The Ukrainian Weekly, 2017

INSIDE: l MPs in Canada mark “Vyshyvanka” Day – page 4 l Introducing our new columnist: Orest Deychakiwsky – page 7 l Photo report: St. George Ukrainian Festival – page 11 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXV No. 23 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2017 $2.00 Ukraine delivers legal knockout Cardinal Lubomyr Husar dies to Russia in multi-billion-dollar gas case by Mark Raczkiewycz comment with the state-run company’s press service in Moscow went unanswered. KYIV – Ukraine dealt a legal blow to The head of the financial and economic Russia in their multi-faceted war when a department of Gazprom, Oleksandr Swedish arbitration tribunal on May 31 Ivannikov, told BBC Ukraine that the ruling “rejected” claims by state-owned Gazprom is 790 pages long and that it first should be over natural gas supplies to Ukraine worth read “to arrive at any conclusions.” more than $45 billion. Three months after Russia illegally Ukraine’s state-run energy holding com- annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, pany, Naftogaz, said in a news release that Gazprom on June 16, 2014, initiated litiga- the tribunal dismissed Gazprom’s “take or tion in Stockholm over the 10-year gas con- pay” claim that stems from a 2009 contract tract. In turn, Naftogaz filed a counterclaim and which required Kyiv to pay for unpur- alleging that Russia had underpaid for gas chased gas volumes. transit through Ukrainian pipelines. Historically, Ukraine has been reliant on Kyiv is asking for an award worth up to Russian gas and Moscow has used energy $30.3 billion. That includes the market as a geopolitical tool against Kyiv, including price difference for gas adding up to $18 via supply cuts during harsh winter billion and for transit equaling $12.3 bil- Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church months. In its ruling, the Swedish court lion. A ruling on this claim is expected in Cardinal Lubomyr Husar said the gas price should be “market-reflec- the fall. Naftogaz argues it overpaid for gas Religious Information Service Born in Lviv, on February 26, 1933, tive,” Naftogaz said, adding that a ban was from 2010 to 2014 because oil-linked con- of Ukraine Lubomyr Husar fled from Ukraine with lifted for the re-export of gas, which was tract prices were much higher than the his parents in 1944, ahead of the part of the controversial contract. traded market prices in Europe. KYIV – Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, advancing Soviet army. He spent the “This is an important step towards ener- Since the tribunal moved to bifurcate the major archbishop emeritus of the early post-World War II years among gy security,” President Petro Poroshenko case in order to divide it into separate lia- Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, died Ukrainian refugees in a displaced per- said in a statement. “Moscow for the first bility and damage proceedings, it won’t on May 31, following a serious illness. sons camp near Salzburg, Austria. time loses the ability to use gas as a weap- announce the value of the award in its first He was 84. In 1949, he emigrated with his family on of political pressure and extortion.” ruling until later this month. The amount From January 26, 2001, to February to the United States. From 1950 to Gazprom as of June 1 had not released a for which Russia is asking is roughly half of 10, 2011, he headed the Ukrainian 1954, he studied at St. Basil’s College statement on the ruling and three phone Greek-Catholic Church worldwide and calls by The Ukrainian Weekly seeking (Continued on page 9) was revered as the Church’s patriarch. (Continued on page 9) Dutch Senate backs European Union-Ukraine More than 90 percent of citizens consider themselves ethnic Ukrainians Association Agreement Ukraine Crisis Media Center occupation, and Russian aggression affect- 12 percent in the east, 2 percent in the west ed people who considered themselves as and 1 percent in central Ukraine. RFE/RL KYIV – An overwhelming 92 percent of belonging to two nationalities – they now “Thus, along with biethnicity or polyeth- The Dutch Senate has approved the citizens of Ukraine consider themselves consider themselves Ukrainians. nicity, we can also mention either denying ethnic Ukrainians, according to a recent or distancing oneself from ethnic self-iden- European Union’s Association Biethnicity of Ukraine’s population Agreement with Ukraine, paving the survey by the Razumkov Center. Six percent tification, which (along with bi- or polyeth- way for ratification of the pact strength- of the respondents consider themselves The survey also focused on the problems nicity) in Ukraine is more characteristic of ening ties between the EU and Kyiv. ethnic Russians, and 1.5 percent cite other of biethnicity and multiple ethnicities as an ethnic Russians,” sociologists explained. ethnic groups. This is the highest recorded aspect of ethnic identity formation. 74 per- The 50-to-25 vote in the upper The question of native language house of Parliament in the Netherlands percentage of Ukrainian self-identification cent of respondents in Ukraine feel they on May 30 marks one of the final stages since Ukraine regained independence. belong to only one nationality, 12 percent Significantly, 68 percent of citizens con- in a long path to the landmark deal, Sociologists say Russia’s annexation of cited two or more nationalities; 6 percent sider Ukrainian their native language; 17 which had initially been slated for sign- Crimea and its aggression in the Donbas said they do not feel as if they belong to any percent cite both the Ukrainian and ing in November 2013. accelerated the self- identification process. nationality; and 8 percent were undecided. Russian languages; 14 percent – Russian Then-Ukrainian President Viktor According to the 2001 census, 78.8 per- While 77 percent ethnic Ukrainians feel only, 0.7 percent – other languages. Yanukovych balked at the deal under cent citizens called themselves Ukrainian; in they belong to only one nationality, only 39 In the western regions, 93 percent of pressure from Moscow, prompting 2015 (according to the Razumkov Center) it percent ethnic Russians feel the same: two respondents consider Ukrainian their native massive protests that pushed him from was 86 percent; and today it is 92 percent. or more nationalities – respectively, 10 per- language. That figure in central Ukraine is 84 According to the most recent survey, which cent and 30 percent, not any nationality – 5 power in February 2014. percent, in the south – 42 percent, in the east was conducted in March, the percentage of percent and 20 percent respectively. Russia responded by seizing Ukraine’s – 36 percent, and in the Donbas – 27 percent. those who consider themselves Ukrainian is Most respondents who feel they belong Crimea region and backing separatists The proportion of those who consider highest among the youngest respondents – to two or more nationalities live in the whose war against Kyiv’s forces has Russian their native language is 2 percent age 18 to 22 – at 96.2 percent. Among those Donbas (27 percent), Ukraine’s southern in the west, 6 percent in the central region, killed more than 9,900 people in eastern over the age of 60 it is less than 90 percent. (24 percent) or eastern (19 percent) Ukraine – moves that have reinforced the 31 percent in the south, 24 percent in the The deputy director general of the regions, while in the country’s western and east and 42 percent in the Donbas. The pro- desire of many Ukrainians for closer Razumkov Center, Yurii Yakymenko, cited central regions that figure is only 6 percent. relations with the EU. portion of those who cited both Ukrainian the reasons for the leap: the number of eth- Some residents of these regions do not and Russian is 3 percent in the west, 10 nic Russians in Ukraine was reduced after feel they belong to any nationality: 20 per- (Continued on page 3) the Crimea annexation and the Donbas cent in the Donbas, 10 percent in the south, (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2017 No. 23 ANALYSIS Ukraine survives without coal G-7 reaffirms support for Ukraine formerly VKontakte – and Odnoklassniki. “Law enforcement agents found that the OTTAWA – The leaders of the Group of management of the company illegally col- from Russia-controlled Donbas Seven (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, lected, accumulated, and passed on the per- February and March were unusually warm, Japan, the United Kingdon and the United sonal data of Ukrainian citizens,” the SBU by Oleg Varfolomeyev States) met in Italy on May 26-27. In a com- Eurasia Daily Monitor so less coal was used for heating. Industry said in a statement on its website. The data also consumed less power because the muniqué issued following the meeting, the included information about users’ “occupa- In spite of a blockade on shipments of Donbas blockade not only affected power leaders stated: “A sustainable solution to tion, lifestyle, location, residence, work, lei- anthracite coal from the occupied Donbas generation, but also subdued output in the crisis in Ukraine can only be reached sure, sources and amounts of income, tele- to Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPPs) metallurgy and the engineering industry. with the full implementation by all sides of phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and since this past winter, the country has thus For example, after growth last year and in their commitments under the Minsk agree- accounts in social networks. The informa- far avoided blackouts. Moreover, Ukraine January, metal production plunged year on ments. We support the endeavors of the tion was transmitted to [Russian] security has managed to increase power generation year by 4.3 percent in February and by 2.2 Normandy group and commend the multi- services for planning, organizing and con- by 2.1 percent year over year in January- percent in March (Ukrstat.gov.ua, accessed faceted commitment of the OSCE in order ducting reconnaissance, sabotage and infor- April (Interfax, May 13).

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