The Ukrainian Weekly, 2019

INSIDE: Zelenskyy’s address to the U.N. General Assembly – page 4 About the anti-Semitic stereotype of Ukraine – page 9 St. Mary Orthodox Chapel in Ellenville is restored – page 12 THEHEPublished U by theKRAINIANK UkrainianR NationalAIN Association,IAN Inc., celebrating W its 125th anniversaryEEKLYEEKLY Vol. LXXXVII No. 40 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2019 $2.00 Kurt Volker resigns as special envoy to Ukraine Splits emerge within Zelensky administration, Ukraine Crisis Media Center country’s former and current presidents, while public questions Steinmeier formula and visited the Donbas. He was seen as KYIV – U.S. Special Representative for having a firm pro-Ukrainian position, con- Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker resigned stantly reassured Ukraine of U.S. support, on September 27 against the backdrop of maintained a direct dialogue with Russia the controversy in the United States around and often expressed concern about the res- the July 25 telephone conversation idents of the Donbas. between U.S. President Donald Trump and The majority of Ukrainian experts char- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acterized Ambassador Volker’s resignation and the U.S. leader’s initial decision to with- as bad news. hold military aid to Kyiv. “I cannot recall any other U.S. high-level U.S. media say Ambassador Volker might official who visited Ukraine over 10 times have been involved in discussing the Biden in two years and was not only in Kyiv but case with Ukrainian authorities. He is on also went to Avdiyivka, Mariupol and the list of U.S. State Department personnel Kramatorsk. This person knew the situa- whose data was requested by the House of tion in Ukraine perfectly well,” said Yevhen Representatives investigating the “Ukraine Mahda, director of the Institute of World case.” Policy in a comment to Hromadske TV. Mr. Volker has agreed to appear before Experts also said that Mr. Volker, who the House of Representatives to answer served in a volunteer capacity, constantly Presidential Office of Ukraine questions related to the impeachment raised awareness about the situation in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a press briefing on October 1, after he inquiry against President Trump. RFE/RL Ukraine, and shared his knowledge and announced that Ukraine had agreed to accept the Steinmeier formula as the basis for reported that Mr. Volker’s name was men- understanding of Ukraine with the negotiations to end the war in the Donbas. tioned in a whistle-blower complaint Department of State and with the U.S. pres- by Bohdan Nahaylo First, there was the sudden resignation at expressing alarm over Mr. Trump’s dealings ident. the end of last month of two key figures – the with Ukraine. “My biggest concern is that the position KYIV – Since President Volodymyr U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Mr. Volker was appointed in 2017 as U.S. itself will be eliminated. The fact that it Zelenskyy’s difficult trip to New York on Negotiations Kurt Volker and Secretary of special representative for Ukraine negotia- exists in the U.S. Department of State sends September 24-26, a series of developments the National Security and Defense Council tions to focus on the Russia-Ukraine con- a clear signal to international actors that in Ukraine has generated anxiety, division (NSDC) Danylyuk. Although not directly flict and the Donbas. Previously, Ukraine- the U.S. is interested in the situation in and even a wave of protests. In addition, related, their departures have raised serious related questions were addressed in the Ukraine,” Mr. Mahda told Hromadske TV. the first major split in the ranks of the concern about the circumstances in which State Department by Victoria Nuland, then Many Ukrainian politicians reacted to Zelenskyy administration has emerged, as they left and the implications for Ukraine. assistant secretary of state for European Volker’s resignation on social media. its most senior security official, Oleksandr Ambassador Volker, who was greatly and Eurasian affairs. Former Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo Danylyuk, blew the whistle and called on admired in Ukraine as its strong supporter, As special envoy, Mr. Volker made the controversial head of the Presidential numerous visits to Ukraine, met with the (Continued on page 16) Office, Andriy Bohdan, to resign. (Continued on page 16) Internment monument unveiled in St. Paul, Alberta ST. PAUL, Alberta – Members of the affected some 90,000 civilians, who were arrest- Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Foundation ed, interned, dispossessed of their wealth, made (UCCLF) and its activist counterpart, the to work or forced to regularly register with the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association police. The majority of those unjustly interned (UCCLA), on September 28 in St. Paul, Alberta, as enemy aliens under the War Measures Act unveiled Canada’s newest monument dedicat- were Ukrainians, who were invited by the ed to remembering the country’s first national Dominion government to settle Canada. internment operations in the years 1914-1920. Well over 100 people attended the unveiling Titled “21 Strands,” the monument is unique, ceremony, presided over by Caroline Yewchin comprising not just a trilingual (English-French- from the local Ukrainian community. Among Ukrainian) educational plaque, but also an those who spoke or laid wreaths were St. Paul image of internees standing behind 21 horizon- Mayor Maureen Miller; the chairperson of tal lengths of Canadian barbed wire. The design Champions for Change, Penny Fox; a represen- is by Amil Shapka, a resident of St. Paul who tative of the local branch of the Royal Canadian spearheaded the efforts to erect this monument Legion; as well as delegates from the Edmonton in his hometown. Chapter of the League of Ukrainian Canadians. Dr. Shapka told The Ukrainian Weekly that Father Peter Haugen of All Saints Ukrainian the memorial “was intended to provoke a Orthodox Church and Father Andrij Nykyforuk response by being able to view it from both of Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary sides: it is one experience to be on the outside Ukrainian Catholic Church jointly blessed the looking in at the internees, and a complete and monument and the accompanying interpretive surprisingly different one to stand beside them, UCCLF panel. In addition, they conducted a memorial inside, and look out at the freedom beyond the The monument titled “21 Strands,” which was unveiled in St. Paul, Alberta, service (panakhyda) for the internees. wire.” includes an image of internees standing behind 21 horizontal lengths of The internment operations of 1914-1920 Canadian barbed wire. The design is by Amil Shapka. (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2019 No. 40 ANALYSIS Moscow in a weaker position Zelenskyy agrees to Steinmeier formula Ukraine has committed to holding the local election but did not receive any guarantees A deal announced by Ukrainian that it would regain control of all of its bor- in gas transit talks With Kyiv President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow der with Russia, Mr. Poroshenko told local elections in “separatist”-held parts of reporters in Kyiv on October 2. Former by Margarita Assenova cent of the pipeline capacity. eastern Ukraine under certain security con- Following this decision, Poland’s PGNiG Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko also Eurasia Daily Monitor ditions has triggered a backlash, including and PGNiG Supply & Trading filed a com- slammed the deal as a “direct threat to the protests, in Ukraine and praise from the Moscow has found itself in a weaker plaint in the Court of Justice of the European national security, territorial integrity, and Kremlin. Opposition politicians and their position in its negotiations with Kyiv on Union objecting to the Commission’s deci- sovereignty of our country,” according to a supporters in Ukraine on October 2 showed continuing natural gas transit through sion to allow Gazprom to use the full capaci- statement released by her Batkivshchyna their disdain for the deal, brokered in Minsk Ukraine to Europe after December 31. The ty of the OPAL pipeline in Germany, which party. Former Chairman of the Verkhovna with Russia and the Organization for current 10-year gas transmission agree- transits gas from Nord Stream 1 to Central Rada Andriy Parubiy said he would push Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), ment between Russia’s Gazprom and Europe. Poland argued that granting a new for hearings into the agreement, accusing which a day earlier Mr. Zelenskyy said Naftogaz of Ukraine will expire at the end exemption relating to the OPAL pipeline the Zelenskyy administration of not seeking would pave the way for peace talks with of the year. Russia was hoping to have two threatens the security of gas supply in the Moscow to end the war in the Donbas that input from society at large. Meanwhile, pro- new mega-pipelines operational by that European Union, in particular in Central testers assembled outside the presidential time, but the construction of Nord Stream 2 Europe. The claim was supported by has killed more than 13,000 since April 2014. He added there would be no elections office building in Kyiv late on October 1 to and TurkStream 2 has been delayed signifi- Lithuania and Latvia (Euronews, September protest the decision. Besides Kyiv, cantly (Biznesalert.com, March 27; Senate. 10; see EDM, September 16). in militant-held areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions until all armed formations Ukrainian media reported that protests gov, May 2019). Even Russian energy In July 2017, the Court of Justice of the against the deal were also held in other experts admit now that these pipelines will European Union and the German Higher have left the area and Ukraine regains control over about 400 kilometers of border- Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, Kharkiv and not be ready as soon as Moscow needs Regional Court issued rulings upholding the Mariupol.

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