INSIDE: l Ukraine loses appeal over forfeited national team soccer match – page 4 l MATI concert features works by Schumann, Prokofiev and Baley – page 12 l Ukrainian pro hockey update – page 29 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXIX No. 13 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021 $2.00 Former Ukrainian leaders, Russian Ukraine takes further step to seize crucial defense entities targeted in new sanctions firm Motor Sich, sparking ire of Chinese investors Security Service of Ukraine A Motor Sich exhibition stand features one of the company’s engines at an industry trade show. Office of the President of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a forum devoted to culture, media and by Mark Raczkiewycz Agency (ARMA), which manages assets tourism in Kyiv on March 9. obtained through corruption and other KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr offenses. Meanwhile, state-run defense Zelenskyy on March 23 signed an order conglomerate Ukroboronprom has since by Mark Raczkiewycz Tabachnyk, ex-chief prosecutor Viktor Pshonka, ex-Defense Minister Dmytro that puts into effect a decision that the offered to take over control of the manufac- KYIV – Targeting dozens of legal entities Salamitin and oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko. National Security and Defense Council turer of engines for jets, helicopters and and individuals, including members of the “All are 99 percent Russian citizens” by (NSDC) made 12 days earlier to take over missiles. country’s former political leadership, now, National Security and Defense Council aero-engine maker Motor Sich. The SBU stated two investigations Ukraine over the past two weeks imposed a (NSDC) chief Oleksiy Danilov said the same The presidential move follows a court regarding Motor Sich stemming from 2017 fourth round of sanctions designed to day at a media briefing. Mr. Yanukovych order that the Security Service of Ukraine are ongoing and are related to “sabotage counter Russia’s influence in the country. fled to Russia following the pro-democratic (SBU) secured on March 20 in Kyiv to seize and subversive activities in favor of the Among the individuals sanctioned on uprising of 2013-2014 known as the all the strategic defense company’s shares Russian Federation” and for violating com- March 19 were former President Viktor Revolution of Dignity. and assets. pany privatization law “and subsequent Yanukovych, ex-Prime Minister Mykola They were instead transferred to the illegal concentration of shares.” Azarov, former Education Minister Dmytro (Continued on page 26) state-run Asset Recovery and Management An unknown majority stake in the aero- engine company is owned by a Chinese company that Ukraine and the United States sanctioned in January, including its Ukraine records largest number of COVID-19 infections tycoon owner and other affiliated compa- nies. The SBU froze the shares in Motor Sich and fatalities since the start of the pandemic through a court order in April 2018 and on September 4 the Chinese investors notified Top doctor tests positive after Ukraine’s Justice Ministry that it would ini- tiate an investment dispute, including in getting first dose of a vaccine international courts. “Ukraine, being in a state of war, cannot by Roman Tymotsko afford to hand over the enterprise, on which the Ukrainian defense capability LVIV – While many Western countries have begun to see sig- depends, into the wrong hands,” NSDC nificant declines in COVID-19 infections and death rates, Ukraine chief Oleksiy Danilov said in a television instituted another pandemic lockdown to combat a record-set- appearance on March 12, according to local ting spike of new cases that include the country’s chief state san- media. itary doctor. Since Beijing has a weakness in fully Viktor Liashko, deputy health minister and chief state sani- designing and building reliable military jet tary doctor of Ukraine, tested positive for the coronavirus on engines, it has pursued ownership of Motor March 15. He received his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Sich, a development the U.S. has opposed vaccine Covishield on March 2. over fears that crucial technology could be Ukraine has faced numerous challenges in its fight against the transferred to the Chinese. Washington fur- virus, including a slow and inefficient vaccination process that thermore suspects the majority sharehold- has been met with wide public distrust of COVID-19 vaccines. ers of being part of the Chinese govern- The result has been a record number of new cases and deaths. Marian Kushnir, RFE/RL ment’s military-industrial complex. A man leaves a hospital in the Zhytomyr region after being One of the Chinese companies is (Continued on page 9) hospitalized for COVID-19. (Continued on page 26) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021 No. 13 ANALYSIS Sanctions over Nord Stream 2 ‘possible’ a member of the group, which was labeled Two words that shook Putin’s regime as extremist and banned in Russia in 2017 and the Hiroshima atomic bombing; more- Secretary of State Antony Blinken has but is legal in Ukraine. The announcement by Pavel K. Baev told his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, Eurasia Daily Monitor over, he challenged Mr. Biden to discuss came two days after prosecutors in the contentious bilateral matters in an open, that U.S. sanctions against the Nord Stream Crimean city of Sevastopol asked a court to The resonance in Russia from a short online conversation (Kommersant, March 2 pipeline are a real possibility. Mr. Blinken, sentence another Jehovah’s Witness, Viktor fragment of United States President Joseph 19). This unconventional proposition speaking in Brussels on March 24 after pri- Stashevsky, to seven years in prison on a Biden’s ABC News interview last makes little sense considering the sub- vate talks with Mr. Maas the previous day, charge of “organizing the activities of an Wednesday (March 17) has been extraordi- stance of the scandal – the question of reiterated U.S. President Joe Biden’s con- extremist group.” Since the group was out- narily loud – and the bilateral consequenc- whether or not the Kremlin leader is a “kill- cerns about the pipeline from Russia to lawed in Russia, many Jehovah’s Witnesses es could be far greater than just the Russian er” can hardly be resolved in a televised Germany. He said he told Mr. Maas that have been imprisoned in Russia and ambassador being recalled to Moscow for debate – but it gives Mr. Putin the feeling of companies involved in the project risked Russia-occupied Crimea. On March 23, consultations (see EDM, March 18). Mr. regaining the initiative (Ezhednevny U.S. sanctions. U.S. officials argue that the prosecutors in the western Russian city of Biden’s plain answer – “I do” – to the ques- Zhurnal, March 19). Russian propaganda pipeline, which would transport 55 billion Smolensk asked a court to sentence three tion he received about whether he thought instantly picked up the topic, openly mus- cubic meters of natural gas annually direct- Jehovah’s Witnesses, Yevgeny Deshko, President Vladimir Putin was a “killer” pro- ing about whether Mr. Biden would dare ly from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Ruslan Korolyov, and Valery Shalyov, to duced greater impact than just the orches- accept Mr. Putin’s challenge (RIA Novosti, Sea, will make Europe too dependent on prison terms between eight and nine years trated propaganda outrage and the declara- March 20). Russian energy supplies. It will also bypass on similar charges. The Jehovah’s tions of loyalty from Russian political elites. Mr. Putin has also tried to turn the heavi- Ukraine, a Western ally, potentially depriv- Witnesses said earlier that a fourth man in While pundits in Moscow claim that Mr. ly publicized but one-sided quarrel into a ing it of valuable transit fees. Mr. Blinken the case, Viktor Malkov, died in pretrial Biden miscalculated the damage done to booster for popular mobilization. On short declined to give more details about his detention after he was denied assistance U.S.-Russian relations, the real issue is his notice, he ordered the staging of a large meeting with Mr. Maas but said the United for his medical condition. The United States expressed readiness to deliver on the rally at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, where States was closely monitoring construction has condemned Russia’s ongoing crack- promise to make Russia pay for its interfer- he could deliver his rebuttal while cele- of the pipeline under the Baltic Sea, which down on Jehovah’s Witnesses and other ence in the U.S. elections, perpetration of brating the seventh anniversary of the is about 95 percent completed, and could peaceful religious minorities. For decades, large-scale cyberattacks and other crimes “reunification” with Crimea (Svoboda.org, be finished by September, according to the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been viewed (Russiancouncil.ru, March 18). March 19). The crowd of specially selected experts. Germany is pushing for the pipe- with suspicion in Russia, where the domi- Mr. Putin has sought to undermine this loyalists who gathered on March 19 duly line’s completion despite sustained U.S. nant Orthodox Church is championed by readiness by responding to the direct provided the appropriate background opposition over more than a decade. So far, President Vladimir Putin. The Christian offense simultaneously with firm resolve noises, but keen observers argue that the Washington has only imposed sanctions on group is known for door-to-door preach- and jest. He ironically wished Mr. Biden general population remains, by and large, the Russian company KVT-RUS, which ing, close Bible study, rejecting military ser- good health but additionally felt compelled indifferent to the recent personal offense operates the pipe-laying vessel Fortuna. vice, and not celebrating national and reli- to recite favorite Russian “what-about- directed at the country’s “irreplaceable” These measures were announced by the gious holidays or birthdays.