Leaked Memorandum Warns of Collapse of Ukraine's Economy
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INSIDE: • Electronic Library of Ukraine is launched – page 4. • The Ukrainian Museum presents art by Mychajlo Moroz – page 9. • Travel: Adventures in Iceland and Greenland – page 13. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVII No.5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine Leaked memorandum warns Prime minister and president of collapse of Ukraine’s economy battle over National Bank chair by Zenon Zawada by Zenon Zawada Kyiv Press Bureau Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – An alarming memorandum KYIV – Igniting a potentially warning of the impending collapse of the dangerous battle for the National Ukrainian economy, allegedly penned by Bank of Ukraine, the Yulia Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk, was Tymoshenko Bloc mustered a leaked to the public on January 27. slim parliamentary majority on Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko alleg- January 26 to dismiss National edly forbid distribution of the January 6 Bank of Ukraine Chair memo addressed to the Cabinet of Ministers Volodymyr Stelmakh for alleged and ordered Mr. Pynzenyk to recall it before corruption and destructive mon- it was made public by Ekonomichna Pravda, etary policies. a leading news website, which didn’t dis- Observers and critics alike close its source. said the legislation to dismiss “The country is in danger, the citizens Mr. Stelmakh was absurd – 227 are in danger,” the memo stated, adding, deputies voted to nullify the “There is an exit out of today’s compli- Parliament’s December 2004 cated situation, but there’s almost no time vote approving his candidacy. left. In a month or two, in the absence of Oleksandr Prokopenko/UNIAN “If we’ve come to such non- adequate measures, the situation will gov- sense in our country, then we Zenon Zawada National Bank of Ukraine Chair Volodymyr Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk (Continued on page 8) Stelmakh with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. can cancel the resolution affirm- ing (Yulia) Tymoshenko as prime minister and go all the way to (Vitalii) Masol, the most competent prime minister, by the way,” said Mykola Ukrainian Embassy reception celebrates U.S. president’s inauguration Azarov, a national deputy of the Party of Regions of Ukraine (PRU). by Yaro Bihun Allies of President Viktor Yushchenko, Special to The Ukrainian Weekly who ignored repeated demands by the WASHINGTON – The January 20 Verkhovna Rada to dismiss Mr. Stelmakh, inauguration of Barak Obama as the 44th said the vote was unconstitutional since president of the United States was cele- Parliament can dismiss the National Bank brated at many festive gatherings in and of Ukraine (NBU) only at the president’s around the nation’s capital, among them a request. gala reception at the Embassy of Ukraine Regardless of whether the vote was on the following evening. legitimate, however, observers said it Sponsored by the U.S.-Ukrainian demonstrated that enough Ukrainians Business Council (USUBC) with the sup- have lost trust in the 70-year-old banker, port of 10 Ukrainian American organiza- who is breaking Ukrainian law just by not tions, the joyous event attracted close to retiring after exceeding the age limit of 300 guests, including representatives of 65 for civil servants. the U.S. government and congress, for- “There is the fact of distrust and, to mer U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine and normalize the situation, the chair must be leaders of the Ukrainian American com- replaced,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, munity. Yaro Bihun board chairman of the Penta Center for A lot of the attention of the guests, Andrew Bihun of The Washington Group (left) joins U.S.-Ukraine Business Political Research in Kyiv. however, was focused on two very Council President Morgan Williams in raising a toast and singing “God Bless President Yushchenko stands to cause famous ladies of Ukrainian descent who America” and “Mnohaya Lita” in honor of the new U.S. president. Next to them further damage to Ukraine’s devastated were there that evening: Heidemarie in front of the Embassy main reception room are (from left): Olympic figure economy if he decides to defend Mr. Stefanyshyn-Piper, who completed her skating gold medalist Oksana Baiul (behind Mr. Williams), Andrea Knihnicky Stelmakh and thwart further attempts to second journey into space aboard the and Emily Knihnicky of the Voloshky dancers of Philadelphia, Solomia replace him, Mr. Fesenko said. He didn’t space shuttle in November 2008, and Dutkewych, astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, and pianists Svetlana rule out that possibility, however. Oksana Baiul, the figure skating gold Smolina and her husband, Maxim Mogilevsky. Other observers said two NBU chairs medal winner for Ukraine at the 1994 may emerge, just as two procurators gen- Winter Olympics. He said he saw in the new president a One of President Obama’s foreign pol- eral were appointed in 2007, in a battle There was also a little bombshell leader with a “sober appreciation of the icy advisors during the election campaign that almost escalated into armed conflict dropped by her shuttle commander about current situation” and one that was “ambi- was William Miller, who served as the between those loyal to the president and the astronaut’s future plans. tious enough” to resolve the problems U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in the latter those supporting the Prime Minister The evening’s host, Ukraine’s facing his country. 1990s. In his remarks at the reception, he Viktor Yanukovych. Ambassador Oleh Shamshur, opened the As for the new U.S. administration’s noted the “spirit of hope and optimism” “A war over the National Bank will evening by recalling the previous day’s affect on the future of the U.S.-Ukraine conveyed on the Mall. At this time in our further undermine its standing both with- inauguration ceremony on the National bilateral relationship, which had devel- country’s history, he said, it was fortunate in Ukraine and abroad,” Mr. Fesenko Mall, which he attended. He found it oped a solid base over the last four years “that we have a president who is there said. “The best resolution would be for “extremely inspiring,” he said, especially of the Bush administration, Ambassador because of his merit, his intellect and his Stelmakh to resign and a compromise to the “spirit of hope” that was prevalent in Shamshur expressed the hope that “we sense of possibility,” and one who repre- be reached on his replacement.” the unprecedented gathering of nearly 2 will be able not simply to move on but to sents the aspirations of all Americans. Banker Stanislav Arzhevitin, an Our million people who came to witness the reach a new qualitative level in our rela- event. tionship.” (Continued on page 10) (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2009 No. 5 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Role of Russian organized crime Ukrainian flag marks its birthday Taylor said, “we want to be sure that humanitarian activities of the U.S. office, KYIV – The national flag of Ukraine after it is opened in Symferopol, will be in the gas war of January 2009 marked its 17th birthday on January 28. properly assessed by the leadership of On that date in 1992 the Verkhovna Rada Crimea and its residents.” He added, “As by Roman Kupchinsky ETG’s creation: unemployed Romanians adopted the resolution “On State Flag of for the protests being held by representa- Eurasia Daily Monitor became principal of the company; an Ukraine.” The resolution noted that the tives from certain political forces in January 27 Israeli lawyer with ties to Mr. Mogilevich national flag is “a rectangular cloth con- Crimea against the realization of this became a nominal director of the compa- sisting of two equal by width and hori- project, my attitude to these moods coin- On January 20 Alexei Miller, the CEO ny; and Andras Knopp, a former zontally located stripes: the upper one is cides with my attitude to democracy in of Russia’s state-owned gas monopoly, Hungarian Communist cultural function- of the blue color, the lower one of the yel- general.” The envoy also said that the Gazprom, made an amazing confession. ary with no knowledge of the gas busi- low color, with a 2:3 ratio of the flag’s United States is interested in a successful He told Interfax that in late December ness, became the director of the company. width against its length.” In 1996 the Ukraine, its strong economy, security and 2008, when negotiations between Ukraine Even stranger was Mr. Firtash’s refusal to importance and status of the national flag policy. The possibility of opening a U.S. and Russia on a new gas supply contract reveal that he was the ultimate beneficia- was delineated by the Constitution of representative office in Crimea is envi- broke down, the party largely responsible ry of ETG. Soon after the contract was Ukraine. The blue and yellow colors sym- sioned in the recently signed Charter of for this was RosUkrEnergo (RUE), the signed, ETG was given a $70 million bolized the state of Kyiv even before the Strategic Partnership between Ukraine Swiss-based middleman company that loan by Gazprom Bank, which also adoption of Christianity. At those times, and the U.S. Ukraine’s permanent presi- sold Central Asian gas to Ukraine. became the guarantor of a $227 million there was no the national flag as such; dential envoy in Crimea, Leonid Zhunko, RUE is 50 percent owned by Gazprom loan to ETG by Vnesheconombank only princes’ flags existed. Following the said the office “will help the U.S. and and 45 percent by a Ukrainian business- (Moscow Times, November 27, 2003). Tatar invasion, these symbols disappeared Crimea to understand each other better.