INSIDE: l Retired Bishop Innocent Lotocky dies at age 97 – page 4 l Behind the scenes at the Ukrainian Cultural Festival – page 11 l Little League baseball, Universiade, USCAK tennis – pages 16-17 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXI No. 30 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2013 $1/$2 in Ukraine Putin to call for Russian-Ukrainian unity Ukrainian community leaders meet at anniversary of Kyivan Rus’ baptism with new U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Orthodox Christian world,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, board chairman of the Penta UCCA presents award to former ambassador Center for Applied Political Research in Kyiv. “Putin wants to show Ukrainians that what unites us all is Orthodoxy. He will try to prove to Yanukovych that Ukraine needs to join the Eurasian Union, not the European Union. Putin won’t be addressing Yanukovych as much as Ukraine’s Orthodox Christian, Russian-speaking citi- zens, delivering a historic address on the anniversary of Rus’,” Mr. Fesenko explained. Indeed the Russian president’s visit car- ries with it enormous political significance as the future of his Eurasian Economic Union project – set for launch in 2015 – hangs in the balance. In the next few months, Ukraine’s President Yanukovych may opt for the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement instead, which would shut the door on a Russian- Ukrainian geopolitical alliance. Some critics have ridiculed the attempts to promote Russian-Ukrainian unity when the Russian government has been charging Meeting with the new U.S. ambassador to Ukraine (from left) are: Kvitka Semanyshyn, Ukraine exorbitant prices for natural gas Providence Association vice-president; Stefan Kaczaraj, UCCA National Board chair- that are strangling the Ukrainian economy. man and Ukrainian National Association president; Bishop Daniel, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.; Tamara Olexy, UCCA president; Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt; Ukraine’s factories depend on large vol- Bishop Paul Chomnycky, Ukrainian Catholic Church; Marie Duplak, UCCA executive umes of natural gas to power their turbines. secretary; Bohdan Futey; the Rev. Robert Hitchens, Ukrainian Catholic Church; and The higher prices threaten their profit- Michael Sawkiw Jr., Ukrainian National Information Service. ability, yet the Kremlin won’t lower prices, even after the Yanukovych administration Ukrainian National Information Service Ambassador Pyatt thanked the community has opened Ukraine’s entire cultural and for its years of commitment in supporting educational spheres to Kremlin influence, WASHINGTON – The newly confirmed Ukraine’s reform efforts and engagement wrote Mykhailo Dubynianskyi, a columnist U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, with Ukrainian society. The ambassador met with members of the executive board Yurii Buslenko (from the book “The Golden Domes of Kyiv”) for Segodnya (Today), Ukraine’s largest spoke on a variety of issues, including the of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of Kyiv’s monument of St. Volodymyr, daily newspaper, which is aligned with the European Union’s upcoming Eastern grand prince of Kyivan Rus’, overlook- Party of Regions. America at the U.S. Department of State on Partnership Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania; ing the Dnipro River. “They’re demanding strictly material July 17. Ukraine’s active civil society; Ukraine’s things from the Ukrainian government – UCCA leaders – President Tamara Olexy, 2015 presidential elections; and the need joining the Customs Union, surrendering by Zenon Zawada National Council Chairman Stefan Kaczaraj, for an ongoing dialogue with the Ukrainian the gas transit system, rejecting the Executive Secretary Marie Duplak and government regarding judicial reform. KYIV – Russian Federation President Association Agreement,” he wrote in a col- Ukrainian National Information Service The community representatives thanked Vladimir Putin is visiting Kyiv this weekend umn published on July 24. “But since Kyiv (UNIS) Director Michael Sawkiw Jr. – had a the ambassador for the opportunity to (July 27-28) to participate in commemora- is being stubborn, banal blackmail is occur- series of meetings in Washington that day, tions of the 1,025th anniversary of the bap- ring in the form of customs duties on meet, related their concerns and offered including meetings with former U.S. recommendations to the ambassador prior tism of Kyivan Rus’ in 988 during the reign Ukrainian chocolate, glass and coal. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst and of Grand Prince Volodymyr. He is also Nothing personal, just business. Against to his departure for Kyiv. Topics of discus- Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Olexander sion included the religious dimension in scheduled to meet with Ukrainian this rigid background, talks of spiritual Motsyk. President Viktor Yanukovych to discuss Ukraine, the concept of “Russian World” brotherhood somehow aren’t impressive.” In addition to the UCCA executive board politics and trade. and its interference in the fabric of On July 16, the Russian government members, participating in the day’s events Political observers expect Mr. Putin will Ukraine’s society, the upcoming presiden- announced it will discontinue quotas of were Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the use the event to promote Russian- tial elections in Ukraine and the UCCA’s duty-free metal pipes from Ukraine, which Ukrainian Catholic Church and Bishop Ukrainian political and economic unity would make all of them subject to duties election observer mission that has moni- based on a mutual religious and cultural Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of tored every election in Ukraine since 1991, and therefore more expensive. the U.S.A., the Rev. Robert Hitchens of the heritage that stems from the Kyivan Rus’ Also this month, the Russian govern- and the need to expand people-to-people Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the civilization, which reached its peak about ment informed the World Trade exchanges in light of dwindling foreign Holy Family, the Rev. Vasyl Pasakas of St. three centuries before Moscow emerged as Organization it will raise import duties on assistance to Ukraine. Andrew’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in a principality. Ukrainian chocolate, sugar, glass and coal These topics inspired an earnest discus- South Bound Brook, N.J., Bohdan Futey of Besides an entourage of loyal Russian as a response to the Ukrainian Cabinet of sion about current issues related to Ukraine mass media, Mr. Putin will be accompanied Ministers’ decision in March to apply duties the UCCA Advisory Council and Kvitka and U.S.-Ukraine relations. by Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox to all automobile imports. Russia estimated Semanyshyn of the Providence Association Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt goes to Church (ROC), who has promoted the the economic damage at $36.1 million. of Ukrainian Catholics. Mr. Kaczaraj attend- Ukraine with a wealth of experience in “Russian World” (Russkiy Mir) geopolitical It’s no coincidence that these maneuvers ed the meeting also in his capacity as presi- many posts abroad. His previous assign- concept – targeted largely at Ukraine – came on the eve of Mr. Putin’s visit to Kyiv, dent of the Ukrainian National Association. ment abroad was as deputy chief of mission since his election in 2009. said Dr. Oleh Soskin, the director of the In his first meeting with Ukrainian com- (DCM) at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, “The main goal of the visit is to propagan- munity representatives since he was con- dize the idea of Russia as the leader of the (Continued on page 3) firmed by the U.S. Senate on July 9, (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2013 No. 30 ANALYSIS Ukraine diversifies gas suppliers, Police disperse protest in Kyiv July 22 in the presidential palace in Warsaw during an annual meeting of Polish ambas- KYIV – Riot police in the Ukrainian capi- sadors. “This year the prospect of Ukraine tal dispersed a protest over last month’s slashes imports from Gazprom signing the Association Agreement with the rape of a woman who accused police offi- EU is particularly important,” President On July 3, the heads of state of the cers of the crime. The case sparked outrage by Vladimir Socor Komorowski said. He said that Polish diplo- Eurasia Daily Monitor Visegrad Four group of countries (Poland, across Ukraine. Local media said police mats should “form awareness and a deep Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic) met in detained about 10 people early on July 19 Ukraine has recently initiated procure- conviction that it is important to Ukraine Poland together with Ukrainian President after some 100 protesters were ordered to ment of natural gas from European suppli- [and] Poland, and it is also very important Viktor Yanukovych (Visegrad + Ukraine for- leave the tents they had set up in the ers. These volumes are small but growing, to the whole of Europe.” (Ukrinform) mat). The agenda included the signing of a square in Kyiv. Authorities had allowed the correspondingly eroding Gazprom’s mar- memorandum on interconnecting the four protest in the square on July 18. Earlier this ket share in Ukraine. Visegrad countries through bi-directional Probation for Volyn egg-smasher The German Rheinisch-Westfaelisches month, hundreds took to the streets of pipelines. The heads of state endorsed Vradiyivka, 300 kilometers south of Kyiv, KYIV – The man who smashed an egg on Elektrizitaetswerk (RWE) is providing the Ukraine’s efforts to diversify its gas sup- after the 29-year-shop assistant said she the shoulder of Polish President Bronislaw volumes through its subsidiary, RWE plies, including by means of reverse-flow was beaten and raped by two policemen. Komorowski, has been put on probation for Supply & Trading. Some of these gas vol- from Slovakia (Ukrinform, July 4). Angered by a suspected cover-up, locals one year, the press office of the Internal umes are undoubtedly of Russian prove- Gazprom professes to believe that tried to storm a police station. Many of the Affairs Ministry’s department in the Volyn nance, with RWE using its legal right to re- Ukraine does not receive physical gas flows protesters in Kyiv had traveled on foot from region said in a statement on July 22.