INSIDE: Analysis: Ukraine-Russia prisoner release – page 2 “Steinmeier formula” and Normandy Four – page 3 Diaspora statements support Plast in Ukraine – page 7 THEHEPublished U by theKRAINIANK UkrainianR NationalAIN Association,IAN Inc., celebrating W its 125th anniversaryEEKLYEEKLY Vol. LXXXVII No. 38 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 $2.00 Ukraine’s president rejects Zelenskyy’s foreign policy faces challenges state support for Plast scouts: at Normandy Four and U.N. General Assembly Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Donald What happened and what’s next Trump next week in New York during the opening of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly. by Roman Tymotsko Both events have generated considerable speculation KYIV – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the law and controversy. While potentially providing new opportu- “On state recognition and support of Plast – National nities, they pose a major test for President Zelenskyy and Scouting Organization of Ukraine,” sending it back to the the cohesion and efficacy of his nascent foreign policy, as Verkhovna Rada on September 4. The legislation had been well as the aptitude of his team in this sphere. approved by the previously elected Parliament at the end Russia’s insistence on strict terms for its participation in of May and awaited the president’s action for more than a new Normandy Four summit – namely Ukraine’s accep- three months. tance of the controversial “Steinmeier formula” from 2016 The president did not sign the law; instead, he returned as a precondition – has set off alarm bells. The formula has it to the Parliament with his proposals. Now it is up to the been keenly supported by Russia, and backed by Germany recently elected new Rada to act on Ukraine’s recognition and France too. But Ukraine has been wary of this scheme and support of this scouting organization that was founded and until this week managed to keep it off the agenda. in 1911 in Ukraine. The Steinmeier formula foresees the simultaneous Back on May 30, members of the Verkhovna Rada already implementation of both the security and political compo- knew that in two months’ time snap elections would be held. nents of the earlier Minsk accords from 2014 and 2015 Presidential Office of Ukraine Just a week earlier, the newly inaugurated president had dis- aimed at ending the Russian-Ukrainian war in the Donbas, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vadym Prystaiko on missed the Parliament. It was time to act on legislative proj- but the interpretation of the modalities of their implemen- September 11, when he was introduced by President ects that were in the queue. Andriy Parubiy, chairman of the tation have remained a stumbling block. The issues con- Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the diplomats and staff of his cern, among others, at what stage does Ukraine regain Rada, announced that the voting on the law regarding state ministry. recognition of Plast – which was written by 62 members of control of the border, when are troops and armed forma- the Verkhovna Rada – would be held that day. by Bohdan Nahaylo tions withdrawn, how are local elections to be conducted, Words of support by the primate of the Orthodox and what type of local self-government is foreseen. Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy, had raised the KYIV – A flurry of diplomatic activity continues around The announcement about President Zelenskyy’s forth- pressure on members of Parliament, most of whom public- events surrounding the forthcoming summit of the coming meeting with President Trump also raises ques- ly backed the new Church and its leader. “Normandy Four” leaders (Russia, Germany, France and tions and alludes to residual difficulties behind the scene. Two hundred twenty-eight votes cast in favor were Ukraine), and the separate, and now confirmed, meeting of Attempts were initially made in some quarters in slightly more than what was needed for the law to pass. the Ukrainian and U.S. presidents. Washington to depict the new Ukrainian president as Seven out of the eight parliamentary factions supported Ukraine’s new minister of foreign affairs, Vadym being in league with “enemies” of Mr. Trump. Although this the legislation. Unsurprisingly, the pro-Russian Opposition Prystaiko, indicated on September 18 that a meeting of the unexpected storm appears to have blown over, it is striking Bloc abstained from voting. Normandy Four – which Ukraine had wanted to be held in that the announcement refers only to a meeting of the two September – will now probably be held in October. That (Continued on page 10) same day, the White House announced that President (Continued on page 4) Australian exhibition about Holodomor on view in Kyiv Australian Federation of Ukrainian many Ukrainians who are still unaware of Organizations the depth of the tragedy of the Holodomor. Also in attendance were Melissa KYIV – In November 2018, the Australian O’Rourke, Australian ambassador to Federation of Ukrainian Organizations Ukraine; Olesia Stasiuk, director of the (AFUO) launched a unique photo exhibition National Museum: Holodomor Victims in Melbourne to mark 85 years since the Memorial; members of the exhibition’s Holodomor – Stalin’s man-made famine in curatorial team Halya Kostiuk and Janina Ukraine in 1932-33. The exhibition hon- Green; and other distinguished guests. ored survivors of the Holodomor who This moving tribute was brought togeth- eventually came to settle in Australia. er by Melbourne-based Ms. Kostiuk, Katya Nine months on, the exhibition opened Danylak, award-winning principal photogra- in Kyiv through a collaboration between pher Ms. Green and photographer Andrii the AFUO and the National Museum: Gavran. They travelled across Australia for Holodomor Victims Memorial. On August almost two years, interviewing and photo- 22, “Voices From Across the Ocean: graphing Holodomor survivors with the Holodomor Photographic Exhibition” was help of the local diaspora. The project aimed officially opened by Ukraine’s Minister of to immortalize the stories of these incredibly Culture Yevhen Nyschuk. resilient people – now in their 80s and 90s, Mr. Nyschuk spoke passionately about some of whom have since passed away – the need for all to remember the suffering and their families, ensuring the tragedy of that Ukrainians endured during the the Holodomor is never forgotten. Communist Soviet era and of the impor- AFUO tance in informing, not only the world, but Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Yevhen Nyschuk speaks at the opening of the exhibit. (Continued on page 6) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 No. 38 ANALYSIS Ukraine accepts Russia’s terms Zelenskyy thanks Trump for releasing aid Concern over appeal in Gongadze murder Ukrainian President Volodymyr The New York-based Committee to for prisoner release agreement Zelenskyy has thanked U.S. President Protect Journalists (CPJ) on September 16 Donald Trump for releasing a $250 million “expressed concern” over the possibility Mr. Tsemakh is a possible key witness in by Vladimir Socor military assistance package that the White that a former Ukrainian police general who the scheduled international trial on the Eurasia Daily Monitor House had previously held for review. The confessed to the murder of a journalist may downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 have his life prison sentence commuted. (MH17) from Amsterdam, over the military aid is largely meant to train and PART I Oleksiy Pukach, who once headed the sur- Russian-occupied Donbas in 2014, when equip Ukrainian forces as they fight against veillance department of Ukraine’s Internal On September 7, Ukraine’s Presidential 298 lives (many of them Dutch) were lost. Russia-backed separatists in a war that has Affairs Ministry, was sentenced in January Office and the Kremlin announced a mutu- Mr. Tsemakh, an “air defense coordinator” lasted more than five years, killed more 2013 for the murder of Heorhiy Gongadze ally agreed decision to release 35 prisoners near the site of that catastrophe, subse- than 13,000 people, and torn apart a large from detention by each side. On the same quently told a local media outlet on video swath of eastern Ukraine. “I am thankful, I 13 years earlier on September 16. After his day, the 35 freed citizens of Ukraine were that he had helped to escort and shelter the am grateful to him,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on disappearance that day, Gongadze’s behead- flown from Russia to Kyiv, where President Russian Buk mobile air-defense battery September 13, a day after the White House ed body was found two months later in a Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed them on that shot down the airliner. The SBU dropped its resistance to the aid. Speaking forest near Kyiv that sent shock waves the airport’s tarmac (see Eurasia Daily abducted Mr. Tsemakh in June from the at the opening of the annual Yalta European through society and immediate calls for a Monitor, September 9). Meanwhile, there is Russian-occupied territory because of his Strategy (YES) meeting organized by thorough investigation. Mr. Pukach, mean- no official information on the whereabouts value as a witness in the upcoming interna- Ukrainian tycoon Viktor Pinchuk in Kyiv, while, has given conflicting accounts over of the 35 freed by Ukraine as a quid pro tional trial (one SBU officer was killed in Mr. Zelenskyy said that he felt his relation- the years, and has been appealing his life quo. The Kremlin did not stage a media the abduction operation). On September 5, ship with the fellow former TV star-turned- sentence for the past six years. His next event to fly any of them to Russia. a Kyiv Court of Appeals, undoubtedly president was “very good” and called the appearance before the Supreme Court is on The Kremlin and the Ukrainian prompted by the Presidential Office, United States an “important strategic part- October 9, which is when he could be freed.