The Ukrainian Weekly, 2015
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INSIDE: l Farewell dinner for Ambassador Olexander Motsyk – page 5 l Briefing about Nadiya Savchenko case – page 8 l Conference on “Kharkiv: City of Ukrainian Culture” – page 9 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIII No. 17 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 $2.00 Anti-Corruption Bureau launched Nadiya Savchenko’s mother with young investigator in charge launches global campaign PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The mother of Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot cur- rently imprisoned in Russia, has launched a global campaign to free her daughter. Nadiya Savchenko, who has been in Russian custody since mid-June 2014 when she was captured in the war zone in Ukraine, is awaiting trial on charges of complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists during the conflict. She denies the charges and has spent 83 days on a hunger strike to protest her detention. Her mother, Maria Savchenko, 78, told the Associated Press on April 20 that Nadiya is a political prisoner. Mrs. Savchenko said Russian prosecutors have showed “no evi- dence” that her daughter provided guidance for a mortar attack that killed two Russian state TV journalists at a checkpoint in east- ern Ukraine, as Moscow claims. Mrs. Savchenko launched her global Vladislav Musienko/ UNIAN campaign in Germany, where she pleaded Anastasiya Terentyeva Artem Sytnyk, a 35-year-old former investigator for the Kyiv Oblast prosecutor’s for help from lawmakers and wrote to Maria Savchenko at a New York City office, was named on April 16 to head the newly created National Anti-Corruption Chancellor Angela Merkel. New York was Bureau of Ukraine. rally in support of her daughter Nadiya her second stop. She is traveling with her Savchenko. by Zenon Zawada has the authority to seize funds deter- daughter’s Russian lawyer, Mark Feygin. mined to have been illegally obtained. On April 19, Mrs. Savchenko met with her ing her help in securing the Ukrainian pilot’s KYIV – The National Anti-Corruption At the same time, Mr. Sytnyk will have to daughter’s supporters in the United States, release. Among the demonstrators were not Bureau of Ukraine was finally launched on report on the bureau’s progress to the who organized a rally near the Russian only Ukrainians, but also Georgians, April 16 by President Petro Poroshenko at Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers Mission to the United Nations. According to the Belarusians, Moldovans and Latvians. a ceremony in which he revealed its first and the president, who retains the authori- rally’s event page on Facebook, participants On April 20, Mrs. Savchenko and Mr. head will be Artem Sytnyk, a 35-year-old ty to dismiss him, along with Parliament, protested Nadiya Savchenko’s illegal deten- Feygin appeared at an informational meeting former prosecutorial investigator who has but only based on an international audit. tion in a Russian prison, which, they under- organized by the Ukrainian National distinguished himself with investigations Mr. Sytnyk’s appointment is for seven scored, violates all norms of international law. Women’s League of America at The that led to incarcerations. years – longer than any elected official – and The protesters demanded freedom for Ukrainian Museum in New York to provide The announcement came after months his salary is 60,000 hrv per month (about Ms. Savchenko and prayed for her release, the latest update on the Savchenko case. (See of delay in creating the bureau – with Mr. $2,600), which is far higher than any elect- and signed a large Ukrainian flag that will story on page 8.) Poroshenko promising its launch as early be sent to her. They also signed a petition to as January – and criticism that the govern- (Continued on page 8) presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, seek- (Continued on page 8) ment wasn’t doing enough to address cor- ruption, which is estimated to have cost the state hundreds of millions of hryvni in 2014, following the bloodshed on the Euro- Maidan. Few know what to expect from the Top ministers in charge of Ukraine’s economy visit Washington political novice. by Yaro Bihun he told members of the press at the “Everything’s in the hands of the new Embassy of Ukraine on April 20. chair. He has time, society’s support and WASHINGTON – Three top Ukrainian “There is a clear support for our gov- healthy forces,” said Mustafa Nayyem, a government officials in charge of improving ernment and our Parliament in national deputy with the Poroshenko Bloc. their country’s economy and its international Washington among the American politi- “Mr. Sytnyk can go down in history as the economic relations spent four days in cians, businesspeople and bankers, and first fighter against corruption, who was Washington in mid-April, meeting with also among the international community,” able to put behind bars top-tier officials, leaders of the International Bank for he said, noting that “it is very obvious that from ministers to judges, prosecutors, etc. Reconstruction and Development, the everyone wishes us success and under- Or he can become yet another inglorious International Finance Corporation, the World stands our difficult situations on the secu- official from the dark masses.” Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, rity and economic fronts.” Mr. Sytnyk has exceptional authority – as well as officials at the U.S. Department Minister Abromavicius was accompa- with influence rivaling other top law of Commerce, to discuss Ukraine’s current nied to the Washington meetings by enforcement officials – in accordance with financial-economic situation, its progress Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko and the legislation approved by Parliament in in reforming the economy and plans for governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, October 2014 that created the bureau and additional reforms in the future. Valeriya Hontaryeva. then amended in February of this year. And, as Ukrainian Economy Minister Among the issues they discussed here His task is to lead the uncovering of Aivaras Abromavicius noted at the conclu- were the sanctions put in place when crimes at the highest levels of government sion of the visit, they were returning to Ukraine was not yet a market economy and conduct pre-trial investigations, with- Yaro Bihun Kyiv satisfied with the results. “Ukraine is Ukraine’s Economy Minister Aivaras out any politician having the legal authority high on everybody’s agenda these days,” (Continued on page 13) to interfere with the bureau’s work. He also Abromavicius. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 No. 17 ANALYSIS Continued confrontation with the West U.S., Ukraine in training exercises Lavrov: Ukraine’s neutrality important YAVORIV, Ukraine – U.S. and Ukrainian MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Affairs will prop up Putin’s regime for years troops have begun joint training exercises in Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that tinued their offensive against the Ukrainian western Ukraine in a bid to strengthen gov- Ukraine’s unity and neutrality are in Russia’s by Pavel Felgenhauer ernment forces that are fighting Russian- best interest. In an interview on April 22 Eurasia Daily Monitor military in Debaltseve – an important rail and road junction northeast of Donetsk, backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. with Moscow-based radio stations Ekho A fragile ceasefire is partially holding in semi-surrounded by the rebels since last Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Moskvy, Govorit Moskva and Sputnik, Mr. the Donbas (eastern Ukrainian region September. On February 18, Ukrainian at the exercise’s inauguration ceremony on Lavrov said, “It is in our interest not to encompassing Donetsk and Luhansk President Petro Poroshenko ordered his April 20 that Ukraine’s armed forces must be divide Ukraine. It is in our interests to keep oblasts). Massive offensive operations have troops to retreat from the Debaltseve bulge rebuilt from scratch to deter foreign threats. it neutral, primarily in a military-political The U.S. Army said that 300 U.S. paratroopers sense.” He added that Russia wants “Ukraine ceased, and some heavy weapons have (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, February 19). would train 900 members of a National to be peaceful and quiet” and not “dismem- been withdrawn from the front line. But the After the Debaltseve debacle, the cease- Guard reserve unit that brings volunteers bered” by what he described as some truce is constantly broken by gun battles fire has more or less held, but other parts of and pro-government militia under Kyiv’s European countries “that once gave some of and bombardments. The Organization for the Minsk 2 agreement are essentially control. The exercises are 1,000 kilometers their territories to the current Ukrainian Security and Cooperation in Europe’s stalled. Negotiations between the Moscow- from fighting in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk state after World War II.” Mr. Lavrov also (OSCE) mission, tasked with monitoring backed rebels and the Ukrainian authori- and Luhansk regions. Russia’s Foreign Affairs accused the United States of using the the truce, reports on the violations but can- ties continue occasionally, in the hopes of Ministry has criticized the exercises, saying Ukrainian crisis to reach what he claimed not do much else. As the warring parties revitalizing Minsk 2. Most recently, a tenta- they would destabilize a shaky peace process was a “strategic goal” of Washington to “hin- continue to blame each other, the Russia- tive agreement was reached to form four and were a “first step” toward the possible der the development of Russia’s cooperation backed separatists threaten to resume a joint working groups to discuss the imple- delivery of U.S. weapons to Ukraine. with the EU, especially with Germany.” He large-scale offensive if the ceasefire finally mentation of different aspects of Minsk 2, President Barack Obama’s administration expressed doubts about the effectiveness of collapses (Interfax, March 21).