www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • More on the crisis in Georgia — pages 3-5. • Master pianist Alexander Slobodyanik dies — page 8. • Interview: poet Dzvinia Orlowsky — page 11. THE PublishedU byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal Wnon-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVI No. 33 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2008 $1/$2 in Ukraine Ukraine plays key role in supporting Georgia by Danylo Peleschuk directly encouraging the Georgian authorities Kyiv Press Bureau to start the intervention and ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia, has no moral right to tutor KYIV – Ukraine has emerged as one of Georgia’s big- others and participate in the matter,” read a gest backers in its ongoing crisis over South Ossetia, pro- statement from Russia’s Foreign Affairs viding staunch political support, and even having threaten- Ministry. ing on August 10 to prevent Russian warships that moved Additionally, South Ossetian President to blockade Georgia’s Black Sea coastline from returning to Eduard Kokoity accused Ukraine on August their Crimean base in Ukraine. 6 – the day before the conflict began – of sell- Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, stationed in Sevastopol and ing various other armaments to Georgia, long a thorn in the side of Ukraine in its relations with including T-72 tanks, armored personnel car- Russia, deployed its vessels on August 9 toward Georgia’s riers, Mi-8 helicopters and various missile coast. The Ukrainian government warned the fleet to refrain systems. from any involvement in the Georgian conflict, and stated Ukrainian Defense Minister Yurii that it has the legal right to prevent it from returning to its Yekhanurov responded promptly, understand- ing that all arms sales to Georgia were in base, which Ukraine agreed to lease to Russia until 2017. UNIAN “[Ukraine] has the right, in accordance with international Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili speaks in Tbilisi. Seen in compliance with international laws and stan- law and the law of Ukraine, to forbid ships and vessels that the background, among others, is Ukrainian President Viktor dards. may take part in a conflict to return to the territory of Yushchenko, who traveled to Georgia with Polish, Estonian, President Yushchenko, along with the Ukraine until the conflict is resolved,” read a statement Lithuanian and Latvian leaders to express solidarity with the Polish, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. people of Georgia. heads of state, traveled to Tbilisi on August Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree 13 in an effort to expedite the peace process on August 13 mandating that all Russian ships deployed the European Union, condemned Russia’s invasion of and establish a sense of solidarity between the newly dem- from Sevastopol gain special permission to return to their Georgian territory, but was not ready to support the country ocratic, post-Soviet states, who have struggled with base, according to the president’s website. Additionally, the militarily, Deputy Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Yeliseyev Russian bullying in recent years. In Tbilisi’s central square, fleet must submit to the Ukrainian government a letter of told the UNIAN news service. Mr. Yushchenko reassured Georgian protesters that Ukraine intent 10 working days before its planned return. But Russian officials claimed that Ukraine was guilty by stands with Georgia in the face of Russian aggression. Ukraine is backing Georgia morally and politically in its association, noting that an S-200 surface-to-air missile “Here, today, in the hardest times for Georgia, we pro- struggle with Russian forces, which escalated over into a (SAM) that downed a Russian Tu-22 bomber was supplied claim that Georgia has the right to freedom, the right to full-blown war between the two sides before a preliminary to the Georgian military by Ukraine. independence,” he said. “We traveled thousands of kilome- ceasefire was agreed to on August 13. Ukraine’s Foreign “The state of Ukraine, which has been supplying weap- Affairs Ministry, along with the United States and most of onry to Georgia so that it became armed to the teeth and (Continued on page 5) Ukraine at Olympics: Ukrainian Americans support Georgia, condemn Russian aggression by Tamara Olexy four bronze medals Ukrainian Congress Committee of America NEW YORK – Ukrainian Americans on and a team gold Saturday evening, August 9, joined mem- bers of the Georgian community in the PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Team Ukraine (at United States in demonstrations near the press time) was in 20th place in the medal United Nations and in Washington to protest count at the Summer Olympic Games in the Russian invasion of Georgia. Beijing, China, with four individual bronze In response to Russia’s escalating vio- medals and a team gold. lence, the Georgian community has been In the inaugural year for women’s team holding daily demonstrations. saber fencing at the Olympic Games, Olena Representatives of the New York Branch Khomrova, Halyna Pundyk, Olha Kharlan of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of and Olha Zhovnir defeated China 45-44 America and other community members and won the gold medal. The four bronze joined the August 9 demonstration in medals were won by: Illya Kvasha and front of the United Nations, where over Oleksiy Pryhorov, men’s synchronized 500 Georgians had gathered. 3-meter springboard diving; Natalya The following day, a protest rally was Davydova, women’s weightlifting (69 kg); held in Washington, where approximately Armen Vardanyan men’s Greco-Roman 100 participants, including several wrestling (66 kg); and Roman Hontiuk, Ukrainians from the area, gathered at the Supporters of Georgia demonstrate in New York. men’s judo (81 kg). Georgian Embassy to march toward the The final two women’s fencing teams the rain, over 500 Georgians again gathered munity joined the rally and chanted along- Russian Embassy. stunned favored competitors France and the before the United Nations to protest Russian side the Georgians “Russia Out of Georgia,” UCCA President Michael Sawkiw Jr. United States, who had top-ranked fencers. aggression and show their support for their “Peace in Georgia” and “Sakartvelo” (the participated in the demonstration and Ukraine beat the U.S. 45-39, and China name for Georgia in the Georgian lan- march. He commented: “We are united fellow Georgians, who are experiencing defeated France 45-38. guage). The Ukrainian American commu- with our Georgian colleagues against this untold devastation and loss of life in this Vardanyan tied with Belrusian Mikhail nity joined to show solidarity, while under- brutal military invasion of the sovereign conflict. During the rally participants waved Siamionau in wrestling for the bronze standing that if international community is nation of Georgia. This is a clear violation the Georgian national flag and held banners medal and Hontiuk shares the bronze in silent in response to Russia’s current moves, of international norms and must be con- that read “U.N. Stop Russian Aggression,” judo with Brazil’s Tiago Camilo. Ukraine, specifically Crimea, could be the demned. Russia’s aggression and intrusion “Russia Stop Bombing in Georgia” and Ukraine’s Olympic team was led on next target. in foreign, independent countries must “Stop Russian Terror.” August 8 during the opening ceremonies of The Georgian community has pledged to cease immediately.” In a show of support for their Georgian (Continued on page 9) On Monday, August 11, undeterred by neighbors, members of the Ukrainian com- (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2008 No. 33 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS The goals behind Moscow’s Kostenko sees warning to Ukraine on whether Ukraine would allow the fleet’s ships that have headed to the proxy offensive in South Ossetia KYIV – The leader of the Ukrainian Abkhazian coast to return to Sevastopol. People’s Party, National Deputy Yurii “We will hold a dialogue with the by Vladimir Socor escalation process in South Ossetia. Kostenko said on August 11 that he is Russian side,” he said, adding that the Eurasia Daily Monitor On July 3 an assassination attempt tar- convinced that Russia, having started countries will decide how this will be military actions in Georgia, aims to pre- August 8 geted Dmitry Sanakoyev, head of the held. Mr. Yeliseyev also said that Ukraine Tbilisi-backed interim administration of vent the country from joining NATO and would resolve this question “without As anticipated (see Eurasia Daily South Ossetia, which controls at least the European Union. In a commentary emotions and hysteria, but in a normal Monitor, July 11, August 4) Moscow has one-third of the region’s territory. The released by his party’s press service, Mr. and civilized way.” He explained, “Our initiated an offensive military operation blast injured Mr. Sanakoyev’s body- Kostenko asserted that “the matter con- goal is not to provoke confrontation with by proxy against Georgia in South guards. cerns not so much a danger for Russia in the Russian side. Our goal is to hold a Ossetia. Although the blow had been On July 9 Moscow demonstratively case Georgia becomes a NATO member, normal, constructive and productive dia- expected in upper Abkhazia and may yet acknowledged that four Russian Air Force as a distribution of spheres of influence, logue that should take into account materialize there, Russia shifted the direc- planes had flown a mission over South whereby which Moscow insists that all Ukrainian interests.” The Ukrainian tion of attack to the South Ossetian front. Ossetia. That action sought to deter post-Soviet countries, except for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in its statement The brazen attacks during the night of Georgia from flying unmanned aerial Baltic countries, should be within the on August 10, warned Russia about the August 7 to 8 in South Ossetia left Tbilisi vehicles (UAVs), thus blinding Tbilisi to sphere of Russia’s geopolitical, military participation of Russian Black Sea Fleet with no choice but to respond.