#2 (132) February 2019 The Ukrainain manifeco: Our economic prospecs: Ukrainian shliakhta in the Middle European integration or Ukrexit trade with Russia and 3% growth Ages and the national idea A EUROPE OF NATIONS. HOW TO SAVE ITSELF WWW.UKRAINIANWEEK.COM FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION CONTENTS | 3 BRIEFING SOCIETY 4 Uncertainty mode 29 Touring country What will be the impac of Ukrainian How the war has changed the cultural elecions on the parliament? landscape of the Donbas POLITICS 30 Andreas Haggman: “Humans could be viewed as a firs line of defense” 8 Marie Lequin: “It is a war, and in war British cyber security expert on the rules there are always violations of the laws” of cyber hygiene and the methods of The representative of the Swiss defense of the mos vulnerable category humanitarian organization Geneva Call of computer users on the contemporary conflics and the application of international 32 Generation “D” humanitarian law in an armed conflic How children in occupied Donbas are being worked on psychologically and 10 On the brink of the abyss informationally Michael Binyon (London) on the current situation of Brexit in the United Kingdom NEIGHBORS 34 Hybrid hegemony FOCUS The rationale of Russia’s revisionis 12 The Ukrainian manifeso srategy agains Ukraine, Belarus and the What should lie at the foundation “Near Abroad” of Ukraine’s integration into a united 38 The anatomy of provocations Europe so that later on there isn’t How Russia is using foreigners to spark an Ukrexit? conflic in Zakarpattia 15 Born or becoming Ukrainian? HISTORY National identity in the 21s century from a sociological perspecive 40 A noble identity Who were the gentry that lived 18 “Can’t get no satisfacion...” on the Ukrainian lands in the 14th-16th Why Ukrainians think the situation centuries? in their country is worse than it really is 44 The forging of unity ECONOMICS How the idea of Ukraine crossed imperial Тоp-1020 countries Nuclear according energy to the amountin Ukraine of acive nuclear reacors borders from Eas to Wes Source: IAEA data, 2019 On the prospecs of Ukrainian 58 CULTURE & ARTS nuclear indusry 46 42 37 48 When walls talk 24 22 19 23 Trade in a time of war The reflecions of the war in the Ukrainian 15 15 How true is it that trade with Russia sreet art is on the rise again? United States France China Japan 50 TheRussi monthsa of Southmusic, Korea lanterns andIndia art Canada United Kingdom Ukraine 26 The 3% Saga The Ukrainian Week offers a selecion What is a realisic pace that Ukraine’s of events to visit in February and economy might grow? March E-mail [email protected] www.ukrainianweek.com Tel. (044) 351-13-00 The Ukrainian Week #2 (132) February 2019 Office address Kyiv, Ukraine, 36A, vul. Bohdana Khmelnytskoho, apt. 3 Founder ECEM Media GmbH. Publisher ECEM Media GmbH Print run 15 000. Free distribution Address Austria, Am Gestade, 1, 1010 Vienna Our partner State registration certificate КВ № 19823-9623ПР 19.03.2013 Chief Editor Dmytro Krapyvenko Editors Max Nestelieiev, Lidia Wolanskyj THE UKRAINIAN WEEK | #2 (132) February 2019 Uncertainty mode Roman Malko BRIEFING The next half year of the Verkhovna Rada will be in election mode, as can be expected. And there’s nothing new in that. The long dis- tance run that began with the opening of the 10th session of the legislature demonstrated clearly that Ukraine’s MPs are unlikely to engage in any constructive work between now and their fall UKRINFORM PHOTO: election. Of course, they will continue to babble about economic growth, strengthening the country’s defensive capabilities and re- inforcing its strategic course, but Ukrainians might as well forget about real work. Lawmakers have already switched to campaign mode and are busy promoting themselves and wooing voters. If we add the number of them who are also running for president this spring, this is trend irreversible. 6 BRIEFING | Normally, the opening of the session has been ac- oversee the work of the security services. Everything companied by plenty of brouhaha: the balconies are will depend on how high the tensions rise in the ward bursting with visitors and reporters, the session hall and in the hospital itself and whether it will be possible is awash with inspiration, and the corridors are wall- to agree on anything at all — or with anybody. Even to-wall with MPs and their entourages. Not this time. among politicians who are tied by some agreement such During the singing of the national anthem, the nation’s a coalition, trust has never been high in Ukraine. In the highest legislative body was half empty. How things run-up to an election, this only gets worse: every step will continue to unfold was evident from the fact that is perceived to be an insidious move by rivals hoping to the agenda was filled with issues of a purely political leap ahead of them in the presidential and legislative nature. And that’s how it will be until the end of this elections. convocation. No matter how VR Speaker Andriy Paru- There is growing opinion that changes to the elec- biy tried to introduce something constructive from the tion law will never e passed, but the situation is not so very beginning, threatening to turn off microphones obvious. On one hand, this is a slippery issue that not for anyone openly agitating during the debate of a bill, many will be prepared to resolve during an election it was as effective as a poultice on a corpse. Oleh Li- season. It could be dangerous and even backfire. On ashko’s boys started off by blocking the tribunal and the other, if it’s put off for the next legislature to re- demanding that the price for natural gas be reduced, solve, why not? The vote can always be cancelled, while effectively paralyzing the work of the Rada. having yet another accomplishment to flaunt and get Nor is this hysteria likely to die down and the VR praised for won’t hurt anyone. The same is true of im- to work more productively after the presidential elec- munity. But here PR plays an even bigger role with even tion March 31. If anything, the situation will get worse. less to offer MPs, so its prospects are even more doubt- Deputies will be under pressure, knowing that not only ful. The situation should be a bit simpler with the pack- is this their last full-fledged session, but also that it is age of economic legislation and legislation necessary their last chance to show themselves in all their glory. to implement the Association Agreement with the EU. By September, when the summer recess is over and the Perhaps a security services oversight committee will be final waltz begins, no one will be working at all. But set up, decommunization completed, and Dnipropetro- worse, the election could overturn the political situa- vsk and Kirovohrad Oblasts renamed. tion, depending on who wins the presidential election, The coalition will most likely survive, but it’s not the incumbent or someone new (old). so clear that a visit by the Head of State to the cham- ber at this point will be seen as a win-win proposition for all concerned. MPs tend to be governed by a more EVEN AMONG POLITICIANS WHO ARE TIED BY SOME AGREEMENT SUCH primitive logic right now than in quieter times: Why A COALITION, TRUST HAS NEVER BEEN HIGH IN UKRAINE. should a lame-duck president be telling us what to IN THE RUN-UP TO AN ELECTION, THIS ONLY GETS WORSE: EVERY STEP IS adopt? Everything will depend strictly on the position PERCEIVED TO BE AN INSIDIOUS MOVE BY RIVALS HOPING TO LEAP AHEAD of a given faction, and sometimes even the positions of minor groups within these factions, and their electoral OF THEM IN THE PRESIDENTIAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS interests. If these little groups think it’s important to support a given bill, the will. If not, then not. Based on So it’s anybody’s guess whether Ukraine’s voters can the pace at which the first day progressed, anything is expect at least something positive in the work of their possible. MPs. The draft agenda has a whopping 2,817 bills and The bottom line is that it’s impossible to predict the other items that need to be reviewed, but on the first fate of any given bill in the Rada right now. The work of day, MPs weren’t even able to approve the agenda itself. MPs during a heating up election season coupled with There are obviously some issues that they will not a war and all its hybrid manifestations can be affected be able to avoid, such as amending the Constitution to by just about anything at this point — even the court state that Ukraine is aiming for membership in NATO decision to remove the acting Minister of Health from and the EU, for which the president has been lobbying, her duties, which both the initiators and any bystand- or the bill on the Ukrainian language. Although eve- ers who want to, will take advantage of. In fact, that’s ryone understands that these will be feathers in Po- precisely why these things are done. Liashko calculated roshenko’s campaign cap and that he will use them to the time for the provocation to suit those who spon- the maximum in his campaign, support for both bills sored it. There’s one thing he didn’t take into account, will likely be found in the Rada.