No. 19, May 12, 2019
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INSIDE: l Rare Ukrainian dictionaries at the Library of Congress – page 4 l Ukraine’s Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation – page 8 l Our community: Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco – pages 14-15 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXVII No. 19 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2019 $2.00 Ambassador Yovanovitch’s Zelensky wavers on parliamentary elections, early replacement sparks outcry while outlining administration priorities by Mark Raczkiewycz by Matthew Dubas KYIV – Newly elected President PARSIPPANY, N.J. – U.S. Ambassador Volodymyr Zelensky suggested he won’t nec- to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is set to essarily pursue early parliamentary elec- depart in May, in accordance with a tions after getting sworn in later this month. “three-year diplomatic assignment in His comment came following a May 7 meet- Kyiv in 2019 as planned,” a U.S. State ing with European Union Enlargement Department spokesperson stated to Commissioner Johannes Hahn in Kyiv. RFE/RL on May 6. Ambassador His press service cited Mr. Zelensky on Yovanovitch was scheduled to vacate the need for a new election law that implied the post in July. he wants to have 450 seats in the legislature “Her confirmed departure date in elected solely on open party lists. May aligned with the presidential Currently, half the legislature is filled via transition in Ukraine,” which elected a single-mandate constituencies that watch- new president in April, the spokesper- dogs and advocacy groups say leads to son said, adding, “The team at U.S. rampant vote buying and corruption. The Embassy Kyiv, and in Washington, con- existing electoral system has another 225 ze2019.com tinues to work closely with the seats allocated proportionally to lists of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky is seen with the heads of the Council of Rabbis of Ukrainian government and civil soci- candidates from political parties and elec- Ukraine in Kyiv during a May 6 meeting at which he spoke about engaging in dia- ety to strengthen our partnership.” toral blocs that cross the 5-percent thresh- logue with people living in the Russian-occupied parts of the Donbas and countering Interfax reported on May 7 that the anti-Semitism in the country. Mr. Zelensky has been meeting with the country’s reli- old. Bribery is also suspected, whereby gious leaders as his inauguration day approaches. U.S. Embassy in Ukraine had con- unlisted candidates pay to get on party lists firmed that the U.S. ambassador would to enjoy the benefits of being a lawmaker for his legislative initiatives, which include News reported, citing JP Morgan and the be leaving her post in May. RFE/RL while their names remain hidden (only the eliminating immunity for certain categories Swiss investment bank UBS. reported that Embassy staff, who first five names from each list appear on of elected officials, enacting a presidential Kyiv got the first tranche of $1.4 billion spoke on condition of anonymity, con- the ballot) and gain immunity from prose- impeachment law and getting a prime min- as part of a new $3.9 billion stand-by firmed that Ambassador Yovanovitch’s cution once they’re elected. ister approved for a new government. arrangement in December 2018. “Both last day would be May 20. Earlier, the incoming president insisted, Regular parliamentary elections are sched- Zelensky and most politicians are likely to U.S. diplomats said they highly val- in a Facebook post that included a letter he uled for October 27. call for populist measures rather than IMF- ued Ms. Yovanovitch’s dedication to had sent to Verkhovna Rada Chair Andriy The uncertainty surrounding the politi- required reforms,” JP Morgan economists strengthening ties between Ukraine Parubiy, that his inauguration should take cal maneuvering means Ukraine might see Nicolaie Alexandru and Trang Nguyen and the U.S., and said they would con- place on May 19. That would afford him a delay in getting its second installment wrote in a note. tinue to work with Ukraine on neces- time to dismiss Parliament and call for pre- from an International Monetary Fund sary reforms for providing Ukraine’s term elections to avoid a lame-duck period (IMF) loan this summer, Ukraine Business (Continued on page 13) long-term success. There is no word yet on candidates to succeed Ms. Yovanovitch as ambas- sador to Ukraine. However, the chargé d’affaires will serve as interim ambas- UWC condemns anti-Ukrainian violence during Russian rally in Portugal sador until a new one is nominated and confirmed. UWC security for the event that led to this vio- flag at a Soviet Victory Day rally. Rep. Eliot l. Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman lence by pro-Russian demonstrators. “Anti-Ukrainian violence and hate- of the House Committee on Foreign TORONTO – The Ukrainian World Founded in Russia, the “Bessmertnyi crimes that are apparently organized with Affairs, and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Congress (UWC) on May 7 condemned the Polk” initiative is largely believed to be Russia’s diplomatic and government sup- House majority leader, issued a state- violence committed against representatives financed from the Russian state budget. It ment on May 7 in response to the of the Ukrainian community on May 5 in seeks to present Soviet totalitarianism in a governments around the world,” stated news of Ambassador Yovanovitch’s Lisbon by participants of the Russian initia- positive light, whitewash the horrific UWCport аre President on the rise Paul and Grod. must “Today, be stopped Ukraine by departure from her post, alleging a tive “Bessmertnyi Polk,” or “Immortal crimes of Soviet Communism and affirm is on the frontline of the struggle against “political hit job.” Regiment,” during a rally commemorating the cult of Stalin and the Soviet Union’s vic- Russian imperialism. On the eve of com- “Ambassador Yovanovitch is a dedi- the so-called Great Patriotic War (1941- tory in World War II. Since the beginning of memorations marking the so-called Soviet cated public servant and a diplomat of 1945) in which the USSR fought Nazi Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine in Victory Day on May 9, the UWC urges the the highest caliber who has represent- Germany. 2014, the “Bessmertnyi Polk” has become international community to condemn the ed the United States under both Members of the Ukrainian community very active internationally, attempting to crimes of the Soviet totalitarian regime and Republican and Democratic adminis- were attacked for standing alongside par- discredit Ukraine and justify Russia’s occu- Putin’s hybrid war against Ukraine and its trations. The White House’s outra- ticipants of the rally with placards inform- pation of Ukraine and illegal annexation of people both in Ukraine and around the geous decision to recall her is a politi- ing the people of Portugal about the crimes Crimea. world. Displays of symbols such as the cal hit job and the latest in this admin- of Joseph Stalin and Russia’s military These anti-Ukrainian acts of violence are Soviet hammer and sickle and the istration’s campaign against career aggression in the Donbas region of Ukraine. on the rise. According to reports filed with Gregorian [St. George] ribbon that repre- State Department personnel. It’s clear The UWC called on the Portuguese the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and sent hate or terror must be outlawed from that this decision was politically moti- authorities to launch an immediate investi- Ottawa Police Service, last year on May 9 at public lands and buildings. We call upon vated, as allies of President Trump had gation into the incident. Particularly trou- the Canadian War Museum in Canada’s the global community, governments and joined foreign actors in lobbying for bling was that fact that local police, despite capital city of Ottawa, a group of neo-Soviet law enforcement agencies to take active being forewarned, made no effort to inter- demonstrators violently attacked a measures in order to prevent further anti- (Continued on page 19) vene and did not organize the necessary Canadian citizen for holding a Ukrainian Ukrainian hate crimes around the world.” 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2019 No. 19 ANALYSIS Russia punishing Ukraine Zelensky: Relations far from ‘brotherly’ the Donbas, including the uncontrolled sec- tion of the state border between Ukraine Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr and Russia. He thanked Canada for intro- aft er the presidential election Zelensky has said that current ties between ducing the so-called Azov package of sanc- Kyiv and Moscow cannot be called “broth- off. Candidate Zelensky repeatedly asserted tions in March in coordination with the by Vladimir Socor erly,” and the two countries now have little European Union and the United States. Eurasia Daily Monitor that Crimea belongs to Ukraine and he in common outside a shared border. In a Particular attention was paid to securing would never give it up to Russia. He would Facebook post on May 2, Mr. Zelensky the release of 24 sailors and all Ukrainian The Kremlin is disappointed and angry certainly support talks for a more effective reacted to recent comments by Russian hostages illegally detained by Russia. with the Ukrainian presidential election’s ceasefire along the demarcation line in President Vladimir Putin, who said that Ukraine’s president also noted Canada’s landslide winner, Volodymyr Zelensky. The Donbas, and would adhere to the Minsk Russians and Ukrainians had “lots in com- important role in building up the defense president-elect may have over-fulfilled process. However, Mr. Zelensky in fact cir- mon.” Mr. Zelensky wrote: “The reality is capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Moscow’s forecasts by defeating the incum- cumvented the Minsk terms (just as that today, after [Russia’s] annexation of The parties discussed potential directions bent, President Petro Poroshenko, by 73 Ukraine’s official policy does) by turning Crimea and [its] aggression in [Ukraine’s for deepening security cooperation percent to 25 percent in the April 21 runoff down a special status for the Donetsk and eastern region of] Donbas, the ‘common’ (Ukrayinska Pravda, April 22).