#11 (141) November 2019 Interview with Pavlo Klimkin, Tug of war: MPs and new Unknown details about Ukrainian former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Presidential administration genius Mykola Bazhan THE POLITICAL MERRY-GO-ROUND WWW.UKRAINIANWEEK.COM FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION CONTENTS 3 BRIEFING 28 Ewa Konczal: “Social change takes time 4 Before it’s too late and there are no quick fixes” How to prevent surrender Central and Eastern Europe Manager in the European Venture Philanthropy POLITICS Association on impact investment 8 Pavlo Klimkin: “We are losing respect of and government role in that process the key players” 30 A reality check Former Minister of Foreign Affairs about What is the state of Ukraine’s economy? the reasons for Russia’s pullout from the Geneva Conventions and the quality SOCIETY of Ukraine’s diplomatic communication 34 Ze voters with the world Why the government can hardly count on support from the streets despite 10 The President’s franchise its high ratings Who runs Ukraine on behalf of Volodymyr Zelenskiy? 36 Guarantor, referee and coach On the role of the nation-state 13 The state of turbulence in the Middle East in the development of the economy Mark Voyager on America’s hegemony 38 Barely visible and regional alliances Why hasn’t Facebook heard Ukraine's FOCUS voice yet? 16 Reboot, relaunch, repeat NEIGHBORS How might the “servants of the people” 40 The concealed markers of sovereignty take a chance and reboot governments What criteria should be used to evaluate in the regions? strategies for the reintegration 18 No feedback of the Donbas The new administration appears 42 Gird thy loins – Plan В to be risking turning its critics into What kinds of security eventualities enemies and losing public support is Ukraine prepared for? 20 Whither goest thou, Ukraine? 44 Paper wars How attitudes towards the country’s Who conducts lawfare against Ukraine, course and the war in the Donbas have and why? changed among Ukrainians in the last five HISTORY years 46 Bazhan undesired 22 The taming of the Rada What was concealed in the Stalin Why did Volodymyr Zelenskiy need Laureate’s biography? to lift immunity for MPs and how does this threaten Ukraine’s democracy? CULTURE & ARTS 50 The months of Ukrainian folk, ECONOMICS rock and British cinema 24 Break out of the vicious circle The Ukrainian Week offers a selection of How international trade relates events to visit in November to economic lag and poverty in Ukraine and December E-mail [email protected] www.ukrainianweek.com Tel. (044) 351-13-00 The Ukrainian Week #11 (141) November 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 | #11 (141) November 2019 Before it’s too late Roman Malko It was clear from day one that the promises and BRIEFING principles with which Volodymyr Zelenskiy stormed Ukraine’s political landscape are unviable. But the grade of hatred and manipulations heated up to an absurd point and spiced up generously with cynicism WWW.PRESIDENT.GOV.UA and jokes worked. 6 BRIEFING | People believed in a new messiah. The worst thing is “You’ve never been in politics… And it’s the most im- that the messiah came to believe in himself. In his ability portant thing so far. I’m going. Come with me,” Zelenskiy to change the world, the country and the rules. But win- appealed to the mass in an attempt to be liked. The new ning an election is half of the cause done. Time proves messiah probably did not think that he was thus driving that reality is much more complex. “Just stopping to shoot” himself into a trap. Nor did he probably think about the does not mean stopping the war. “Doing them all together” fact that all kinds of fraudsters could use this window of is not a step into a bright future. Even speaking to Trump opportunities. Someone whispered in his ears that this and Putin on the phone is not an extraordinary accom- was the right thing; that he could do it all; that he is very plishment. talented and he would get help as long as he trusts people The victory of chances has opened wide the door to re- and opens the way to all things new. It was hard not to vanche. The country has plunged into a chaos and is slowly believe this: after going through the miraculous personal getting out of control. All things gained with sweat and transformation “of someone from the people”, Zelenskiy blood in the past years is being minimized and crossed obviously believes that appointing people like Serhiy Sy- out. A number of processes has been launched that can un- vokho, incidental companions and career-oriented peo- dermine Ukraine’s statehood, and destroy it as well. “Let’s ple to important offices is perfectly normal and neces- change the flow of history”, the Servants’ slogan, sounds sary. Some say that a shortage of candidates for these threatening already in this context. offices forces the President to take such steps, but this I would hate to believe that Zelenskiy is an average is nonsense. After getting strategically important sec- Trojan horse with the respective mission. So far, however, tors under control, these newly-appointed officials with things have not played out well for him. He has managed no experience of work in previous administrations can to fulfill nothing of what he pledged; quite on the contrary, act as they see fit, based on their preferences and inse- everything is going into a dead end. The party in power is curities. The impression is that this absurdity has gone tormented by scandals. The Parliament continues to dis- massive with Zelenskiy. Is it hard to project what accom- may people even without its turbo gear. The government plishments the newly-appointed head of Ternopil Oblast fails in the international arena. The IMF is not going to State Administration Ihor Sopel have there after his issue any money. The promised wild GDP growth is post- membership in the Party of Regions? Someone from the poned, while the government of technocrats turns out to Party of Regions in Ternopil is a verdict in itself. Or Pavlo be the government of amateurs. The grade of excitement Kyrylenko, the new head of the Donetsk Oblast Adminis- with the President is falling slowly among his electorate tration whose brother is currently working at the “DNR as everything moves in some unclear direction and people MGB” and the President is perfectly aware of this (he ad- feel it. mitted that when he presented Kyrylenko in Kramatorsk). Why stage these experiments? Who advises these absurd moves to the President? Is the shortage of professionals IT IS TOO EARLY TO SCREAM THAT ALL IS LOST. FIRSTLY, THIS WILL NOT HELP. so bad that he can’t find someone more neutral for such SECONDLY, THE “SERVANTS” HAVE NOT YET MANAGED TO BREAK APART serious offices? STATE INSTITUTIONS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO WORK BY INERTIA WHICH IS It is too early to scream that all is lost. Firstly, this will STILL ENCOURAGING. THIRDLY, THERE ARE SOUND FORCES IN UKRAINE’S not help. Secondly, the “servants” have not yet managed to break apart state institutions, and they continue to work SOCIETY WHO ARE READY TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY WITH ARMS by inertia which is still encouraging. Thirdly, there are sound forces in Ukraine’s society who are ready to protect The war goes on, there is no peace, and a Russian the country with arms. More and more people realize that Duma MP freely comes to the grey zone (will more follow? matches should be taken away from the kids so that they Zhyrinovsky, for example?). Zelenskiy’s wish to get Putin’s don’t burn the house, or at least that they should not be goodwill with humiliating gestures, such as the withdraw- left with matches unattended. The strategic council of the al of troops (de facto surrendering territory), fits into the Resistance to Capitulation Movement has recently pre- rationale of someone without a clear statehood position, sented the Ukrainian Doctrine of Security and Peace with someone who just wants peace but delivers no results. Sit- an alternative plan for the peaceful resolution and strate- ting at the table of negotiations with Putin is an unlikely gic vectors for ensuring sustainable security for Ukraine. prospect. The Kremlin’s leader puts forward new demands This profound document written by Ukrainian diplomats, all the time. Now, the meeting in the Normandy Format politicians and academics could serve as a good assistant depends on Kyiv’s consent to the Kremlin’s gas conditions, for the President who seems to not know how to get out of not so much on the Steinmeier formula. What will come the situation he has entered. The doctrine offers a detailed next? Russian as the second official language, federali- roadmap of what the problems are and how they should zation? Moscow has a program for taking Ukraine under be solved. It would be great if the President found time control and it is naive to think that it will suddenly wrap it. to take a look at it (provided that Andriy Bohdan allows The fact that the “servants” include some curious fig- him to do so). This could help him avoid poorly thought- ures, such as Ihor Kolomoiskiy, Valeriy Khoroshkovskiy through moves.