The Ukrainian Weekly, 2016
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Part 3 of THE YEAR IN REVIEW pages 7-15 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIV No. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016 $2.00 “Freedom in the World” 2016 report: Putin regime has two years Anxious dictators, wavering democracies at best, fi nance leaders say Ukraine rated as partly free, Russia appraised as not free Freedom House 10 years, 105 countries have seen a net decline, and only 61 have experienced a net WASHINGTON – Economic downturns improvement. and fear of social unrest have led Russia, On Freedom House’s ratings of political China and other authoritarian regimes to and civil liberties, Ukraine continued to be crack down harder on dissent, while mass rated as partly free – a status unchanged migration and new forms of terrorism in from the previous year. Russia was rated 2015 fueled xenophobic sentiment in not free in both categories, just as it was in major democracies, according to “Freedom the report released in 2015. Of the 195 in the World 2016,” Freedom House’s countries assessed, 86 (44 percent) were annual report on political rights and civil rated free, 59 (30 percent) partly free, and liberties. 50 (26 percent) not free. The report, which was released on The report cites Europe’s inability to January 27, marked 2015 as the 10th con- manage the surge of asylum seekers from georgesoros.com twitter.com/Billbrowder secutive year of decline in global freedom. Syria and other conflict zones – on top of Billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a Bill Browder, co-founder of the Hermitage “In many countries with authoritarian lingering economic woes – as the pretext top financier of Western non-governmen- Capital Management, one of the biggest governments, the drop in revenues from for populists to rail against the European tal organizations in former Soviet states, foreign investors in Russia before it was falling commodity prices led dictators to Union and the liberal, universal values that said Russia has enough international blacklisted and prosecuted by the Kremlin, redouble political repression at home and it represents. reserves to last only a couple of years. said he gives “the Putin show” 18 months. lash out at perceived foreign enemies,” said Meanwhile, wary of declining living Arch Puddington, senior vice-president for standards and the social unrest they could by Zenon Zawada dwindling gross international reserves, research at Freedom House, an indepen- cause, repressive petro-states from Angola which amounted to about $360 billion as of dent watchdog organization that supports to Azerbaijan cracked down on rights activ- KYIV – When the West imposed econom- the year end, Mr. Soros pointed out. democratic change, monitors the status of ists and other critics. ic sanctions on Russia for its military aggres- “That actually violates the social compact freedom around the world, and advocates Other troubled countries turned to elec- sion against Ukraine, its leaders assured the that has made him [President Putin] so for democracy and human rights. tions as a corrective mechanism. In Nigeria, public that they would accomplish their popular, which is basically financial stability “Democratic countries came under Venezuela, Myanmar and elsewhere, voters goals of restoring order and peace better and a slow but steadily rising standard of strain from terrorist attacks and unprece- sought new leadership from opposition than a military response would have. living. He has to do something about it,” said dented numbers of refugees – problems parties, offering a peaceful way out of failed Hence President Barack Obama’s Mr. Soros, referring to “the impending col- emanating from regional conflicts such as policies and mismanagement. While all restraint in supplying arms to Ukraine. lapse of the Russian economy.” the Syrian civil war,” Mr. Puddington said. forms of government are under pressure, Nearly two years later however, the The Russian government has been try- The number of countries showing a these fresh starts suggest that democratic Ukrainian public – forced to endure eco- ing to negotiate the removal of Western decline in freedom for the year – 72 – was systems may ultimately prove more resil- nomic misery and possibly another mili- sanctions in recent weeks in what Mr. the largest since the 10-year slide began. tary draft – is still anxiously waiting for the Soros described as “a race against time.” Just 43 countries made gains. Over the past (Continued on page 20) sanctions to force an end to the aggression. Among those involved in the talks were The latest forecasts that surfaced in recent Mr. Putin’s most trusted advisers, including weeks cite 2017 as the year when Vladimir Boris Gryzlov and Vladislav Surkov. Putin’s regime could begin to crumble. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry con- “I think it’s very clear that Russia is in a firmed at Davos that the sanctions could be very, very weak position. It has enough removed “with effort and with bona fide, reserves that it can last a couple of years. legitimate intent to solve the problem on There’s a big year for it in 2017, when a lot both sides.” of debt comes due,” billionaire George Yet no breakthrough has since been Soros told Bloomberg News in an interview announced as Russian-backed terrorists on January 21 during the Davos World continue to fire on Ukrainian positions and Economic Forum. receive armaments from Russia, according Mr. Soros has been among the biggest to Ukrainian government reports. enemies of Russian President Putin, being a Western leaders have even proposed top financier of non-governmental organi- compromises, such as transferring control zations in the former Soviet Union that pro- of the occupied border to the Organization mote Western integration. for Security and Cooperation in Europe He pointed out that the Russian govern- instead of the Ukrainian government, to no ment has to make many debt payments, avail. Meanwhile, Russia continues to deny while at the same time coping with plum- the presence of its soldiers in the Donbas. meting oil prices that reduce revenue, More optimistic about Mr. Putin’s Western economic sanctions that restrict demise is Bill Browder, a co-founder of the access to loans and the need to reduce its Hermitage Capital Management, which was own budget deficit, which entails cuts in one of the biggest foreign investors in social spending. Russia before it was blacklisted and crimi- Freedom House Russia’s 3 percent of GDP deficit in the A section of the map of world freedom showing freedom ratings for countries in Europe. 2016 budget will have to be financed by its (Continued on page 20) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016 No. 5 ANALYSIS Donbas fields have frozen over, Council of Europe to go to Crimea Kerry on lifting of Russia sanctions STRASBOURG, France – Council of DAVOS, Switzerland – U.S. Secretary of but for now the ceasefire holds Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn State John Kerry says he believes Jagland has announced he is sending a del- tiator, but he can surely directly connect Washington may be able to consider lifting by Pavel Felgenhauer egation to Crimea to assess the human with Mr. Putin. His appointment has been sanctions it imposed on Russia over its Eurasia Daily Monitor rights situation on the peninsula. “More interpreted as a signal that Moscow is seri- involvement in violence in Ukraine later this than 2.5 million people live in Crimea, they One year ago, bloody battles raged ously seeking a peaceful compromise reso- year if Moscow complies with the Minsk are all covered by the European Convention throughout the eastern Ukrainian region of lution to the Ukrainian crisis (Kommersant, peace deal. In a speech to the World on Human Rights and should be able to Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, Donbas. The traditional autumn “rasputitsa” January 14). benefit from it,” Mr. Jagland said in a state- Mr. Kerry said that he and U.S. Vice- (mud season) usually ends by January: The On January 12, Mr. Gryzlov flew unan- ment on January 25. “However, for more President Joe Biden had met this week in dirt freezes, allowing trucks, troops and nounced to Kyiv for secret talks with than a year, no delegation from an interna- the Swiss resort with Ukrainian President heavy military equipment to maneuver President Petro Poroshenko. On January 14, tional organization has been able to go Petro Poroshenko to help ensure full imple- through fields and use unpaved roads. By in Minsk, attending his first post-appoint- there.” He stressed, “The mission will be mentation of the agreements. Secretary mid-January 2015, the Donbas separatist ment meeting of the Minsk II Contact Group, conducted with full independence and will Kerry said, “with effort and with bona-fide forces – armed, trained, led and often rein- Mr. Gryzlov called for a renewed full cease- not deal with any issue related to the terri- legitimate intent to solve the problem on fire or “regime of silence” approved by all forced in battle by the Russian military – torial status of Crimea.” Russia annexed both sides, it is possible in these next sides; but shootings and skirmishes in the began a major offensive to capture the main Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 after a months to find those Minsk agreements Donbas continued unabated the next day, terminal building of the Donetsk interna- referendum dismissed in the West as implemented and to get to a place where with both sides blaming each other. Mr. tional airport, which was the scene of many bogus. Since Russia’s land grab, fundamen- sanctions can be appropriately – because of Gryzlov later accused Ukrainian volunteer months of pitched fighting.