of a letter banks were using the money for currency national currency lost some 50 percent of its was indeed a stick in her craw that she of intent to the International Monetary Fund speculation; and she orchestrated a no-confi- value from September 2008 to February. In was happy to be rid of. signaling their readiness to take measures in dence vote in NBU chief and Yushchenko January alone, inflation reached 2.9 percent, “As a minister, Ohryzko radically the economy to qualify for the continuation ally Volodymyr Stelmakh (see Eurasia Daily real wages dropped 12 percent, industrial didn’t suit me,” she told reporters. “This of IMF financing in the framework of a Monitor, January 30). output shrank 34.1 percent, and GDP con- is an unprofessional person, who system- $16.4 billion stand-by loan. Ms. Tymoshenko also refused to revise tracted by some 20 percent compared with atically engaged in provocations against Ukraine badly needs IMF money in order the 2009 state budget, which both Mr. the previous year after almost a decade of the government. But, at the same time, to avoid a default on its international obliga- Yushchenko and the IMF viewed as too steady growth that continued until last fall. understanding the faction’s disposition, in tions. The plan approved by Mr. Yushchenko optimistic. Finance Minister Viktor The lack of unity between President which all 155 individuals wanted to vote and Ms. Tymoshenko may be blocked, how- Pynzenyk, who had refused to sign the bud- Yushchenko and Prime Minister for Ohryzko’s dismissal, we asked that ever, by the opposition Party of Regions of get, resigned in protest against what he Tymoshenko had been one of the reasons the faction not vote.” Ukraine (PRU), which disagrees with sever- described as the domination of politics over al key provisions of the letter. professionalism in the government (ICTV, (Continued on page 19) (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009 No. 10 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS NATO-Ukraine partnership hobbled Taylor: Ukraine needs consolidation Tymoshenko said on March 3 that she is disappointed that some national deputies KYIV – Ukraine needs consolidation of of her bloc had backed the dismissal of ahead of NATO’s anniversary summit all branches of power to receive the sec- Foreign Affairs Minister Volodymyr ond tranche of the International Monetary Ohryzko. “I understand the motivation by Vladimir Socor Deutschland, February 21).