The Ukrainian Weekly, 2017
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INSIDE: l Holodomor Education Conference 2017 – page 5 l Canadian internment fund’s legacy project – page 7 l U.S. announces new sanctions against Russia – page 9 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXV No. 26 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2017 $2.00 Experts urge U.S. Congress Poroshenko meets with Trump, and Trump to arm Ukraine other senior U.S. officials in D.C. by Melinda Haring Commissioner for Human Rights. The task force urged the U.S. government WASHINGTON – A bipartisan task force to provide Ukraine with the following: made up of former U.S. defense officials, 1. Additional counter-battery radar units ambassadors, and security experts with fire-control systems, including longer- renewed calls for the United States to give range systems capable of detecting and tar- lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine. On geting Russian long-range artillery and June 21, the National Security Task Force of multiple-launch rocket systems as well as the Friends of Ukraine Network urged the mortars. United States to provide a range of weap- 2. Additional tactical secure communica- ons, intelligence and training. tions. “[T]he purpose of providing defensive 3. Advanced anti-tank launchers and weapons is to help Ukraine deter the missiles to counter the hundreds of tanks Russians from carrying out further attacks, Moscow has deployed to the occupied terri- and to increase the pressure on Russia to tories. negotiate seriously on implementing the 4. Advanced unmanned aerial vehicles Minsk agreements,” said Alexander with electronic warfare countermeasures Vershbow, a member of the task force and to offset the huge Russian advantage in bor- the former deputy secretary general of der and coastal surveillance. NATO. “The aim is not to encourage 5. Bradley fighting vehicles, Humvees, Presidential Administration of Ukraine Ukraine to seek a military victory, which mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles At the June 20 meeting at the White House between the presidents of the United Kyiv knows isn’t possible,” he said at the and joint light tactical vehicles to provide a States and Ukraine (from left) are: Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States launch event in Washington. mobile covering force on the flanks to offset Valeriy Chaly, Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo Klimkin and President Petro The appeal comes the day after Ukrainian Poroshenko; U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence, National the large Russian tank force in the occupied Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. President Petro Poroshenko met with U.S. territories. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. 6. Real-time intelligence sharing. by Yaro Bihun Talking to reporters outside the White Calling the situation “urgent,” Mr. Additional training for the Ukrainian armed House following his separate meetings Vershbow said Russian and proxy forces are forces, with the goal of building toward WASHINGTON – During his two days of there on June 20 with President Trump and violating the Minsk ceasefire agreement on combined arms training. meetings in the U.S. capital – with President Vice-President Mike Pence, President a daily basis “with almost complete impuni- 7. Cooperation with Ukraine in reform- Donald Trump and other senior officials in Poroshenko said, “I see the U.S.A. as our ty,” raining down artillery and rocket attacks ing its defense industry. his administration – Ukrainian President partner, and we are very interested in get- and inflicting significant civilian casualties. 8. The task force also urged the United Petro Poroshenko expressed his satisfac- ting the U.S.A. involved.” At least 9,940 people have been killed and States to designate Ukraine as a major non- tion with the support Ukraine was receiv- He noted that the U.S.A. is a “guarantor 23,455 injured from April 2014 to March 12, ing from the United States, especially with 2017, according to the Office of U.N.’s High (Continued on page 18) respect to Russia’s aggression. (Continued on page 9) EU calls for trans-Atlantic coordination on any new Russia sanctions RFE/RL ing that Russian President Vladimir Putin Steffen Seibert described the U.S. move as Gazprom, while the other half is being shoul- “ordered an influence campaign” to benefit “peculiar.” dered by a European group that includes The European Union has urged interna- the candidacy of Donald Trump. Mr. Seibert said it was “strange” that Royal Dutch Shell, an Anglo-Dutch enter- tional partners to coordinate any new sanc- Germany and Austria strongly objected sanctions intended to punish Russia for prise, French provider Engie, OMV of Austria, tions against Russia, a day after the U.S. to a key provision in the Senate’s legisla- meddling in the U.S. elections could also lead and Germany’s Uniper and Wintershall. Senate proposed additional measures tion, saying it could hurt European busi- to penalties against European companies. The United States in the past has cau- against Moscow that drew a sharp rebuke nesses involved in a project to bring He added that Chancellor Angela Merkel tioned its European allies against building from Germany and other allies. Russian natural-gas supplies to Europe. shared the concerns raised by the German the Nord Stream 2 project, saying it would A spokeswoman for the European The provision enables the United States and Austrian foreign ministers who increase European dependence on Russian Commission told the Reuters news agency to impose sanctions on European firms charged in a joint statement that the U.S. energy supplies, but it hasn’t previously on June 16 that it was “important for possi- involved in financing Russian energy- measure brings a “completely new, very attempted to interfere with plans to move ble new measures to be coordinated export pipelines to Europe, including the negative dimension into European- the project forward. between international partners to ensure Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is being built American relations.” Natural gas ambitions? their impact internationally and to maintain under the Baltic Sea to provide Russian gas “Europe’s energy supply is a matter for unity among partners on the sanctions.” to Germany. Europe, and not for the United States of The Austrian and German officials said The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly The pipeline project was conceived by America,” the ministers, Sigmar Gabriel and one motive behind the Senate bill may be an on June 15 for new sanctions on key sec- Russia and Germany as a way to avoid Christian Kern, said on June 15. attempt to help U.S. natural-gas suppliers at tors of Russia’s economy and cementing sending gas to Europe through an existing With several major European companies the expense of their Russian rivals. The into law existing sanctions on Russia over pipeline that runs through Ukraine, which involved in building the new Nord Stream United States recently started shipping liq- its aggression in Ukraine and alleged med- has proved to be unreliable at times pipeline, they said that “we can’t accept the uefied natural gas to Poland and has ambi- dling into the 2016 U.S. presidential cam- because of a long-running spat between threat of illegal and extraterritorial sanc- tions to cultivate other European customers. paign. Kyiv and Moscow over the cost of gas and tions against European companies” posed Meanwhile, the Kremlin said it had an Russia denies acting to influence the U.S. other contract terms. by the Senate bill. “extremely negative attitude” toward the election, but the U.S. intelligence communi- Addressing reporters in Berlin on June Half of the cost of the new Nord Stream ty in January issued an assessment affirm- 16, German government spokesman pipeline is being paid for by Russian gas giant (Continued on page 14) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2017 No. 26 ANALYSIS Baltic region holds multiple NATO exercises EU ministers extend Crimea sanctions camps, and avoidable famines. In the past, Mr. Putin has praised Stalin as an “effective LUXEMBOURG – European Union for- manager,” and Stalin’s reputation in Russia in anticipation of Russia’s Zapad 2017 drills eign ministers have prolonged the bloc’s has been growing steadily since Mr. Putin investment ban against Crimea for another one of the largest maritime exercises held came to power in 2000. A poll in April by by Olevs Nikers year. The sanctions were adopted in 2014 under the guidance of the United States. the independent Levada research center Eurasia Daily Monitor in response to Russia’s illegal annexation of These latter Baltic Sea drills are specifically found that 25 percent of Russians consider the Ukrainian peninsula, and have since Twice in the past several weeks, Russian designed to strengthen interoperability Stalin’s repressions “historically justified,” been extended on a yearly basis. The mea- intrusions put the Baltics on high alert. On between NATO and its regional partners while another 13 percent said they knew sures, which were prolonged on June 19, June 1, several Russian soldiers, traveling and for its participants to practice com- “nothing” about Stalin’s crimes. Forty-seven include an EU-wide ban on imports from from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad bined tactical maneuvers in various training percent of respondents agreed “it is better Crimea unless they have Ukrainian certifi- without transit permits, were stopped in scenarios. This year (June 1-16), BALTOPS to speak less about the repressions and not cates, a prohibition of the purchase by EU Lithuania (Apollo.lv, June 2). A week later, will bring together 4,000 troops, 50 ships to dig up the past.” (RFE/RL) two Goryn-class tugboats – the MB-119 and submarines, and more than 50 aircraft companies of property and companies on and MB-35 – of the Russian navy were from 14 allied and partner countries – the the Black Sea peninsula, and a ban on Provision affirms U.S.