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Biden Tells Ukraine's Leaders the U.S. Stands with Them

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Biden Tells Ukraine's Leaders the U.S. Stands with Them INSIDE: l The rhetorical rumble with Russia – page 3 l Voices from Russian-annexed Crimea – page 4 l Our community: Rochester, Woonsocket – page 16 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXII No. 17 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014 $1/$2 in Ukraine Biden tells Ukraine’s leaders the U.S. stands with them KYIV – Visiting Kyiv on April 21-22, U.S. you all hoped for two, five, 10, 15 years ago Vice-President Joe Biden told the people of to lay the groundwork for an even more Ukraine they “should have the right to united and more prosperous Ukraine.” choose their own future” and declared the Mr. Biden also touched on energy issues United States’ readiness to assist Ukraine, in his remarks to Ukrainian legislators. “As which he said faces “humiliating threats” you attempt to pursue energy security,” he and “very daunting problems,” in seizing a said, “there’s no reason why you cannot be chance to create national unity. energy secure. …It will take time. It takes “As you all know well, we have a signifi- some difficult decisions, but it’s collectively cant Ukrainian American population,” Mr. within your power and the power of Europe Biden told Ukraine’s national deputies. “We and the United States. And we stand ready stand with you. And it is not just a foreign to assist you in reaching that. Imagine policy judgment, it is a personal – it’s an where you’d be today if you were able to tell emotional commitment, as well, by millions Russia: Keep your gas. It would be a very of Americans.” different world you’d be facing today.” Mr. Biden also told his audiences in Kyiv Speaking that afternoon at a press con- that the U.S. stands ready to help Ukraine’s ference at the Cabinet of Ministers Club, Mr. economy but that that Ukraine must step Biden said of the country’s May 25 election: up efforts to root out abuses within its “This is a chance to make good on the aspi- political system and “fight the cancer of rations of the overwhelming majority of corruption.” Ukrainians east and west and every part of “We want to be your partner and friend,” this country. For a Ukraine that empowers U.S. Embassy Kyiv he told Ukrainian presidential candidates local governance and respects and protects Speaking on April 22, U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden said: “I came here to Kyiv to let you Mr. Prime Minister, and every Ukrainian know that the United States stands with and members of the Verkhovna Rada on different linguistic and cultural traditions, you and is working to support all Ukrainians in seeking a better future. Ukraine is the morning of April 22. but fundamentally holds together as a sin- and must remain one country from Lviv to Kharkiv down to the Black Sea – one Noting that the country is “facing such gle state – united and sovereign.” country, one united Ukraine.” unrest and uncertainty,” Mr. Biden said that He also stated: “We, the United States, “this is a second opportunity to make good stand with you and all the Ukrainian people independence. And at its most basic level, “No nation should threaten its neighbors on the original promise made by the on a Ukraine united. And I’ll say at the top it’s about restoring respect and dignity.” by massing troops along the border,” he Orange Revolution. This is a genuine we do not recognize – we do not recognize “No nation,” the vice-president said, “has continued. “We call on Russia to pull back opportunity to get right what is always dif- – Russia’s actions in the Crimea. But today, the right to simply grab land from another these forces. No nation should stoke insta- ficult to do the first time when coming out as I said, there are some trying to pull nation. No nation has that right. And we bility in its neighbor’s country. We call on from under the oppression or control of Ukraine apart. …There’s been a lot of talk will never recognize Russia’s illegal occupa- Russia to stop supporting men hiding another power.” Referring to the upcoming about geopolitics, about East and West. But tion of Crimea, and neither will the world, behind masks in unmarked uniforms, sow- presidential election, he added, “you have here in Ukraine, people know that it’s about as was demonstrated by the overwhelming ing unrest in eastern Ukraine. And we have an opportunity, a chance to bring about an something much more fundamental. It’s not vote that took place in the Security Council, era of reform and democratic renewal that about geopolitics; it’s about unity. It’s about in the General Assembly.” (Continued on page 15) Insurrections in eastern Ukraine seen as distinct from Euro-Maidan protest by Zenon Zawada the Euro-Maidan, a grassroots movement that drew support from a wide social spec- KYIV – The Russian establishment is trum encompassing all of Ukraine’s regions. going to great lengths to spin the current “It’s a parody of the Maidan,” said Petro armed conflicts in eastern Ukraine as a Oleshchuk, a political science lecturer at movement similar to the Euro-Maidan, Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. with the aim of exposing the Western “Even their collection of Maidan items isn’t world’s hypocrisy in supporting one pro- practical, but merely symbolic. For test while condemning the other. instance, the tires that the separatists have The pro-Russian fighters have mimicked shielded themselves with were used on the the Maidan in building barricades in front of Maidan to create a smokescreen against the captured state buildings, and setting up Berkut [special forces]. Yet they’re making stages and kitchens. They wear masks and barricades out of them because they know camouflage. But unlike the Euro-Maidan, that no one will truly attack them.” which resorted to firearms as a last resort, Among the three murdered this week by these fighters openly carry automatic weap- the pro-Russian militants in the Donetsk ons, using them to attack police stations and Oblast was Horlivka City Councilman military sites to acquire more arms. Volodymyr Rybak, who belonged to the Their particularly violent acts this week Batkivshchyna party and organized the – including the murder of a city council- city’s “For a United Ukraine” protests. His Voice of Donetsk man, kidnapping of foreign journalists and body and that of an unidentified man were The pro-Russian fighters in eastern Ukraine have mimicked the Euro-Maidan by police officers, and repeated calls for using tires to build their barricades, such as these surrounding the Donetsk Oblast found with indications of torture, reported Russian military intervention – have served State Administration. Using them for barricades, instead of creating a smokescreen, is to further discredit any comparisons with evidence they have no fear of being attacked, observers said. (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014 No. 17 ANALYSIS NDI: Ukraine on democratic path Relaunch of anti-terrorist operations kidnapped. OSCE Representative on KYIV – Ukraine’s acting President “I remain deeply concerned about the ongo- for May 25 presidential election Oleksandr Turchynov called for the ingFreedom negative of the pattern Media in Dunja relation Mijatović to journal said,- relaunch of anti-terrorist operations against Canadian minister of foreign affairs, and ists’ safety in Ukraine. …I call on all those Significant challenges remain pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, citing Edward “Ted” Kaufman, former U.S. senator responsible to stop harassing and attacking KYIV – Citing the resurgence of civic the death of a politician from his party in the from Delaware. Other members were journalists and let them do their job. Simon pride and political engagement brought region. Mr. Turchynov said in a statement Matyas Eorsi, former member of Ostrovsky should be released immediately.” about by the Euro-Maidan demonstrations, that two “brutally tortured” bodies were Parliament from Hungary and former (RFE/RL, Organization for Security and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) found near the rebel-held city of Sloviansk member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Cooperation in Europe) said that “Ukraine has turned the corner on April 22. One was that of Volodymyr onto a decidedly democratic path” but still the Council of Europe; Nadia Diuk, vice- Rybak, a member of the Batkivshchyna Lavrov says Russia will respond faces an extraordinary set of challenges. president of programs for Europe, Eurasia, party who had been abducted the previous MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Affairs Those were among the findings of an Africa, and Latin America and the week. The president said Mr. Rybak had Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Russia NDI pre-election mission that issued a Caribbean for the National Endowment for recently been abducted by “terrorists.” He will retaliate if Russian interests are threat- statement on April 11 after a week of Democracy; Andrew Bruce, executive direc- said, “These crimes are being carried out ened in Ukraine. In an interview with state- assessing preparations for the presidential, tor of Electoral Reform International with the full support and indulgence” of controlled RT television on April 23, Mr. parliamentary and local elections sched- Services; Bill Balan, vice-president of Russia. Mr. Turchynov said, “I call on the Lavrov said: “If we are attacked, we would uled for May 25. Those polls, it said, will be finance and administration and chief security agencies to relaunch and carry out certainly respond.” His comments came after the most important in Ukraine since it administrative officer at the University of effective anti-terrorist measures, with the Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr gained independence from the Soviet Winnipeg; Laura Jewett, NDI regional direc- aim of protecting Ukrainian citizens in the Turchynov ordered the resumption of an Union in 1991.
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