INSIDE: l Everyone seems to have a peace plan – page 3 l Commentary: An agreement with the devil – page 6 l “Bitter Harvest” premieres in Canada – page 10 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXV No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017 $2.00 Atlantic Council panel discusses Ukraine Canadian physicians return from the Holodomor to the Donbas war to Ukraine on fifth medical mission by Mark Raczkiewycz KYIV – In the summer of 2016, Serhiy Vovchuk suffered two bullet wounds to his left arm in the frontline town of Popasna in Luhansk Oblast from combined Russian- separatist forces. After undergoing four operations to restore functionality of his hand and fin- gers, Mr. Vovchuk, of the Kyivska Rus’ 11th Motorized Infantry Battalion, had his ten- dons repaired by a group of Canadian sur- geons on February 27 at the Defense Ministry’s Main Military Hospital. “They treated me like their own chil- dren, this was very apparent throughout the process,” he told The Ukrainian Weekly of the Canadian physicians who helped restore functionality to his left thumb. “After about eight weeks of exercising my Yaro Bihun left thumb, I should be able to restore at least Anka Wrzesnewskyj-Cottrell John Herbst, who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in 2003-2006, describes 70 percent of my thumb’s movement,” Mr. Serhiy Vovchuk of the Kyivska Rus’ 11th Russia’s “brief flirtation with democracy” as sadly ending when Vladimir Putin took Vovchuk said. Use of the thumb and index Battalion smiles after his left hand was over that country’s leadership. Sitting next to him during the Atlantic Council’s panel finger in tandem account for approximately operated on February 27 to repair tendons discussion about “Connecting Ukraine’s Past and Present: from Holodomor to the 80 percent of hand motor movement. so that functionality could be returned to War in Donbas,” is Nadia McConnell, president of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation. Mr. Vovchuk is one of 42 patients that his thumb. He was wounded by gunfire while fighting near the Luhansk Oblast the 25 members of the Canadian medical by Yaro Bihun the Holodomor, the artificially created fam- town of Popasna in the summer of 2016. ine in the 1930s that killed millions of team – comprising surgeons, anesthetists WASHINGTON – For those in the U.S. Ukrainians. and nurses – are treating with their rocket fire while defending the Luhansk capital area actively interested in finding a He pointed out that members of the U.S. Ukrainian counterparts. The reconstructive Airport on July 17, 2014. resolution to the dire situation Ukraine and Congress and U.S. presidents had issued procedures they perform are part of their Canadian physicians had treated him other countries find themselves in because many statements on the Holodomor, and fifth mission to Kyiv in the last three years during their first mission in November of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pur- the process culminated in 2008, when that started on February 24. 2014, and this week they conducted recon- suit of military aggression and an active dis- President George W. Bush declared that the Some are follow-up patients, like para- structive surgery on his jaw as part of a information policy, the Atlantic Council Holodomor was “a crime against humanity.” trooper Andriy Usach, who lost half his leg, process to improve speech and chewing think tank discussion “Connecting Ukraine’s and suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his Past and Present – from Holodomor to the (Continued on page 4) left arm and jaw from Russian-made Grad (Continued on page 15) War in Donbas,” was a great step forward to a better understanding of how and why that situation developed as it did and what needs to be done to resolve it. Conference in D.C. focuses on securing Ukraine’s sovereignty The panel and open discussion on February 21, moderated by Atlantic Council by Andrij Dobriansky Senior Fellow Timothy Fairbank, included Michael Sawkiw, director of the Ukrainian NEW YORK – “Securing Ukraine’s Sovereignty: The Road National Information Service; Naphtali Ahead” was the title of a daylong academic conference held on Rivkin, a research fellow at the Victims of February 15 at the U.S. Library of Congress that was organized Communism Memorial Foundation; Nadia by the Center for U.S.-Ukraine Relations (CUSUR) in collabora- McConnell, president of the U.S.-Ukraine tion with the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) and the Foundation; and John Herbst, former U.S. Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA). ambassador to Ukraine and now director of Over two dozen leading voices on national security, interna- the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. tional diplomacy and government affairs spoke in a roundtable As Mr. Sawkiw pointed out in his open- format, discussing the damage done to European security and ing remarks, Russia’s use of disinformation international law by Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine, and is not something new. He noted that French debated what advancements had been made in the areas of writer Marquis de Custine, who traveled to diplomacy, economic reform and the military readiness to pro- Russia often in the mid-1800s, indicated in tect Ukraine from future attacks. his book “Letters from Russia”: “Russia lies, Conference attendees gathered in the historic Thomas UCCA Russia denies the facts, makes war on the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, where, prior to the evidence, and wins.” first roundtable, select government representatives arrived to At a reception held at the Embassy of Ukraine on the eve of a And that “informational war” continues offer greetings. The CUSUR team, led as always by Prof. Walter conference on securing Ukraine’s sovereignty, Ukraine’s today, Mr. Sawkiw said. The Soviets denied Zaryckyj, ushered in Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Rep. Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo Klimkin is flanked by Dr. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), co-chairs of the Congressional Ukrainian Phillip Karber (left) and Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.), both of until the 1980s – about the time when whom were honored with Friends of Ukraine awards pre- Ukrainian Americans started raising the (Continued on page 14) sented by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. issue in this country – that Stalin launched 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017 No. 10 ANALYSIS Railway blockade wreaks havoc Russia warns of “new tragedies” their attacks on civilian infrastructure, including the Donetsk water filtration sta- MOSCOW – The Russian Foreign Affairs tion. We call on Russia and the separatist Ministry has raised the possibility of “new on economy of Ukraine’s Donbas forces it backs to immediately observe the tragedies” if Washington moves to supply and Cherkasy could be affected by sched- ceasefire, withdraw all heavy weapons, and by Oleg Varfolomeyev lethal aid to Ukraine, according to an uled blackouts from the end of March allow full and unfettered access to the Eurasia Daily Monitor UNIAN correspondent in Russia who cited (kmu.gov.ua, February 13). In the middle of OSCE monitors. (U.S. Department of State) Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei In late January, groups of self-identified February, the state energy company veterans and several controversial Ukrenergo predicted that if deliveries from Ryabkov as making the comment. The Avakov seeks to break up blockade Russian side will “explain” to the new U.S. Ukrainian people’s deputies began blocking the blockaded areas were not resumed, KYIV – Ukrainian Internal Affairs railways linking the territory of the Donbas administration “the history and status of Ukraine’s power plants would have enough Minister Arsen Avakov says he has request- (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts) controlled the conflict in Ukraine,” Mr. Ryabkov said at coal to continue to operate for only 40 days ed permission for the police to break up an by Moscow-backed militants to areas con- the State Duma’s roundtable on U.S-Russia or so (UNIAN, February 13). activist blockade of the country’s transit trolled by the central government. They say relations. “The U.S. Congress demands that The government estimates that in order routes with areas of the east held by sepa- that it is wrong to trade with the rebels and to be able to do without coal imports from deliveries of the so-called lethal aid [to ratists. Ukrainian activists, including some that Ukrainian oligarchs enrich themselves across the frontline, Ukraine would have to Ukraine] start, therefore it is important that members of Parliament and many veterans from such trade – particularly pointing to invest $560 million each year, over the next the White House and the State Department of the conflict with Russia-backed forces in coal deliveries from the occupied areas (see three to five years, to adapt power plants to realize that this could result in new trage- eastern Ukraine, have been blockading Eurasia Daily Monitor, February 24). Over a use other kinds of fuel (liga.net, February dies, and feel the responsibility,” said Mr. train routes to the east since late January. month has passed, but so far Kyiv has not 14). This would be a heavy burden on Ryabkov. He said the Russian Foreign taken any steps to unblock the railways, Europe’s statistically poorest economy. Affairs Ministry will contribute to The blockade has cut off critically needed while the blockade threatens to wreak Coal imports from Russia could be a politi- Washington’s “adequate perception” of coal imports from eastern Ukraine that run havoc not only on the local, but also the cally costly alternative, Vice Prime Minister what is happening in the Donbas. As western Ukrainian power plants, causing national economy. Hennady Zubko warned (ICTV, February reported by RFE/RL earlier in February, power shortages and other harm to the Ukraine’s main high-energy coal (anthra- 27).