INSIDE: l Virtual forum assesses progress of Ukraine’s reforms – page 3 l Obituary: Myroslav Skoryk, Ukraine’s cultural icon – page 4 l UUARC appeal for flood relief for western Ukraine – page 7 The Ukrainian Weekly Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association

Vol. LXXXVIII No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 $2.00 Experts see deepening stagnation Governor of Ukraine’s National Bank of reform process in Ukraine resigns, pointing to political pressure by Adrian Karmazyn During the webinar, former Ukrainian National Deputy Hanna Hopko (who WASHINGTON – On July 1, Yakiv Smolii, chaired the Verkhovna Rada’s Foreign the highly respected head of the National Affairs Committee) offered the following Bank of Ukraine (NBU) whose leadership advice to Mr. Zelenskyy and his team: has been praised as key to the country “Prioritize judiciary reform and refrain from maintaining financial stability and investor attacks on independent anti-corruption confidence, resigned from his position. He institutions, specifically the National Anti- cited pressure from certain politicians and Corruption Bureau, and also refrain from business interests aimed at altering what attacks on the National Bank of Ukraine.” has been the institution’s responsible Speaking about the overall situation, approach as the reason. Jonathan Katz, senior fellow with GMF’s This move was received by observers as Frontlines of Democracy Initiative, said that another sign – among many in recent there are deep concerns about Ukraine’s months – that President Volodymyr reform trajectory “going in the way that we Zelenskyy is wavering in his commitment all hoped that it would a year into the to expand upon the reform accomplish- Zelenskyy administration. Concerns about NBU ments of the Poroshenko administration who is overseeing key bodies within and the Yatsenyuk and Groysman govern- Yakiv Smolii addresses the Verkhovna Rada before the vote on his resignation as Ukraine, including those who have been governor of the National Bank of Ukraine. ments in the first five years of the post- brought in based on a… [March 4th reshuf- Maidan era. fling of the] government, taking out key by Roman Tymotsko dence and the need to preserve its institu- On the eve of the Smolii resignation, the reformers and replacing them with those tional capacity. “An independent national Transatlantic Task Force on Ukraine – a that may not have the same credentials. KYIV – On July 1, the governor of the bank is a guarantee of macroeconomic sta- project led by the German Marshall Fund Even concerns today about whether or not National Bank of Ukraine Yakiv Smolii sub- bility of the state and the welfare of (GMF), the Democracy and Civil Society Ukraine will implement its obligations mitted his letter of resignation to the presi- Ukrainians. Therefore, as president, I will Task Force of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation’s under its new IMF agreement.” dent. “For a long time, the National Bank of protect the independence of the NBU Friends of Ukraine Network and the Implementation of adopted reform legis- Ukraine has been under systematic politi- under any leadership as a basis for the Reanimation Package of Reforms – held a lation is crucial, he said, “because we want cal pressure. This makes it impossible for financial and macroeconomic stability of webinar titled “Ukraine’s Reform to see Ukraine move forward, we want to me, as the governor, to effectively carry out our state,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in a state- Stagnation: The Path Forward in a Time of see a clear Euro-Atlantic path for Ukraine my duties as the head of the National Bank ment on the Presidential Office website. Crisis.” The discussion was devoted to and, of course, that takes leadership, it takes of Ukraine and interact with other govern- President Zelenskyy forwarded Mr. examining backsliding on reforms that are a willingness of the government to move ment agencies,” stated Mr. Smolii, according Smolii’s resignation letter to the Verkhovna needed to facilitate rule of law, democratic forward on these reforms, having the right to the NBU’s official website. Rada for a vote on his departure. On July 3, governance and economic growth, includ- people in place, and the right partners.” The next day, President Volodymyr Mr. Smolii addressed the Parliament, ing fostering a good investment climate and Zelenskyy reiterated his commitment to explaining his decision and underlining the accelerating integration with the West. (Continued on page 9) the principle of the central bank’s indepen- National Bank’s main achievements under his leadership. “For months, the central bank has been pressured to make decisions that are economically unsound, focusing on Ottawa’s Memorial to Victims of Communism vandalized short-term, easy ‘victories,’ and that could take a tremendous toll on the Ukrainian OTTAWA – A large banner at the con- economy and people in the long run,” Mr. struction site of the “Memorial to the Smolii stated. Victims of Communism – Canada, a Land of “That includes pressure in courts, paid Refuge” has been vandalized. The words rallies, information attacks based on “Communism will win” and Soviet hammer- manipulation and lies, unfounded political and-sickle emblems were spray painted on assessments of the NBU’s policy and my the bilingual (English-French) banner. actions as governor,” he continued. “Despite The $3 million memorial dedicated to attempts by some to equate the NBU’s those who suffered under Communist independence with the desire to distance regimes is slated to be completed this itself from other public authorities, the year. NBU does not work in isolation. Neither do “The Memorial to the Victims of the economy and financial markets, which Communism is to be a national place of depend not only on the NBU’s policies but mourning, reflection, contemplation and also on the ability of all public institutions remembrance, honoring the millions of to find common ground. We at the NBU innocent victims murdered by Communist have also been striving to find it. However, regimes throughout the world,” the pressure is the antithesis of effective dia- Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) noted logue. A conversation in which one party in a statement released on July 6. “Millions speaks professionally of economics and of people, including many Ukrainians, finance while the other is concerned solely who were subjected to the brutality and Tribute to Liberty with a political gain is doomed to fail.” The vandalized banner at the construction site of the Memorial to the Victims of “Does my resignation imply that the (Continued on page 11) Communism in Ottawa. (Continued on page 11) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28

ANALYSIS

Vladimir Putin: Russia’s eternal leader Kuleba: De-occupation of Crimea inevitable statement that it had detained “three leaders and four members of the banned Hizb ut- fully controlled by the Kremlin. In Russia, a Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Tahrir Islamic group” in Crimea on July 7. by Pavel Felgenhauer Dmytro Kuleba says Russia’s departure from Eurasia Daily Monitor presidential veto may be overridden by a Since Russia forcibly annexed Crimea in two-thirds majority vote in the Parliament; the Black Sea Crimea Peninsula, which it March 2014, Russian authorities have prose- On January 15, during an annual address this happened several times between 1996 annexed in 2014, is “inevitable.” In an inter- cuted dozens of Crimean Tatars for allegedly to a joint session of both houses of parlia- and 2004, but not since then. Under the view with RFE/RL, Mr. Kuleba said that belonging to the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic ment, Russian President Vladimir Putin rewritten Constitution, such a two-thirds Crimea’s “de-occupation” won’t be stopped, group, which is banned in Russia but not in vote is not enough – the Constitutional announced the start of a process of consti- even by the controversial constitutional Ukraine. The Crimean Solidarity rights tutional reforms (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, Court must also agree. Since Mr. Putin may amendments – one of which reiterates the group that has members in Crimea and January 16, 20), which officially concluded fire Constitutional Court judges at his own “inviolability of Russian borders” – approved other parts of Ukraine said on July 7 that FSB with a national referendum, held on June discretion, a presidential veto becomes in a vote in Russia on July 1. “We insist that officers had detained Seyran Hayret­dinov, 25-July 1. The procedure of constitutional effectively final. In addition, Mr. Putin may this [annexation] is temporary, that an illegal change turned out to be lengthier and more appoint a prime minister without the Emil Ziyadinov, Ismet Ibragi­mov, Alim occupation is taking place, emphasizing that Sufyanov, Vadim Bektemirov and a legally precarious than the Kremlin originally Duma’s approval, if he so wishes. And if he this is a temporary phenomenon, it is illegal planned. The State Duma (lower house of ever retires, Mr. Putin will be fully immune blind activist, Aleksandr Sizikov, after their and, under international law, this is an act of homes were searched. Ukrainian Ombuds­ Parliament) and the Federation Council from any prosecution and can choose to occupation,” Mr. Kuleba said. He added that it become a lifelong senator (Newsru.com, woman Lyudmila Denysova said that the (upper house) duly rubber-stamped the was very unlikely Russia will agree to take constitutional amendments, and the legis- July 1). seventh man detained by the FSB in Crimea part in talks directly focusing on Crimea’s de- latures of all 85 subjects (this number Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov was Zekirya Muratov. The house belonging occupation, so the notion of the peninsula includes Crimea and Sevastopol city, illegal- announced, “We must elect Putin eternal to another Crimean Tatar activist, Dilyaver returning to Ukrainian hands must be gradu- ly annexed in 2014) of the Russian Fede­ president – no one can replace him.” The Memetov, was searched without his pres- ally included on the agenda by Ukraine and ration ratified them. The Constitutional Kremlin replied, “There is no such execu- ence and Russia-controlled authorities are the international community. “Russia, as the Court took less than two days to compose a tive position as eternal president,” but oth- looking for him, Crimean Solidarity said. The occupying power, should strictly meet its lengthy legal document vetting all the erwise did not seem displeased (Interfax, authorities of the exiled Ukrainian regional obligations, in accordance with international amendments as fully legal and democratic June 30). The official turnout in Chechnya authorities of Crimea condemned the law. ...Namely, they should not violate human “because [they] will reflect the will of the was over 95 percent, and some 98 percent searches and detainments and launched a rights in Crimea, they should not militarize people” (see EDM, March 19). voted “yes.” Mr. Kadyrov boasted that this probe into them. The U.S. Embassy in Crimea, they should not draft local Crimean The referendum to finalize and legiti- represented the best result in the Russian Ukraine also voiced concern over the search- mize the process was initially planned for Federation and thanked the subjects of his youth to the Russian Army, they should not es and detainments. “Russia has no right to April 22, 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic fiefdom (Interfax, July 2). block any media outlet expressing thoughts harass and detain Ukrainians on Ukrainian and quarantines in Moscow and other The only region in Russia to reject Mr. that differ from those of the Kremlin,” he soil. Russia must free all Ukrainian political major cities intervened. By June, most Putin’s constitutional changes was the said. “One must understand that if Russia prisoners,” the Embassy wrote on Facebook. quarantine restrictions were lifted, and the scarcely populated Nenets Autonomous fulfills all these obligations – it would be a Rights groups and Western governments referendum was finally scheduled for July Okrug, with over 55 percent voting “No” – to very serious contribution to de-occupation have denounced what they describe as a 1, with a week of early and Internet voting. protest a Kremlin-approved plan to dissolve of the peninsula,” Mr. Kuleba added, stress- campaign of repression by the Moscow- Mr. Putin obtained the end result he want- the oil-rich Nenets region into Arkhangelsk ing that the international community should imposed authorities in Crimea who are tar- ed: Almost 78 percent voted “yes,” with an Oblast (see EDM, June 16). In Moscow over help bring such issues into focus when deal- geting members of the Turkic-speaking overall turnout of almost 68 percent. This 65 percent voted “yes,” with a turnout of ing with Russia. Mr. Kuleba also said that, translated to almost 58 million Russian almost 56 percent (Interfax, July 2). Crimean Tatar community and others who after becoming a member of NATO’s casting “yes” ballots (almost 53 percent of Mr. Putin’s constitutional rewrite gener- have spoken out against Moscow’s takeover Enhanced Opportuni­ties Partner program all eligible voters); so the outcome is con- ated little true enthusiasm in Russia (see of the peninsula. In its annual report on reli- last month, Ukraine will take part in core sidered constitutionally valid (Interfax, July EDM, June 15, 22, 29). According to the gious freedom worldwide, released in April military exercises with the alliance’s troops 2). The Kremlin described the vote as a “tri- independent pollster the Levada Center, 2019, the U.S. Commission on International and have more access to intelligence data on umph” (RBC, July 2). only 25 percent of Russians would have Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that “[in] developments in Crimea, which are also cru- The approved amendments consist of a supported Mr. Putin’s amendments if they Russian-occupied Crimea, the Russian cial elements for the peninsula’s de-occupa- mass of line-item editorial changes through- were presented with an alternative. authorities continued to kidnap, torture, and tion. (Crimea Desk of RFE/RLs Ukrainian out the text of the Russian Constitution: Russians do not want a super powerful imprison Crimean Tatar Muslims at will.” Service, with reporting by TASS and Interfax) Many of them are declarations on social, executive presidency, but the declarative Russia took control of Crimea from Ukraine cultural and sovereignty issues with little social clauses included in the amendment Crimean Tatar activists are detained in March 2014 after sending in troops, seiz- practical sense, promoted by the state pro- package garnered broad support (Newsru. ing key facilities, and staging a referendum paganda machine to spark interest among com, June 22). The Kremlin ensured there Russian authorities have detained seven dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries. the electorate. When Mr. Putin first would be no alternative. Campaigning Crimean Tatar activists after searching their announced the constitutional amendments against the amendments was suppressed. (Crimea Desk of RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, homes in different parts of Ukraine’s with reporting by TASS and Interfax) at the start of the year, many observers in And to help conjure the result the regime Moscow-controlled Crimea region. Russia’s wanted, it established an early voting peri- Russia and abroad commended them as Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a (Continued on page 10) “revolutionary” and “the beginning of a tran- od, makeshift voting stations on street cor- sition,” believing Mr. Putin was planning to ners and Internet voting. Meanwhile, the delegate some powers away from the ballots themselves only listed the options to Kremlin, in preparation for retirement after vote “yes” or “no” – with no description of his fourth presidential term expires in 2024. the multiple constitutional changes as well The Ukrainian Weekly FOUNDED 1933 In reality, the entire move was a power as no possibility to vote for some but not grab: The approved amendments allow Mr. other amendments. According to the inde- An English-language newspaper published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., Putin to run for two more six-year presi- pendent election watchdog Golos, the refer- a non-profit association, at 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054. dential terms, in 2024 and 2030, effectively endum was unfair and unjust, and its results Yearly subscription rate: $90; for UNA members — $80. prolong his reign until 2036, when he will illegitimate. Some 80 percent of the votes Periodicals postage paid at Caldwell, NJ 07006 and additional mailing offices. be 84, by then having ruled Russia for 36 tallied were either cast via the Internet or (ISSN — 0273-9348) years, since 2000. Mr. Putin has already by in-person early voting prior to July 1, announced he is “considering” running in with little or no oversight (Golosinfo.org, The Weekly: UNA: 2024, saying it is imperative for the stabili- July 2). Mr. Putin thanked “the vast majori- Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 644-9510 Tel: (973) 292-9800; Fax: (973) 292-0900 ty of Russia because “in two years [in 2022] ty” of the Russian populace that believes in officialdom at different levels of power will and supports his regime (Interfax, July 2). Postmaster, send address changes to: begin to look out for a successor instead of The Russian Federation has now complet- The Ukrainian Weekly Editor-in-chief: Roma Hadzewycz 2200 Route 10 Editor: Matthew Dubas working properly” (Interfax, June 21). ed its transformation into a system resem- P.O. Box 280 bling a Latin American-style caudillo regime. The 1993 Russian Constitution installed Parsippany, NJ 07054 e-mail: [email protected] a powerful executive presidency but was Mexican Presidente Porfirio Díaz notably still built on the principal of a separation of ruled from 1876 to 1911, the same length of powers between the executive, legislative time now open to Mr. Putin. Venezuelan The Ukrainian Weekly Archive: www.ukrweekly.com and judicial branches. Today, the Kremlin strongman Juan Vicente Gómez ruled from The Ukrainian Weekly, July 12, 2020, No. 28, Vol. LXXXVIII de facto fully dominates, with the State 1908 until 1935, and died while in power. Copyright © 2020 The Ukrainian Weekly Duma and judges rubberstamping all direc- But Díaz was ousted after his seventh re- tives handed down by the Presidential election, followed by a decade of bloody and Office. The newly approved amendments devastating civil war. The implications for legalize this practice by formally subjecting the Putin regime and the direction it is tak- ADMINISTRATION OF THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY AND SVOBODA the Duma and the courts to Kremlin control. ing Russia, thus, look far from auspicious. Walter Honcharyk, administrator (973) 292-9800, ext. 3040 The president has been given the power not and advertising manager fax: (973) 644-9510 only to appoint but also to dismiss judges The article above is reprinted from e-mail: [email protected] (including the Supreme and Constitutional Eurasia Daily Monitor with permission from Subscription Department (973) 292-9800, ext. 3040 courts) in consultation with the Federation its publisher, the Jamestown Foundation, e-mail: [email protected] Council – an unelected legislative chamber www.jamestown.org. No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 3

UCC holds virtual forum to assess progress of Ukraine’s reforms Principles’ call for “transparent competitive Parliament – last year. “We managed to Panel discussion on Zoom comes selection processes” within Ukraine’s civil finance the budget and keep the deficit service has yet to be implemented. below 2 percent,” said the former two-term a year after historic conference A joint statement by the governments of finance minister. Canada and Ukraine, issued at the conclu- “The [COVID] crisis does not mean we sion of last year’s Ukraine Reform have to stop reforms. It means we have to by Christopher Guly past year. Taras Shevchenko, director of the Kyiv- Conference, which they co-chaired, said that focus on a few reforms,” Ms. Markarova Special to The Ukrainian Weekly based Center for Democracy and Rule of Ukraine’s 2020 Public Administration continued. One, she explained, should OTTAWA – Nearly a year ago, more than Law, focused on the so-called Toronto Reform Action Plan “helped increase the involve bolstering the rule of law that 800 representatives of 37 countries and 10 Principles set out by a group of over 100 civ- attractiveness” of the civil service, resulting would stimulate further foreign invest- international organizations came to il-society experts in advance of the 2019 in a rise in the average number of appli- ments in Ukraine. Reforming the country’s Toronto to attend the third annual Ukraine reform conference that identify various cants for a position from 1.7 to 24 candi- health and education sectors should also be Reform Conference. steps needed for Ukraine to achieve the dates. That, the two countries said, “signifi- a priority, she said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was there too, goals of security and the rule of law; democ- cantly improved competition.” The Canada-Ukraine joint statement with his wife, Olena Zelenska, when racy and good governance; and prosperity During his online presentation, Mr. from last year’s Toronto summit acknowl- Ukraine’s then-new president chose the and human capital development. Shevchenko also criticized the lack of “the edged the Ukrainian government’s Priority global summit in Canada to make his first In his assessment, Mr. Shevchenko gave strengthening” of Ukraine’s defense system. Action Plan to 2020 that outlined a “step- overseas trip and North American debut. Ukraine a report card consisting of passes The Toronto Principles called for the by-step [approach] to achieve economic The young Ukrainian leader was warmly and failures. development of “defense and security capa- growth, ensure effective governance, welcomed by Canada’s youthful prime min- One of the Toronto Principles addresses bilities based on NATO standards, particu- human capital development, rule of law ister, Justin Trudeau, and his influential electoral reform, including a call for the larly those pertaining to accountable gover- and [the] fight against corruption, security (and Ukrainian Canadian) foreign affairs introduction of a proportional electoral sys- nance and oversight institutions… [and] and defense.” minister, Chrystia Freeland, who now tem with open regional lists that is featured aimed at restoring the territorial integrity The 2019 document also credited serves as Canada’s deputy prime minister. in Ukraine’s Electoral Code that took effect and sovereignty of Ukraine.” Ukraine with achieving an increase of real It was an event – and a piece of history on January 1. “Most of the positions provid- However, Mr. Shevchenko underlined that GDP of 8.4 percent since 2016 “despite all never to be repeated. ed in the Toronto Principles are already in civil society remains a “strong player in the the external and internal challenges” the This year’s COVID-19 pandemic, and the place in the legislation,” said Mr. Shevchen­ko, reform process” and that its role needs to be country faced. accompanying national lockdowns and who added that he was pleased with devel- “protected by Ukrainian legislation” and “Ukraine has also managed to stabilize physical distancing requirements, ensured opments on decentralization and moves to “supported by the international community.” the national currency’s exchange rate,” said that the fourth conference, scheduled to take enhance the independence of Ukraine’s Oksana Markarova, who served as the joint statement, which noted that the place in Lithuania, would be postponed until mass media, and noted the Ukrainian Ukraine’s finance minister until March 4 inflation rate in Ukraine in 2018 was less next summer. (Switzerland will play host to Parliament’s May 20 ratification of the when the Verkhovna Rada approved the than 10 percent, or “the lowest indicator the Ukraine Reform Conference in 2022.) Council of Europe Convention on Access to appointment of Denys Shmyhal as for the last five years.” But when people cannot congregate, as Official Documents, which will provide great- Ukraine’s prime minister and head of a new Further strides were also made regard- the COVID crisis has demonstrated, there is er transparency on government business. government, said that, at the beginning of ing Ukraine’s further integration into the always Zoom, and the Ukrainian Canadian However, he said he had expected fur- this year, Ukraine was on a path toward European Union, with over 2,000 Ukrainian Congress – in partnership with the ther progress in the areas of anti-corrup- strengthening its economy with expected technical standards harmonized with EU Canadian International Council’s South tion and judicial reform, which are both growth of at least 3.5 percent in its gross norms. (An agreement between Ukraine Saskatchewan Branch – used the web-con- addressed in the Toronto Principles. domestic product. But the COVID-19 crisis and the EU has been in force since ferencing platform to present a special The reform of Ukraine’s health-care sys- reversed that upward curve, according to a September 1, 2017.) 90-minute webinar on June 22 examining tem, in terms of the development of a recent World Bank Group report. “Ukrainian exports of goods and services the “progress” made and the “pitfalls” expe- patient-centered approach that promotes “Now everything is in decline – and is it to the EU have increased 1.5 times to $22 rienced a year after the Toronto meeting. equal access and “protection from [the] going to be minus 5 percent or minus 10 billion within the last three years,” said the Although fewer than 100 people – most financial consequences of illness” as recom- percent of GDP?” asked Ms. Markarova rhe- Canadian-Ukrainian government statement. from Ontario, according to an online poll – mended by the principles, has been stalled, torically. Roman Waschuk, Canada’s former logged into the online lookback (also according to Mr. Shevchenko. However, she referred to Ukraine’s suc- ambassador to Ukraine who served as streamed live on the UCC’s Facebook page), He said that, furthermore, there has cesses on the road to reform despite the moderator of the webinar, highlighted that the panel discussion provided a review of been little movement in the area of public- political challenges wrought by two elec- Ukraine’s successes and setbacks over the administration reform where the Toronto tions – for president and for members of (Continued on page 15)

NEWS ANALYSIS Pro-Russian disinformation operations in Kherson: Challenge for Ukraine’s national security

by Alla Hurska January 30, 2019, February 12, 2019). The lished in 2007, has become the main spon- committee members of the Kherson City Eurasia Daily Monitor Crimean factor must also not be down- sor of Russian information warfare abroad. Council, representatives of the Kherson played. Before 2015, Crimea depended on Huge financial flows were allocated by the Oblast State Administration, and the On June 5, Serhiy Nayev, the commander Kherson more than on Russia for water and fund to finance various cultural projects Consulate General of the Russian of the Operational Command East of the electricity. The only land route connecting outside of Russia. This was ostensibly to Federation in Odesa (Russkiymir.ru, May Ukrainian Ground Forces, reported that the the peninsula with the continent is also via promote Russian language and literature, 21, 2012). Before 2013, apart from cultural military and law enforcement agencies the Kherson region (Gazeta.ru, November but in reality, the foundation became an events, the Center was actively promoting have strengthened the protection of critical 22, 2015 and April 30, 2017). Furthermore, outlet for Russian propaganda and disinfor- the Eurasian Customs Union (the precursor infrastructure in the Kherson and Mykolaiv Kherson would be integral of the also-Moscow-led Eurasian Economic oblasts to meet a possible Russian invasion. to the creation of a land Union) and the idea that Crimea was a part Primarily, the efforts included fortifying the corridor to the (Russian- The Russian World Founda- of Russia. During the Euro-Maidan revolu- security and defense capabilities of local occupied) Moldovan sepa- tion, established in 2007, has tion, the Russian World Center continued water-supply infrastructure objects (such ratist region of Transnistria its activities in Kherson, until its work was as the North Crimean Canal). In addition, and Ukraine’s strategically become the main sponsor of finally “suspended” on August 12, 2014 the authorities implemented multiple important but vulnerable Russian information warfare (Investigator.org.ua, October 17, 2019). counter-sabotage and counter-terrorism Odesa Oblast. abroad. Nonetheless, according to the information measures (Ukrinform.ua, June 5). At the As a result of such geo- posted on the Russian World Foundation same time, some of this new military political concerns, Kherson webpage, at least five similar centers are equipment and additional personnel were has become a target for Russian informa- mation. Until 2014, the then-Ukrainian still presently situated in Kherson Oblast spotted on the territory of the Henicheskyi tion operations focused on promoting the minister of education, Dmytro Tabachnyk, (Russkiymir.ru, accessed June 25). district, along the Sea of Azov (Vizit.ks.ua, idea of the “Russian World” (“Russkiy Mir”) supported the opening of Russian World Other propagators of pro-Russian ideas June 5). and pushing anti-Ukrainian sentiments classrooms in schools, libraries and univer- in Kherson include the following groups: Kherson Oblast is strategically impor- (Newsua.one, October 22, 2019). The prop- sities. About 20 such centers were opened the Center of Russian Culture (NGO), the tant for both Ukraine and Russia. For agators of these narratives in Kherson are in southeastern Ukraine (Argumentua.com, Kherson regional department of the All- Ukraine, Kherson could become a center of financed by both Russian (mostly through October 26, 2019). Ukrainian Society of Russian Culture “Rus,” transcontinental trade and a new “water the Russian World Foundation) and On May 17, 2012, the Russian World the Kherson regional public organization gateway of Ukraine” (see Eurasia Daily Ukrainian sources, the latter of which Center was opened under the umbrella of “Russian Cultural Center,” the Russian Monitor, May 13). For Russia, Kherson is include non-governmental organizations Kherson State University. The ceremony National Community “Rusich” (NGO), the the key to the Sea of Azov and the (NGOs) and a political party connected to was attended by the mayor of Kherson city Potemkin Charitable Foundation, the NGO Ukrainian part of the Black Sea, which pro-Russian business tycoon Viktor at the time, Volodymyr Saldo, as well as the “Prince Potemkin” and others. Many of could be used to diminish Kyiv’s military Medvedchuk. rector of the university, representatives of and economic regional presence (see EDM The Russian World Foundation, estab- the Russian Orthodox Church, executive (Continued on page 4) 4 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28

OBITUARY Myroslav Skoryk, Ukraine’s cultural icon, 81

by Laryssa Lapychak Courtney Conservatory, where he taught composition tracks. It was a painful loss for the music and theory, focusing on modern harmony world, for Ukraine and for close friends. He WASHINGTON – In a music career span- techniques. It is said by Skoryk’s students was a modest person with a rare sense of ning over 60 years, Myroslav Skoryk that he was strict and demanding; he did humor. Modesty is a reflection of intelli- became Ukraine’s most celebrated compos- not tolerate students who came unpre- gence, and a sense of humor is the strength er. He produced a stunning array of compo- pared, and he encouraged and inspired and talent which God bestowed on the sitions. His unique and colorful language them to excel and to work independently. Ukrainian people. His achievements could be heard in all forms of orchestral Yevhen Stankovych and Ivan Karabyts were required painstaking daily work on the cre- music, choral music, ballet, opera (Pope among his most famous students. ative level. Of this, Myroslav Skoryk was an John Paul II blessed and financed the Lviv Skoryk was also a pianist and conductor. exemplary model– a genuine creator.” premiere of his opera “Moses”), chamber Violinist Oleh Krysa developed a friendship Hobart Earle, conductor and music music, concerti and solo pieces for piano with Skoryk in the 1950s, which grew into director of the Odessa Philharmonic Yaro Bihun and violin, as well as music scores for over a close collaborative relationship. Krysa Orchestra, also knew Skoryk for almost 30 Myroslav Skoryk 40 films, the most famous of which was was the first artist to perform his First and years. In 1996 Mr. Earle conducted the Paradzhanov’s “Shadows of Forgotten Second Violin Concerti, and his Second American premieres of Skoryk’s until Wednesday night. He should be better Ancestors” (1965). Most recently, He was Violin Sonata. He recalled, “Skoryk was not “Carpathian Concerto” for the 10th known in this country; he is an original, a artistic director of the Kyiv Opera in 2011- only a genius composer, he also played Anniversary of Chornobyl Commemorative composer with a distinct identity, a mastery 2016. beautifully on the piano and violin, and was Concerts at the United Nations in New York of many idioms – jazzy, folk-style and mod- Maestro Skoryk died on June 1 in Kyiv. an intellectual, highly productive and a real and the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in erately avant-garde – that he uses to shape He was 81. Ukrainian patriot.” Washington, where the concert was co- works embodying piquant contrasts, con- Myroslav Mykhaylovych Skoryk was In 1982 the Soviet film “High Mountain sponsored by The Washington Group vincing climaxes and sometimes impish born on July 13, 1938, in Lviv. His father Pass,” for which Skoryk wrote his famous Cultural Fund and the Washington wit.” was a historian and ethnographer, and his “Melody,” was released. When asked about Performing Arts Society. Skoryk had many talents and interests. mother a chemist, both educated in Vienna. the music, Skoryk said he wrote it to convey In 2013, in honor of Skoryk’s 75th anni- He would tell his music colleagues that he The family was musical; his father played his understanding of tragedy and profound versary, Maestro Earle recorded a CD of his loved football (soccer) even more than he the violin and his mother played the piano. sadness, something impossible to express works on the Naxos label. Founder of the loved music. His colleagues called him the In 1947 his family was deported to Siberia in words. Remarkably, this piece was not Naxos label Klaus Heymann, a legendary “football virtuoso” when he played soccer for “anti-Soviet” activity and was not censored and it made an important state- figure in the music world, said “anybody with them in Lviv’s Striysky Park. He was released until 1955, after Stalin’s death. ment. “Melody” has since become the spiri- encountering Skoryk’s remarkable music also called the “mushroom academic,” When Myroslav’s great aunt, the famous tual hymn of Ukraine. for the first time will be instantly hooked.” because he loved to pick mushrooms in the Ukrainian soprano Solomiya Krushel­ For his contribution to Ukrainian cul- Of Skoryk, Mr. Earle said, “He was an out- Carpathian Mountains and was very knowl- nytska, discovered that he had perfect ture, Skoryk was honored with numerous standing symbol of Ukraine, a legend dur- edgeable about them. pitch, he began to seriously study music. awards. These included People’s Artist of ing his life, and will remain so for many, On behalf of the TWG Cultural Fund, it Skoryk was enrolled in the Lviv Conser­ Ukraine, the highest title awarded to out- many years.” was this writer’s honor and great pleasure vatory from 1955 to 1960, studying with standing performing artists, and Hero of The Washington Post’s chief music critic to host Myroslav Skoryk, along with his the composer Stanyslav Liudkevych, who Ukraine, the highest national title bestowed at the time, Joseph McLellan, had wonder- wife and friends, when they came to took a special interest in his student. He did by the president of Ukraine for contribu- ful things to say about Skoryk’s music and Washington. He was an engaging, thought- post-graduate studies at the Moscow tions to science, culture, the military, econo- its performance by violinist Solomia Soroka ful and soft-spoken man who lived life to Conservatory, where he studied with the my or athletics. in a concert organized in 2000 by the TWG the fullest. composer Dmitry Kabalevsky. Pianist Volodymyr Vynnytsky, who knew Cultural Fund. In his review he wrote, “To Funeral services were conducted in Kyiv After graduating, Skoryk was a professor Skoryk for some 30 years, wrote, “The the best of my recollection, I had never and Lviv, and he was laid to rest at Lychakiv at the Lviv Conservatory and then the Kyiv death of Myroslav Skoryk stopped us in our heard a note composed by Myroslav Skoryk Cemetery in Lviv.

Yaro Bihun Myroslav Skoryk with friends at his 70th anniversary concert organized by The Serhii Nuzhnenko/Radio Svoboda Washington Group Cultural Fund in 2008. In Kyiv, at the funeral services for Myroslav Skoryk.

distributed among students attending posefully helping the coronavirus spread peninsula (see EDM, February 26, May 21), Pro-Russian... Kherson elementary schools (Kuresh.info, (Khersonci.com.ua, March 25, April 4). Russia may attempt to seize control of the (Continued from page 3) October 21, 2019). At the same time, local Similar ideas are repeated by YouTuber North Crimean Canal in the Kherson teachers and medical workers – through Kyrylo Stremousov (108,000 subscribers), region. Thus, Ukraine will need to be pre- these organizations are focused on public fraudulent schemes backed by former who regularly discusses the topic of “U.S. pared for any military actions from the and youth education, thus spreading pro- Kherson Mayor Saldo as well as the pro- biological laboratories” in Ukraine (includ- Russian side. At the same time, however, it Russian/anti-Ukrainian sentiments among Russian Opposition Bloc party – were made ing ones “located” in Kherson), which he will be important to closely monitor anoth- the most ideologically vulnerable layers of to sponsor various anti-Ukrainian organiza- blames for spreading viruses in Ukraine. er active front in Russia’s undeclared war Ukrainian society. tions (Most.ks.ua, October 23, 2017). Another of his favorite topics is alleged against Ukraine – the ongoing struggle for Incidentally, many of these NGOs are Pro-Russian activists, journalists, and reports of a “new wave of fascism in the hearts and mind of Ukrainian citizens. specifically developing a cult of Grigory YouTube personalities have also been Ukraine” (YouTube, May 5). The latter nar- Considering the examples of Crimea and Potemkin, positioning the 18th century fig- involved in spreading anti-Ukrainian pro- rative is regularly echoed by the separatist the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, Ukraine ure as a “father of Novorossiya.” In paganda in Kherson. website Novoross.info, which also seeks to will have to take more assertive steps to September 2014, the Center of Russian For example, the journalist Serhiy frighten Kherson residents with stories of secure the strategically vital Kherson port Culture held dozens of ceremonial events in Osolodkin has spread conspiracy theories purported Ukrainian Nazis. Moreover, the and its surrounding areas from Russian Kherson to honor the memory of the related to COVID-19 in Ukraine. Namely, his site seeks to discredit the Ukrainian author- hybrid threats. Russian military leader and favorite of pieces published on the website Khersonci. ities, army and politicians in an attempt to Catherine II, disseminating booklets, leaf- com.ua, which is linked to the Opposition provoke Kherson residents to fight against The article above is reprinted from lets and books on the subject, printed by Bloc, have alleged that the current them (Novoross.info, June 5). Eurasia Daily Monitor with permission from the Russian World Foundation. In 2015, a Ukrainian government (referred to as the With Crimean authorities unable to its publisher, the Jamestown Foundation, book titled “I Live in Russia” was widely “American pocket government”) was pur- resolve the chronic water shortages on the www.jamestown.org. No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 5

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois joins Congressional Ukraine Caucus

by Marta Farion On the issue of American support of NATO and the European Union to enhance CHICAGO – Congressman Raja the national security of the countries of Krishnamoorthi, who represents the 8th Eastern and Central Europe and the Congressional District of Illinois, joined the Balkans, the congressman stated, “I believe Congressional Ukraine Caucus on May 26. it is extremely important that the United His district includes an area northwest of States do everything in its power to protect Chicago that is home to many Ukrainian our alliances from Russian aggression. In Americans, their churches and community fact, as a member of the House Intelligence centers. Congressman Raja, as he is popu- Committee, I have authored and passed larly called, serves on the House Oversight into law bipartisan legislation, the Keeping Committee and the House Permanent Russian Entrapments Minimal and Select Committee on Intelligence. Limiting Intelligence Networks (KREMLIN) In an interview conducted by this writer Act, which I co-led with Congressman Chris on May 25, the congressman indicated his Stewart (R-Utah), that was signed into law strong support for sanctions against Russia by President Trump.” and Russian leaders as a result of the inva- The congressman continued, “As a mem- sion and occupation of Crimea and ber of the Intelligence Committee, I can Ukraine’s Donbas territory, and he pledged state that the United States is the most to support the U.S. position condemning powerful ally Ukraine has, and I believe it is Tetyana Drozhzhyna Russia’s occupation of Crimea as an illegal important that we provide Ukraine with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi speaks at the Ukrainian Day of Unity banquet in act in violation of international law. the necessary resources to defend them- January. selves. I agree that supporting Ukraine should be seen as a national security issue, Ukraine in Congress, and stated, “Your relate to. When I was young, my family not just a political one, and I will continue work through the Ukrainian Congress experienced times of financial struggle, to support military aid to Ukraine.” Committee of America is instrumental in and for a brief period participated in the On the question of Black Sea security, shaping public policy outcomes to protect federal food assistance program. Today, Rep. Krishnamoorthi expressed concern American allies.” my father is a professor at Bradley about the Russian naval fleet’s massive Rep. Krishnamoorthi came to the University, my brother is a physician at presence in the Black Sea and its ramifica- United States as a 3-year-old child with his UChicago Medicine, and I am honored to tions for Ukraine’s security, as well as for family from India. In describing his experi- serve the people of Illinois’ 8th U.S. interests in the Middle East and ence as an immigrant, he said, “I certainly Congressional District in the U.S. House of Europe. He stated that the Navy’s USS Fort owe a lot to my parents who immigrated Representatives.” McHenry’s transit into the Black Sea reaf- to the United States when I was very firms U.S. resolve to Black Sea security and young in search for a better life. I do Marta Farion is president of the Kyiv- enhances America’s relationship with believe my family’s story is emblematic of Mohyla Foundation of America, vice-presi- Office of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi NATO allies and partners in the region. the American dream, and is a story that so dent of the Illinois Division of the Ukrainian Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi The congressman noted the Ukrainian many hard-working people in the Congress Committee of America and vice- (D-Ill.). American community’s advocacy of Ukrainian American community could president of the Ukrainian World Congress. 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28

COMMENTARY The Ukrainian Weekly Putin’s plebiscite Ex-Kremlin hostage Sentsov calls out Russia continues its political theater with the latest sham referendum held on June 25 through July 1, with proposed constitutional amendments that open the Zelenskyy over violations in Sheremet case possibility for President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule – which began when he by Halya Coynash journalist investigations which refute the was appointed as prime minister in 1999 – until 2036. investigators’ version. What the latter pres- Andrew Higgins of The New York Times on July 1 called the vote “an elaborate spec- Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group ent as evidence appears extremely uncon- tacle of public affirmation” that “was vital to [Mr. Putin’s] legitimacy.” (“The Theatrical vincing and even contradictory. Given the Method in Putin’s Vote Madness,” The New York Times, July 1, 2020). Early polling Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov number of well-known and authoritative results showed that nearly three-quarters of the votes were in favor of the change. addressed a hard-hitting letter to Ukrainian people who are willing to act as guarantors However, it remained unclear why the referendum needed the public’s stamp of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the that the suspects will not abscond if approval, if Russia’s parliamentarians and regional lawmakers had already approved high-profile arrests of three military volun- released from custody, Mr. Sentsov believes the move months ago. Experts claimed that it was a step that Mr. Putin needed in order teers on charges linked with the murder in that their ongoing detention creates a dan- to keep up the appearance of legitimacy, to follow the letter of the law as he violates the 2016 of journalist Pavel Sheremet. Mr. spirit or the heart of the law (as demonstrated by the role swap between himself and gerous atmosphere in society. He calls on Sentsov, who spent five years in Russian Mr. Zelenskyy, as president and guarantor Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who assumed the role of president in 2008-2012). captivity for opposing Russia’s annexation Pandering to the public, as if their vote mattered, Mr. Putin appealed to the voters of the Constitution, to ensure that the con- of Crimea, notes that it was those volun- stitutional guarantees of the defendants’ that this step was vital, regardless of the rubber stamp approval by lawmakers. teers working for Ukraine who proved easy Golos, the independent election-monitoring organization in Russia, denounced the rights are protected, including their right to targets for the Russian aggressor. It is now, an independent and unbiased court, ensur- vote as rigged from the start. There was no opposition campaign prior to the vote, and he suggests, the Ukrainian authorities who the move was seen as a continuance of the Soviet legacy credited to Stalin, whereby it ing that innocent people are not held are persecuting volunteers. is not important who votes, but who counts the votes. Two weeks before the vote, behind bars without justification, and that As somebody who was told by the bookstores in Russia offered for sale new copies of the Constitution with the new the public do not lose faith in justice and Russian FSB that he would get a 20-year amendments already included, thus underscoring the foregone conclusion of the vote. the courts in Ukraine. Voters with illegally issued Russian passports in Russia-annexed Crimea and in sentence if he didn’t provide the false testi- Pavel Sheremet was a former Belarusian the Russia-occupied parts of the Donbas were “encouraged” to vote as well. mony demanded and who 15 months later political prisoner and well-known journal- Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has condemned the vote and said that, based on got exactly 20 years, Mr. Sentsov’s abhor- ist living and working in Ukraine. He was these facts, the vote should be deemed illegitimate by the international community. rence of predetermined sentences is fully killed on the morning of July 20, 2016, by a “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers statements by the Russian understandable. He is, however, neither bomb planted under the car that he was occupying administration about its intentions to ensure the voting of residents of prosecutor nor judge, and there may be driving. Since the car belonged to Olena the occupied territories of the Donbas with illegally issued Russian passports in a things he does not know. On the other Prytula, his partner and the chief editor of Russian referendum on amendments to the Constitution as another attempt to vio- hand, the concerns he raises, especially Ukrayinska Pravda, the police did not late the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the ministry said in a with respect to the presumption of inno- exclude the possibility that she was the tar- comment on June 19, 2020. cence, were expressed by many people get, and she was given police protection. back in December 2019, and they have only The Washington-based Atlantic Council held an online discussion on July 6 titled A major journalist investigation in May been escalated by recent radical changes in “Russia’s new czar? The aftermath of the Russian constitutional referendum,” (https:// 2017 pointed to numerous gaps in the the charges against well-known war veter- youtu.be/ImQNLNip7UM). Lilia Shevtsova of the Liberal Mission Foundation in investigation, and also suggested a possible an and musician Andriy Antonenko Moscow called the vote a “watershed moment” that crowned Mr. Putin’s leadership Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) link, (Riffmaster), pediatric surgeon and mili- legacy for another generation, hoped to convince the populace that his removal from which was, predictably enough, denied. power would unravel the state, and was an example of “suicidal statecraft.” tary volunteer Yulia Kuzmenko and mili- Much of the investigation was made secret In the same discussion, Vladimir Kara-Murza, chairman of the Boris Nemtsov tary nurse Yana Duhar. soon after this. Foundation for Freedom, said the vote was a plebiscite, as called by Mr. Putin and in Mr. Sentsov writes that more than six Mr. Zelenskyy came to power in 2019 accordance with Russian law, but it did not qualify as a referendum in the liberal- months have passed since the press briefing promising that high-profile cases, such as democratic sense. What made this latest vote different, Mr. Kara-Murza noted, was on December 12, 2019, attended by the Sheremet murder, would be solved. At that in previous elections at least the sentiment of the people was measurable as President Zelenskyy himself, Internal Affairs that stage, there appeared to be no prog- compared to the official results. This time, there was no way to measure the true Minister Arsen Avakov and Prosecutor ress at all in finding his killers. sentiment of the people, and outside observers were prevented from discovering General Ruslan Riaboshapka at which the The press briefing on December 12, 2019, anything contradictory. The only European or international observers allowed were three suspects were all but labelled murder- from parties, many with right-wing political affiliation, that have received support ers. Mr. Antonenko and Ms. Kuzmenko was certainly designed to convince the pub- and approval from the Russian government. were both taken into custody that day and lic that the murder had been solved. The Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and director of the Freeman remain in detention to this day. Mr. Sentsov event, as mentioned, raised concern about Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, said that the election asserts that the public has, for the last six the presumption of innocence, but also left showed Mr. Putin’s weakness. Many of his allies within the state apparatus, as well as months, been hearing how the defense very many questions unanswered. No Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, were utilized to urge the people to go to the polls. “provides evidence which totally refutes answers have been forthcoming in the past The move also demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the state under Mr. Putin’s the grounds for the charges and any risk six months, and new questions have arisen. leadership, Mr. McFaul said, adding that there are no new political parties emerging that these people would impede the inves- Back on January 30, Mr. Riaboshapka or a new crop of party leaders being groomed to take the reins. The former envoy tigation, and shows that there are no admitted that there was not enough evi- also cited a collapse in approval ratings as a motivating factor for Mr. Putin, who is grounds for believing that they were impli- dence to get convictions, and on May 20, nervous about this shift in public opinion. cated in the murder of Pavel Sheremet.” Mr. Zelenskyy essentially indicated that it Despite these events, there aren’t any visible signs of building momentum in Despite this, the courts keep extending was Mr. Avakov who had started all of this, Russia for a public uprising to remove Mr. Putin from power, or widespread protests Mr. Antonenko and Ms. Kuzmenko’s deten- and that his job was likely to be on the line as we saw in 2011 and 2012. Similarly, we are not seeing any statements of condem- if the case did not hold up in court. Public nation of the vote from President Donald Trump, who has remained largely silent on tion and preventive measures against Ms. Duhar. Mr. Sentsov believes that this is trust has not been enhanced by the fairly criticizing Russia’s leader, though his administration has responded to Russia’s esca- widespread belief that Mr. Avakov needed lating military threats with increased actions. because “the courts cannot be objective and independent, since on December 12, the press briefing and high-profile “break- We urge the leaders of the free world not to validate Mr. Putin’s regime based on through” to hold on to his position back in some false hope of reconciliation or a reset of relations. The strategy for the future, 2019, these people were designated ‘mur- derers,’ with the Internal Affairs Ministry’s December last year. Mr. McFaul underscored, needs to focus on containment, while, to a lesser extent, Almost immediately after Mr. Zelens­ there should be engagement in areas of common national interest, highlighting that briefing broadcast to the entire country.” kyy’s press conference, the investigators the contention is with the Russian state under Mr. Putin, not the Russian people. Public officials (including Mr. Avakov) have since made numerous statements claiming announced radical changes in the indict- that the people were involved in the ment and then stated that the case was Sheremet murder. All of this a priori deter- ready to be sent to court. mines court decisions, Mr. Sentsov says, Motive for the murder July Turning the pages back... and is a flagrant violation of human rights. This violation of the presumption of Both the first and the second versions of the motive for the crime have nothing to do Six years ago, on July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 innocence was condemned from the outset with Sheremet’s own person, or his jour- 17 (MH17), a Boeing 777 carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew mem- by over 80 members of PEN Ukraine in one nalism. bers, was shot down by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile case, and by prominent Ukrainian human At the December press briefing it was 2014 that was fired from Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. rights activists, academics and politicians in claimed that Mr. Antonenko had organized President Petro Poroshenko, in those initial days, said, “I would the other. It is no accident that Mr. Sentsov the murder, and had accompanied Ms. like to note that we are calling this not an incident, not a catastro- mentions the European Court of Human Kuzmenko while she planted the bomb. All phe, but a terrorist act.” Mr. Poroshenko invited Dutch experts to assist in the investigation Rights. The latter has, in its explanation of that included the International Civil Aviation Organization and other international experts. the right to a fair trial, enshrined in the this was allegedly because he was “seized The commercial airliner was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lampur, and even from European Convention on Human Rights, by ultra-nationalist ideas, cultivating the the preliminary information available at the time, Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry advi- given considerable attention to the right to supremacy of the Aryan race, the division sor Anton Herashchenko said that a missile was used to down the plane. Andrei Purgin, a the presumption of innocence. of society on the basis of ethnic identity, For the moment, Mr. Sentsov writes, the (Continued on page 15) public is seeing numerous independent (Continued on page 12) No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 7

APPEAL A call for help for flood victims in Ukraine’s western regions The United Ukrainian American Relief and no power as the water level continues Committee (UUARC) is calling for all per- to rise. (In some areas more than two Freedom in Ukraine: sons of good will and kind heart in the meters). Ukrainian American community to help As always, the UUARC is in the forefront those afflicted by floods in western helping those in need. However, we cannot Moving in the right direction? Ukraine. Our Fellow Ukrainians! do this alone and once again are relying on Not all readers may be aware of the instance, with whistleblower protections or As a result of the heavy rains from June our donors’ generosity. Please do not be comprehensive and detailed U.S. govern- a law lifting parliamentary immunity, and 22 to June 23, 2020, the levels of many riv- indifferent to this horrific catastrophe and ment and NGO reports issued annually that the two free and fair national elections. ers have risen to very dangerous levels. In human suffering. You too can help by send- assess the status of human rights and But the way things have been looking fact, the rivers still continue to rise in the ing a donation through the UUARC for democracy, or religious freedoms, in coun- lately, I am not sure we’ll see improvement Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Lviv, which you will receive a receipt for the tries around the world, including Ukraine. this year, and I even fear backsliding. Zakarpattia and Ternopil regions, resulting exact amount of your donation which is Several have been issued in the last few In recent months, we have seen a grow- in flooding of dozens of towns and villages, tax-exempt. Rest assured that the UUARC months. They include the State Depart­ ing pattern of questionable, seemingly and thousands of houses, and destroying will deliver all of your donations to the ment’s Annual Human Rights Country politically motivated investigations or pros- many roads and bridges. Countless have flood victims. Reports and its report on International ecutions of political opponents – most lost their properties and their savings, and Kindly make out your checks to “UUARC- Religious Freedom, as well as those from notably former President Petro Poro­ are even unable to buy basic everyday Flood Relief” and send them to: UUARC, respected NGOs such as Freedom House. shenko. Others, such as former Prosecutor items. Hundreds have been left homeless. 1206 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA There is also a flow of information from General Ruslan Riaboshapka, who was dis- In the flood zone, mainly in the Ivano- 19111. Telephone: 215-728-1630. In addi- other U.S. and international NGOs, the missed in the unfortunate March govern- Frankivsk region, 8,000 houses were flood- tion, you may donate electronically at: United Nations and other international ment shake-up, and other reformers have ed, 19 bridges were completely demol- www.uuarc.org. bodies, and, of course, from Ukrainian faced investigations that appear to be polit- ished, 100 kilometers of roads were Please don’t delay! Donate now! NGOs, notably the Kharkiv Human Rights ically motivated. There are ongoing destroyed and 400 people were evacuated. Protection Group. attempts to undermine the head of Sadly, three people died and one person is UUARC Executive Board These reports accurately address and Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) still missing. People have no drinking water June 30 assess the absolutely appalling state of Artem Sytnyk. Civil society activists such as human rights and elementary freedoms, Euro-Maidan activist Tatyana Chornovol democracy and the rule of law in the and Odesa activist Serhiy Sternenko seem LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Russian-occupied territories – a subject to be targeted. We also see what appears to that this columnist has often written or be a shaky case against the alleged killers Temple: “Ukrainian Literature in spoken about in recent years. In these terri- of journalist Pavel Sheremet. Thanks for commentaries Translation” and “Ukrainian Culture and tories, human rights abuses, the severe The plethora of politically motivated, Civilization.” Getting the university’s Slavic repression of those who dare peacefully often frivolous, at times patently ridiculous supporting racial equity Department, dominated by Russophiles, to oppose the puppet regimes, suppression of charges being leveled against Mr. allow their introduction was a major civil and political liberties, and the persecu- Poroshenko and others looks like political Dear Editor: accomplishment of Ukrainian students and tion of religious groups – with the notable score-settling and is starting to remind exception of the Russian Orthodox – consti- many people of the Yanukovych era of I’m writing to express my appreciation faculty. tute the norm. “selective justice.” I would think – and hope to my two fellow “Andriyi” (Andrew Prof. Adams was instrumental in estab- However, this week, I will focus on – that Ukraine’s leadership will be smart Fedynsky and Andriy Semotiuk) for their lishing and developing these courses for human rights and freedoms for the roughly enough not to invite these kinds of compar- recent commentaries (June 28-July 5) sup- the benefit of Ukrainian and other stu- 85 percent of Ukrainians living under isons. If there really is sufficient credible porting racial equity and reminding us of dents. She organized guest lectures by fac- Kyiv’s authority. In doing so, I will mention evidence in any of these cases, then its close connection to all of us with ulty from other universities, visits to a disconcerting trend that is causing grow- Ukrainian authorities need to go about Ukrainian roots. They each thoughtfully Ukrainian artists’ studios, and a tour of ing concern in Washington and among prosecuting them in a manner consistent and convincingly explained why racial Philadelphia’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral Ukraine’s international partners. with the rule of law, with a presumption of equity and, by extension, gender, ethnic and crypt. Ukrainians enjoy basic human rights and innocence and a fair process. Selective jus- and sexual identity equity should matter to Always gracious and supportive, Prof. freedoms and a vibrant civil society, and tice most assuredly does not serve each of us. Adams was a dedicated teacher and a pillar the government largely respects civil and Ukraine’s interests – it divides society and Obviously, it’s the right course to follow, of the Ukrainian community at Temple political rights of all kinds – including harms its democracy and national security, but all of us with Ukrainian origins feel the University. May her memory be eternal! rights of national minorities and religious which of course plays into Moscow’s hands. heavy historical burden of generations of Walter R. Iwaskiw freedoms. Elections are democratic. But it And it will not, to put it mildly, engender intense repression and persecution by a Arlington, Va. is, as Human Rights Watch calls it, a “mixed confidence from Ukraine’s many staunch variety of enemies so we can easily relate picture,” and democratic Ukraine is not supporters in Congress and elsewhere in to other targeted groups. This reality con- without human rights and democracy defi- the U.S. government, as well as Ukraine’s tinues to the present day. cits. other international partners, or the inter- It’s gratifying to see these issues reso- GUIDELINES FOR LETTERS These include torture and other abuse of national business community. It is also rais- nating so strongly in our community. I look TO THE EDITOR detainees by law enforcement personnel, ing serious concerns in the diaspora, with forward to seeing our involvement deepen The Ukrainian Weekly welcomes letters harsh prison conditions, and arbitrary statements from the Ukrainian World and grow in the future. to the editor that react to articles pub- arrest and detention – albeit nowhere on Congress, Ukrainian Congress Committee lished on its pages. Opinions expressed Andriy Ripecky the scale of what we see in the occupied of America, Ukrainian Canadian Congress by letter writers are their own and do not and Australian Federation of Ukrainian Chicago necessarily reflect the opinions of either territories. Ukraine also faces some restric- The Weekly editorial staff or its publisher, tions on freedom of expression and the Organizations and others issued in recent the Ukrainian National Association. media, and serious weaknesses in the rule weeks. [Editor’s note: See these statements More information about Letters must be signed (anonymous let- of law. Ukraine is still plagued by wide- on page 8.] ters are not published) and the city from spread government corruption – although To add insult to injury, at the same time which they are sent will be published considerably less than the astronomical that we have these questionable cases, the Eleonora Karpinich Adams under the author’s name. However, the levels of the Viktor Yanukovych era. truly bad actors, such as killers of Euro- daytime phone number, e-mail address Maidan activists, other human rights abus- Dear Editor: and complete mailing address of the letter- In 2019, Freedom House’s authoritative writer must be given for verification pur- Freedom in the World Index again ranked ers, corrupt oligarchs and officials from the As a former student of Prof. Eleonora poses. Ukraine as “partly free” – the three designa- Yanukovych era go free or are protected. Karpinich Adams, I was saddened to learn THE LENGTH OF LETTERS CAN- tions being “free,” “partly free,” and “not The recent State Department Annual that she had passed away. Her obituary NOT EXCEED 250 WORDS. Letters free.” That score decreased slightly over Human Rights Country Report on Ukraine (May 31) mentioned that she taught may be edited or abridged. The Weekly sums it up well: “The government generally reserves the right to edit for clarity, civil- 2018 because of increased attacks on anti- German and Slavic languages and litera- corruption activists and journalists, and on failed to take adequate steps to prosecute ity and accuracy. or punish most officials who committed tures at Temple University in the 1970s Letters should be sent to staff@ vulnerable communities such as the Roma. and 1980s. ukrweekly.com or to The Ukrainian With respect to democracy, Freedom abuses, resulting in a climate of impunity.” It should be added that Prof. Adams Weekly, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, House also recently issued its Nations in Clearly, there is still much work to do in taught two courses in Ukrainian studies at Parsippany, NJ 07054. Transit report, where Ukraine’s democracy cleaning up law enforcement entities, nota- score in 2019 improved marginally over bly the Ministry of Internal Affairs under that of 2018. Some progress was made, for Minister Arsen Avakov, who has been criti- Visit our archive online: cized by many as blocking police reforms, and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), www.ukrweekly.com Orest Deychakiwsky may be reached at [email protected]. (Continued on page 9) 8 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28

FOR THE RECORD: Statements about rule of law in Ukraine Recently, there have been concerns about the rule of law Ukraine cannot afford to undermine the principles of Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations, vs selective justice in Ukraine. Umbrella organizations of the Revolution of Dignity by targeting political opponents June 20: Ukrainians worldwide, as well as in Canada, the United with legal persecution and reappointing officials who Rule of law in Ukraine must be upheld and defended States and Australia, issued statements on this important served in the corrupt Yanukovych administration. Doing so topic. We publish them below, using the heading each orga- will undermine Western support for Ukraine. Due to recent events in Ukraine, there is growing con- nization provided. (We refer readers to our editorial on this It is essential that Ukraine complete the process of judi- cern among the international political community, as well topic that appeared in the June 28/July 5 issue.) cial reform. Ukraine must make significant progress to as foreign investors, over the lack of independence in the ensure that the prosecutorial and judicial branches remain justice system and over corruptibility of justices. Ukrainian World Congress, June 18: free from political interference and manipulation. The laws are there to protect all citizens. The same prin- Warning President Zelenskyy against selective justice As we have seen from the examples of the Ukrainian ciples apply in Australia and in any other democratic coun- Supreme Court and High Anti-Corruption Court, judicial try. On June 18, UWC President Paul Grod addressed reform is possible. Using the holdovers in lower courts for Any abuse of the law, using it for political gain or for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky with a letter partisan advantage sets back the cause of fairness that political repression, is abhorrent and cannot be tolerated. emphasizing the importance to uphold the rule of law and Canada and Canadians have so actively supported. Recent examples of political reprisals against activists of underlining the threats of selective justice. In particular, the Only then will we see a truly free, democratic and pros- the Revolution of Dignity and the leadership of the previ- letter highlighted the fact that manipulating the judicial perous Ukraine. Ukrainians deserve this. ous government – whether in the form of false charges, system by political processes will have a negative impact investigations or interrogations – has weakened Ukraine’s on the international community and on foreign investors. Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, June 19: position internally and externally. UWC consistently monitors the processes potentially Response to political persecutions in Ukraine Abuse of the legal system leads to a lack of confidence in damaging to democracy and transparency in Ukraine, and the president and the government. It leads to civil unrest. insists that political justice and pressure on the judiciary The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), Ukraine does not need this today. Ukrainians have are unacceptable. the largest grassroots representation of Americans of fought too hard and too long to secure democracy and all The rule of law is key to further establish the interna- Ukrainian descent, is deeply alarmed by the recent signs of that goes with it. tional image of Ukraine as a democratic state. The rule of selective justice in Ukraine, and is compelled to condemn The president of Ukraine in his election commitments, law is key to maintain trust and support from the main attempts by the Ukrainian government to pursue politically committed to reforms, to the rule of law and to no political partners and friends of Ukraine. All investigations must motivated cases against former government officials and reprisals. fully comply with the norms of the existing legislation, and leaders of Ukraine’s civic society – including their Guarantees have been made to the international com- not be led by political decisions. expressed desire to detain former President Petro Poro­ munity, to the International Monetary Fund and others that There is a growing concern among the international shenko before a political show trial. there is true law and order. political community, as well as among foreign investors, In July 2019, the UCCA stood with the G-7 ambassadors The confidence of Ukraine’s international partners, that over the lack of independence in justice system and over of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Ukraine is against Russian aggression and is committed to corruptibility of justices. Kingdom and the United States in reminding President building a stronger Ukraine, can be eroded very quickly “No one is above the law. But selective justice today [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy that the lustration laws which took because of political reprisals. threatens Ukraine’s future and undermines the very foun- effect following the Revolution of Dignity were necessitated The president of Ukraine is charged with the responsi- dations of the democratic and lawful society: those of the by the historic nature of President [Viktor] Yanuko­vych’s bility of being the guarantor of the Constitution and in this equality before the law, the presumption of innocence, the high crimes and dereliction of duty. In sharp contrast to that he must defend the rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citi- right to a fair trial. Ruining of these principles may lead to lawless era, the government officials and civic leaders tar- zens. an explosive reaction of the society in Ukraine, as well as to geted today by President Zelenskyy’s political appointees It is time to stop the rot and focus on the real issues: the loss of credibility with foreign partners and investors,” instead presided over a historic rebirth of Ukraine’s nation- fighting Russian aggression, calling on stronger sanctions stated Paul Grod, UWC president. “We call on the Ukrainian al defense structure, and turned around what was a con- by the international community against Russia, building authorities to implement immediate reforms in the judicial tracting economy following Russia’s invasion. Instead of Ukraine’s positive image and building a strong economy and criminal justice systems to European standards, with leaving the country vulnerable to further invasion by Russia, and honest society. the oversight of international partners.” Ukraine’s former leaders succeeded in convincing the The current situation of playing with the law is a distrac- United States to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive tion and only plays into Russia’s hands. Ukrainian Canadian Congress, June 18: weapons, and rebuilt both the Ukrainian Armed Forces as If there are to be court cases and charges, they should be Statement on the rule of law in Ukraine well as a formidable, homegrown armaments industry. laid against those in Ukraine who are conspiring with While lustration of the Yanukovych government was one Russia, who are dragging Ukraine to [Vladimir] Putin and The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is committed to sup- of the demands of the Euromaidan demonstrators in 2013- diminishing its identity. porting a strong, united and prosperous Ukraine. 2014, today’s Ukraine needs to focus on moving the coun- They are the culprits that need to feel the full brunt of Recent charges against former President Petro try forward and fighting the enemy at the gate, not tearing the law for anti-Ukrainian propaganda and activity. That Poroshenko, who is accused of a crime for exercising his the country apart with political infighting or airing of per- will give Ukrainian society and the international communi- Constitutional prerogative as President, give cause for con- sonal grievances. ty confidence. cern. In other cases before the courts we have seen the The UCCA reminds Ukraine’s leaders that selective, The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations administration violating the presumption of innocence, politically motivated justice can irreparably damage to stands by the principles of honest and transparent rule of depriving these individuals of due process. Ukraine’s image with the international community. Instead law – and this must be defended. The presumption of innocence, fair process and a justice of destroying Ukraine’s credibility among its global part- The price is too dear to say and do nothing. system free of political interference are in danger of being ners, Ukraine’s leadership should refrain from any violated. attempts to politicize the rule of law. – Stefan Romaniw, co-chair, AFUO No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 9

lobbying publicly for judicial, anti-corrup- Experts... tion and rule-of-law reforms – things that (Continued from page 1) will strengthen the investment climate and protect property rights – rather than just Oleksandra Betliy, former chief econo- tax breaks. mist at the Ministry of Finance, provided The webinar on reform stagnation in the audience with an expert assessment of Ukraine also featured a perspective from what has been achieved and what is need- Brussels offered by Bruno Lete of GMF who ed to spur economic growth, particularly as said, “Ukraine definitely remains a high pri- Ukraine deals with the coronavirus pan- ority on the European agenda, despite so demic. much domestic attention being hijacked by She said that over the last five years the corona crisis.” Ukraine has made good progress in reach- He continued: “But I do think that ing macroeconomic stability with good Ukraine will continue to be a priority for structural reforms and with a moderate the EU. The Union has engaged itself so pace of growth and limited inflation. The A screenshot of participants in the webinar on the topic “Ukraine’s Reform Stagnation: much in the past years, I think it’s simply coronavirus crisis is causing a decline in The Path Forward in a Time of Crisis.” difficult to walk away like that from Kyiv. GDP that will be more severe if there is a Just to mention, since 2014, the EU and second wave of infections. But the uncer- interests… they divide society, they harm Mr. Cox asked Ms. Hopko about the rea- European financial institutions have mobi- tainty of a possible new surge in cases is democracy, and they hurt Ukraine’s nation- son this post-Maidan revisionism is happen- lized support for almost 15 billion euro in coupled with a “big uncertainty” regarding al security. And this plays into Moscow’s ing. Some observers cite Mr. Zelenskyy’s grants and loans to support Ukraine the government pursuing reformist eco- hands. And it doesn’t engender confidence, animosity toward Mr. Poroshenko. Ms. reforms so that is, indeed, quite substantial nomic policies, said Ms. Betliy. as we know, in Ukraine’s partners, certainly Hopko blamed the negative trend regarding and also makes Europe Ukraine’s largest She added: “This is where the govern- not in the United States government [and] reforms in Ukraine on the lack of governing international partner for that… A lot of ment has to finally clear up the things Congress, which have been staunch sup- experience on the part of President money is involved and the reforms in [regarding] how it could, how it would pro- porters of Ukraine for decades, nor from Zelenskyy and his closest circle, the draw of Ukraine are, therefore, being closely ceed to return to the economic growth other international partners or the interna- populism in a country with huge income watched in Brussels.” path. Basically, to accelerate economic tional business community, or for that mat- disparities and a relatively small middle Although there is optimism, there is “a growth Ukraine really requires substantial ter, the Ukrainian diaspora, which just in class, Russia’s historic domination over lot of talk about several outstanding investments. Without investments we will the last week or two has been issuing Ukraine, and the influence of oligarchs and reforms that still need to be reinforced so not be able to accelerate economic growth.” numerous statements… So, there’s a lot of the influential media they own. that Ukraine, but primarily the Ukrainian Prior to the COVID-19 crisis when growing concern and... I hope Ukraine’s “We also have to remember that every people, can fully benefit from the Ukraine was experiencing modest GDP authorities really re-think what they are day Ukrainians are watching [oligarch-con- EU-Ukraine Association Agreement or the growth, a World Bank study estimated that doing in this respect and instead concen- trolled] pro-Kremlin Russian, almost Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area,” it would still take 50 years for Ukraine to trate on real reforms and real change.” Russian TV channels which are saying that said Mr. Lete. Therefore, the EU is monitor- reach the income levels of today’s Poland. Ms. Hopko concurred with Mr. NATO is bad, that for Ukraine it is better to ing anti-corruption efforts, the justice sec- “Therefore,” stressed Ms. Betliy, “reforms Deychakiwsky’s comments. “Instead of con- be neutral. Second, let’s not take money tor and rule of law. are crucial, and for this Ukraine really has to centrating on real reforms, focusing on key from the IMF because this is really very “But another point that is often being become a reliable partner” and fulfill its priorities for Ukraine, Zelenskyy and the painful for future generations,” she pointed mentioned here is that Ukraine could still commitments to the International Monetary General Prosecutor’s Office are fully out. Instead of explaining the long-term do better when it comes to improving the Fund, the European Union and others to engaged in politically motivated” prosecu- benefits of reforms, they argue that it’s bet- business and investment climate. As long as maintain prudent fiscal and monetary poli- tions, including of politicians and activists ter to “print money” or go into default and domestic and international investors are cies and strengthen anti-corruption, anti- associated with the Maidan, she said. they broadcast a lot of fake, anti-American, not feeling confident to enter the Ukrainian monopoly, transparent procurement and Highlighting the need for reforming the anti-reform news, Ms. Hopko noted. market it will be very hard to boost the cre- rule-of-law efforts and institutions. police and the courts, she said the “judicia- She said she would like to see sanctions ation of jobs in Ukraine,” he stated. Also, She cited the National Bank of Ukraine ry remains one of the most corrupt and imposed on oligarchs who use their TV intensified EU support for small and medi- as an example of such an institution, which least trusted public institutions in Ukraine,” channels to undermine the reform process um-size business development in Ukraine has allowed Ukraine to enter and navigate adding that, “without the rule of law, it’s in Ukraine and also expressed disappoint- could provide a needed counterweight or the coronavirus crisis with a strong finan- hard to bring investment to Ukraine and ment that President Zelenskyy is not seek- alternative to the oligarchs, who “really cial and banking sector, stable currency and also to create” jobs and solve social prob- ing a stronger partnership with reformist don’t see the benefits of integrating their low inflation, despite calls by some politi- lems. parties in the Verkhovna Rada. businesses in line with EU values.” cians to “print money.” Pat Cox, a former president of the The discussion also touched upon what Returning to the question of U.S. support Ms. Betliy said for reforms to succeed it’s European Parliament, was part of the webi- Ms. Betliy called one of the most successful for Ukraine, Mr. Deychakiwsky underscored very important for the government to take nar audience. On July 1, he and former reforms: decentralization, which is demon- that, besides providing strong political and ownership of them: “We really need the gov- Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski strating results and creating new cadres for diplomatic backing, increases in military ernment to understand that these reforms (who monitored convictions of Ukrainian national leadership. and non-military assistance and additional are the path forward to a prosperous politicians in the Yanukovych era) issued a “I think that the best reform which basi- sanctions against oligarchs, being support- Ukraine, and we have to continue these joint statement expressing concerns about cally happened during the last five years… ive also means “telling the Ukrainian gov- reforms, not because the IMF has told us to worrying prosecution and reform trends in is decentralization because we really have ernment some unpleasant truths and talk- do this or the European Union or other part- Ukraine. big successes in those areas where we have ing about things that could get in the way of ners,” but because they benefit Ukrainians. “Politics everywhere is contested but smart people in local governments.” This stronger relations.” Non-adherence to reform commitments through elections and, in parliament, shows that electing qualified people can In concluding remarks, Ms. Hopko is not the only problem threatening through debate. These are the arenas, not really make a difference, she explained. thanked the U.S. and European Union for Western support and Ukraine’s financial the courts, where political opponents clash. Ms. Betliy also encouraged the U.S. and their support, suggested that Western lead- stability and business climate. The issue of …Ultimately, if this course of action pre- the European Union to continue investing ers engage with President Zelenskyy more judicial fairness also is causing alarm. vails, Ukraine’s democracy and rule of law in developing human capital in Ukraine by directly and more frequently, proposed that Orest Deychakiwsky, a former senior pol- will be the first victims. These both are core supporting civil society, as well as through Brussels offer Ukraine an EU membership icy advisor with the Helsinki Commission, elements in the common values that under- education of the younger generation about perspective as a means of mobilizing warned that the cases and investigations pin Ukraine’s EU and NATO aspirations. how the economy works so that they will Ukraine’s elite and society, and called on against former President Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies need to understand that there are no simple solu- the West to be more “geopolitically ambi- Maidan activists, dismissed reformist offi- be reinforced, not undermined. Selective tions and that reforms require time to bear tious” towards Ukraine. cials and others are “starting to be reminis- justice through politically inspired prosecu- fruit. Armed with this knowledge, they will Co-moderating the webinar from Kyiv cent of the kind of selective justice we saw tions must be a thing of the past, not a tool not be as susceptible to populist promises was Denys Davydenko of the Reanimation in the Yanukovych era.” He went on to note of the future… Ukraine’s European destiny as the older generation. Package of Reforms. that “politically motivated prosecutions and will not be served by a revisionist step Additionally, Ms. Betliy said she would Video of the webinar can be viewed at selective justice do not serve Ukraine’s backwards,” they wrote. like to see businesses in Ukraine focus on https://youtu.be/ncNzIYOI8LE.

With respect to the judiciary, some prog- ress has been made since the Maidan. Or attempts to undermine Ukraine have not Freedom... ress has been made since the launch in the that Ukraine has not regressed in recent succeeded in knocking Ukraine from its (Continued from page 7) fall of 2019 of the Anti-Corruption Court. years as have some of Ukraine’s European path to democracy and moving it towards However, judicial reforms appear to have Union neighbors, notably Hungary and to a authoritarianism. which is in need of serious changes, includ- stalled, especially with respect to the pro- lesser extent Poland, who have been mov- But Ukraine can do better, and has in the ing separating its state security functions cess of the selection of judges. But the bot- ing in the wrong direction. past. It was “free” for few years under from its law enforcement powers – thereby tom line is that all too many judges are still Or one can be consoled that Ukraine’s Viktor Yushchenko’s presidency. But this helping to eliminate its corruption. And the not trusted. human rights and democracy record is dra- rating will not happen unless Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, which had Despite these concerns, perhaps one can matically superior to that of Ukraine’s leadership reforms its law enforcement and shown some promise in reducing corrup- take some comfort in the fact that Ukraine, neighbors Russia and Belarus, which are judicial system, and stops engaging in its tion and other ills during Mr. Riaboshapka’s while not really moving forward, at least decidedly “not free” countries. Indeed, for wrong, foolish and self-destructive behav- brief tenure, has instead become involved has not significantly slipped backward. Or all of Ukraine’s shortcomings, Vladimir ior by trying to settle political scores and in questionable, selective justice. take solace in the fact that substantial prog- Putin’s war of aggression and persistent unjustly pursuing political opponents. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28

several possible theories about how MH17 new bill that would cut prices for solar and Linde says Iran has agreed that it will com- NEWSBRIEFS was shot down, including that it was shot wind energy producers by 15 percent and pensate the families of foreign victims who (Continued from page 2) down by a Ukrainian Air Force jet or by 7.5 percent, respectively, the latest govern- died when a Ukrainian airliner was shot Ukrainian ground forces using a Buk sys- ment proposal to unnerve the business down after taking off from Tehran’s main Defense cites alternative theories re MH17 tem. The international investigative team community. Wind producers have agreed to airport in January, killing all 176 people on considered and rejected these explanations. the government’s proposal, while solar pro- board. “We have signed an agreement of Judges hearing the case against four sus- Nonetheless, the court granted a defense ducers have asked for a two-year extension mutual understanding that we will now pects in the 2014 downing of a passenger request to investigate other scenarios, to the time frame for favorable pricing, say- negotiate with Iran about amends, com- airliner over eastern Ukraine have granted a including the possibility that the airliner ing the new price formula would otherwise pensation to the victims’ next of kin,” Ms. defense request to investigate alternative was being used as a shield for a military air- crush their profitability and discourage new Linde told the Swedish news agency TT, theories about the incident. On July 3, the craft. “The defense has an interest in being investment. In a July 2 letter addressed to adding the agreement was reached follow- court in The Hague in the Netherlands able to test the scenario chosen by the Mr. Zelenskyy, House of Representatives ing talks with ministers from the countries ordered that defense lawyers and experts Public Prosecution Service in the indict- members Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and Mike affected by the crash. It was unclear what be granted access to the partial wreckage of ment that MH17 was shot down by a Buk,” Quigley (D-Ill.) called on the Ukrainian pres- sums would be paid out and when. Iran has the plane, which is being held at a Dutch Judge Henrik Steenhuis noted. He said the ident to proceed with a “consensual said in the past that it wants to negotiate military base. The suspects – Russians defense experts would be allowed to submit approach” in talks with wind- and solar- Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov, and Igor directly with the victims’ families. Ukraine a report on their findings. The court also energy producers. “Maintaining the integri- Girkin, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko – International Airlines Flight 752 was head- adjourned the trial until August 31 to give ty of this approach would be recognized as a are being tried in absentia for involvement ing to Kyiv when it was shot down by Iran’s Mr. Pulatov’s lawyers a chance to meet with substantial achievement and would bolster in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight air defenses on January 8 in what Iranian him. His lawyers say they have been unable Ukraine’s credibility in attracting further 17 (MH17) from Amsterdam to Kuala officials eventually acknowledged was a to travel to Russia, where Mr. Pulatov foreign direct investment in its energy sec- Lumpur, which killed all 298 people on “mistake.” Many of the 176 victims were resides, because of restrictions prompted by tor and other sectors of Ukraine’s economy,” board. Following a six-year international Iranian-Canadians, but there were also the coronavirus pandemic. (RFE/RL, with they wrote. Rep. Kaptur, who is a co-chair of investigation, prosecutors have argued that nationals of Afghanistan, Britain, Sweden, reporting by AFP, Reuters and AP) the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, held a the aircraft was shot down by a Russian- and Ukraine on board. (RFE/RL, with webinar last month with alternative energy made Buk anti-aircraft system fired by reporting by DPA and AFP) Congress to Kyiv: negotiate with energy producers producers operating in Ukraine to discuss Russia-backed militants who had acquired the impact of the new bill on their business- Iran: No indication cyberattack led to downing it from a Russian military base on the bor- Members of the U.S. Congressional es. Foreign investors, including American der between the two countries. Mr. Pulatov Ukraine Caucus have asked President An Iranian military prosecutor says businesses, have poured more than $2 bil- is the only defendant who has sent defense Volodymyr Zelenskyy to find a compromise there is no indication that the downing of a lawyers, while the other three men are with renewable energy producers over pric- lion into Ukraine’s renewable industry since Ukrainian passenger jet in Iran in January being tried without representation. Moscow es as a months-long dispute threatens for- 2015, when the country passed legislation was due to a cyberattack on the country’s has denied any involvement in the conflict eign investment. Ukraine’s Parliament was that offered favorable pricing over a 10-year defense system. Speaking on June 29 to in parts of eastern Ukraine and has offered to hold the first of two readings on July 3 of a period in order to attract needed invest- some of the families of the victims, Gholam ment. The U.S. International Development Abbas Torki, the military prosecutor for Finance Corporation, a state agency, has Tehran Province, reiterated that human committed $400 million in financing and error was the cause of the accident that political-risk insurance for Ukrainian alter- killed all 176 people on board the Boeing native energy projects. Mr. Zelenskyy, who 737 airliner. He said the operator of the air- won in a landslide last year in part on a defense system had not received permis- promise to attract more foreign investment TO PLACE YOUR AD CALL WALTER HONCHARYK (973) 292-9800 x3040 sion from his superiors before firing two to Ukraine, is now revisiting that earlier or e-mail [email protected] missiles at the airliner. “Twenty-six seconds agreement, raising questions about his gov- passed between the first and second firing, ernment’s respect for investor rights. Solar but unfortunately during this time the oper- SERVICES PROFESSIONALS producers have said they would bow to the ator also did not get permission for the sec- government’s price cut if it would extend МАРІЯ ДРИЧ the period of favorable pricing from 10 ond firing from the network,” Mr. Torki Ліцензований Продавець years to 12 years. However, the bill submit- added. He said three people remain in Страхування Життя ted to the Verkhovna Rada contains no detention over the downing of the Kyiv- МАRІA DRICH extension. Solar investors in Ukraine bound aircraft, while three others have Licensed Life Insurance Agent warned in a June 23 letter to the govern- been released on bail. The Islamic Ukrainian National Assn., Inc. ment that it faces the prospect of having the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) took 2200 Route 10, Parsippany, NJ 07054 industry’s success tumble “into a web of responsibility for the unintentional shooting Tel.: 973-292-9800 ext. 3035 acrimony and litigation” if it doesn’t extend down of the airliner that came amid height- e-mail: [email protected] the time frame. Parliament could choose to ened tensions with the United States. The amend the bill, which must pass two read- incident and the delayed admission of guilt ings before being sent to the government. In – it was three days before the IRGC took the meantime, the Ukrainian government responsibility – led to widespread anger has stopped fully paying alternative energy and street protests. Iranian forces had been producers for their output. With the onset on high alert at the time of the tragedy, of the coronavirus in March, the state has which came hours after Iran launched mis- paid as little as 5 percent for the energy it sile strikes on an Iraqi military base housing has received from producers. The govern- U.S. troops. The Iranian strikes were carried ment’s decision to renege on an earlier out in response to the killing of a top IRGC power agreement is just the latest “big commander, Qasem Soleimani, in a U.S. blow” for private investors in Ukraine who drone strike near Baghdad’s airport. Mr. were initially emboldened by Mr. Torki defended the delay and said that a OPPORTUNITIES Zelenskyy’s promises to reform the econo- preliminary investigation into the incident my and boost growth, Morgan Williams, the had been conducted “in the shortest term president of the U.S.-Ukraine Business possible.” He also reiterated that Tehran will EARN EXTRA INCOME! Council (USUBC), a Washington-based send the black box recorders from the The Ukrainian Weekly is looking lobby group, told RFE/RL. (Todd Prince of plane to France for analysis. He said the for advertising sales agents. RFE/RL) recorders were “physically damaged” and For additional information contact that the data could only be recovered with Walter Honcharyk, Advertising Manager, Iran to compensate families of Flight 752 “sophisticated” technology. (RFE/RL, with The Ukrainian Weekly, 973-292-9800, ext 3040. Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Ann reporting by IRNA, ISNA, Reuters and AP) No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 11

reserves reached an eight-year high. The IMF, inflation and the return of corrupt offi- oligarchs, corrupt officials, and Russian Governor... Central Banking Awards recognized the cials,” Mr. Rushchyshyn emphasized. interests,” said Mr. Savchenko, who was an (Continued from page 1) NBU as the world’s most transparent cen- On July 2, Ukraine canceled the place- advisor to the prime minister and the gov- tral bank in 2019. At the same time, Mr. ment of 12-year Eurobonds, thanks to which ernor of the National Bank in the 1990s. NBU has lost its independence? Not at all. Smolii was named the Best Central Banker it had attracted $1.75 billion on the market The international community expressed My resignation comes as a protest. It is a in Central and Eastern Europe in 2019, the day before. The official announcement concern about Mr. Smolii’s statement signal and a warning that a red line is about according to the Global Markets Award. appeared on the pan-European stock regarding political pressure. Reactions to be crossed. As I step down as Governor, I Yaroslav Rushchyshyn, the secretary of exchange. The Ministry of Finance managed came from the European Union, G-7 seek to warn politicians against further Verkhovna Rada’s Economic Committee, to complete the agreement on the place- ambassadors in Ukraine, the International attempts to undermine the institutional said he believes the departure of the NBU ment of Eurobonds right before Mr. Smolii’s Monetary Fund and other international foundations of the Ukrainian central bank,” chairman due to political pressure is a very announcement of his resignation. Ukraine’s financial institutions. Mr. Smolii told the national deputies, who threatening signal for all Ukrainians. “With new Eurobonds could be the government’s On July 7, the National Bank team voted to confirm his departure. “After all, the beginning of the work of the new first entry into international capital markets appealed to Ukrainian society and com- the NBU has made tremendous efforts to Verkhovna Rada, we see how the institu- since the beginning of the coronavirus eco- plained of political pressure from some speed up the development of the economy tions on which the state is based are con- nomic crisis. Moreover, $750 million from deputies. “We demand an end to political and financial markets, advance the welfare stantly shaken. Among them is the National the issue of these Eurobonds was to be used pressure on the NBU. Not in words but in of all Ukrainians, and do a lot more if not Bank of Ukraine, the nature of which to repay debts on Eurobonds maturing in deeds. We expect a reaction to the unethi- interfered with. I leave the NBU as an inte- requires the absence of any influence from 2021-2022. cal behavior of some national deputies who grated institution that has a strategic any side. The independence of the NBU is On the same day, the hryvnia currency came to the Verkhovna Rada to defend the vision, well-established processes, a strong the key to our financial and economic sta- fell by over 1 percent to its lowest level interests of individual oligarchs.” According professional team, and a good reputation bility, and independence. During the recent since April. On July 2, the demand for the to the NBU team, the role of such deputies among the world’s leading central banks upheavals, in my opinion, only the NBU has U.S. dollar on the interbank foreign is to stop Ukraine’s cooperation with inter- and the international community,” he shown disengagement. Therefore, almost exchange market far exceeded the supply national partners. summed up. for the first time in the history of indepen- due to Mr. Smolii’s statement about “politi- The resignation of Mr. Smolii as the head Mr. Smolii served as chief of the NBU dent Ukraine, the global financial crisis did cal pressure.” The market began to shake of the National Bank of Ukraine will not since March 15, 2018. He replaced Valeria not affect the hryvnia exchange rate,” said from the first minutes after news of the res- affect the stability of the Ukrainian currency, Gontareva, under whom he served as a Mr. Rushchyshyn, a national deputy from ignation, and the demand for foreign cur- according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. deputy. the Holos faction. rency far exceeded supply. The National Commenting on the resignation of the NBU During his time in office, Ukraine’s infla- “But when Yakiv Smolii resigns and says Bank had to sell at least $200 million to head, he noted that the essential task is to tion slowed down, reaching the 5 percent that it is impossible to withstand political keep the exchange rate stable. prevent the creation of myths, speculation target, and remained low. A flexible pressure, this is a very threatening signal “Under the influence of the IMF, the and manipulation about this departure. exchange rate regime was introduced, and not only for investors but also for all citi- National Bank of Ukraine [under Mr. According to Mr. Shmyhal, it will take the financial market infrastructure was zens of Ukraine. The main risks of the resig- Smolii’s leadership] pursued a policy of some time to find a suitable candidate for modernized. Large-scale currency liberal- nation of the chairman of the National monetary deficit, i.e., a tight monetary poli- the next governor of the NBU. The prime ization was launched, and international Bank are failure of cooperation with the cy, which on the one hand contributed to a minister revealed that he had already taken fall in inflation to 1.7 percent and the part in consultations held by the president strengthening of the hryvnia to 26.5 hrv of Ukraine with the NBU Board, the NBU per U.S. dollar, but on the other led to a Council, the heads of state banks and the Ottawa’s... decline in industry, exports and credit star- largest commercial banks, and the heads of (Continued from page 1) vation and allowed foreign investors (spec- banking associations. “There are two ulators) to earn 20-25 percent in dollars on requirements for candidates: high profes- inhumanity of Communism, fled to Canada – Ukrainian Domestic government bonds,” sionalism and a sterling reputation. In the where they found liberty and peace. That Prof. Oleksander Savchenko, rector of the coming days, such a candidate will be this sight was desecrated through this act of International Institute of Business, noted. selected. All bank managers, major players hate is unacceptable and deplorable, and an Mr. Savchenko was an executive director in the banking market, have already voiced insult to the hallowed memory of the mil- of the European Bank for Reconstruction their proposals; there is a shortlist of candi- lions of innocent victims of Communism.” and Development and deputy governor of dates,” said Mr. Shmyhal. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress the National Bank of Ukraine until 2009. He Among possible candidates to replace added: “This is a reminder to us all of the commented that “the struggle for monetary Mr. Smolii, national deputies named need for further education and awareness power in Ukraine has begun, but it is not Volodymyr Lavrenchuk, Kyrylo Shevchenko in our own society about the evil and political parties fighting for it, but the real and Tymofii Milovanov. Mr. Lavrenchuk is a crimes of Communism.” actors in power.” former chairman of Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Tribute to Liberty, the non-profit organi- “There are risks that the oligarchs will and he was a candidate for the post of NBU zation whose mission it is to build the seize the monetary power, which will not governor after the resignation of Ms. memorial in Canada’s capital, tweeted its only force the NBU to stop suing for the Gontareva. Mr. Shevchenko is the current reaction: “Communism always fails. return of bank assets stolen in 2014-2019 head of the state-owned Ukrgasbank. Mr. Communism kills but also gives birth to in the amount of approximately 500 billion Milovanov was the minister of economic plentiful number of the useful idiots in hrv (about $20 billion U.S.) but also choos- development, trade, and agriculture in the Canada and beyond. The Memorial isn’t es a policy of monetary intoxication. The Cabinet of Prime Minister Oleksiy completed yet but that didn’t stop some consequence of such a policy will be high Honcharuk. Now he is the president of the moron from insulting the memory of our inflation, devaluation and financial destabi- Kyiv School of Economics and a professor heroes on Canada Day” [July 1]. lization. At the same time, there is hope for at the University of Pittsburgh. Member of Parliament Andrew Scheer, a rational decision regarding the new head In the meantime, the National Bank of leader of Canada’s Conservative Party and of of the NBU. It is possible if the West and Ukraine is temporarily headed by Kateryna the Official Opposition, reacted with this Ukrainian people will act together against Rozhkova, who was Mr. Smolii’s deputy. tweet: “Millions of Canadians know first- hand about Communist atrocities, having fled its brutality & oppression to find refuge With deep sadness we announce the passing in Canada. Communism has taken the lives on June 2, 2020 in Middle Village, New York, of over 100 million around the world. We VOC Memorial Foundation of our beloved husband, father and grandfather must always remember its victims. Ignorant The defaced Victims of Communism vandalism like this is unacceptable.” Memorial in Washington. The vandalized signage has been ROY W. ANDERSEN removed and the UCC National Office said it “You do not advance justice by defacing our born December 12, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. has contacted Ottawa Police Services about country’s memorial dedicated to one of the the incident. The UCC said it will update the largest victim groups in human history – He leaves behind in sorrow his Ukrainian Canadian community and the those killed by communist parties in power.” wife - Oksana public when more information is available. On Facebook, the VOC Memorial Foundation posted: “The culprits are not son - Tim, his wife Tatiana and granddaughter Roxanna D.C. memorial targeted yet known. The site has been targeted by son - Erik In related news, the Victims of socialist extremist and Antifa groups in the niece - Jeanne Forster her husband Victor Tatevosyan Communism Memorial in Washington was past.” VOC is an educational, research and grandniece - Francesca vandalized on June 1. The monument of the human rights nonprofit devoted to com- nephew - Frank Forster, his wife Maureen “Goddess of Democracy,” which is modeled memorating those who have suffered grandnephew and grandnieces - Frank, Kelly, Bridget, Sara, Maeve under Communist regimes. on the statue erected in Tiananmen Square, Cremation was held at Rosehill Crematory under the direction of Peter was defaced with graffiti that included the The VOC memorial, which was erected Jarema Funeral Home. letters “BLM,” an apparent reference to Black in 2007, was among several monuments in Lives Matter. The base of the monument was Washington that were defaced or damaged May his memory be eternal. spray painted with the letters “CHAN.” during what began as peaceful demonstra- Donations in Roy’s memory may be made to American Thyroid Association Marion Smith, executive director of the tions to protest the killing of George Floyd, Victims of Communism Memorial a Black man who died in police custody in (www.thyroid.org) Foundation, posted on Twitter on June 2: Minneapolis. 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28

COMMUNITY CHRONICLE Ukrainian American Club presents 2020 scholarship by Bohdana Puzyk pre-med track. Her academic achievements include: first place at the Port Charlotte H.S. science fair, four- NORTH PORT, Fla. – The Ukrainian American Club year participation at the regional science fair and a (UAC) of Southwest Florida, organized over 20 years special award for excellence in the field of in-vitro ago, encourages and promotes interest in Ukraine, its biology. Ms. Flores was also invited to represent her people, culture and heritage among the greater school at the Florida Girls State Program at Florida American public. The club continuously offers exhib- State University. its, forums and lectures in support of its objectives. Ms. Flores is co-captain of the color guard for the One of the ways the UAC accomplishes this is through Port Charlotte H.S. marching band and vice-president an annual scholarship program which is open to any of the Environ­mental Club, which she helped co- North Port or Port Charlotte High School senior. found. She is a member of the National Art Honor The scholarship criteria this year included an essay Society and is involved in community volunteer work. on the achievements of a 20th or 21st century She is an avid conservationist and helps many local Ukrainian from either the arts or science/technology. groups clean up local beaches and parks in her com- This year’s recipient of the $1,000 UAC scholarship munity. is Tammy Valerie Flores, a senior attending Port The members of the Scholarship Committee – Charlotte H.S. Ms. Flores’ winning essay was about Dr. Victor Lisnyczyj (chairman), Lidia Bilous, Katia Tamara Martsenyuk, associate professor of sociology Steciuk, Ihor Hron and Gene Tomashosky – and the at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Dr. members of the Ukrainian American Club of Martsenyuk’s work is in the area of gender equality in Southwest Florida congratulated Miss Flores on her Ukraine. Tammy Valerie Flores, recipient of the 2020 scholarship of the winning essay and wished her continued success in Ms. Flores plans to study nutrition science on a Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida. her academic pursuits and chosen career.

the activities of the suspects and paid any briefing, including former volunteers Inna they are said to have been “familiar, among Ex-Kremlin hostage... expenses. How (or if) the investigators are and Vladyslav Hryshchenko, and they, and other things, with the methods of work of (Continued from page 6) explaining why a well-known musician and the explosive that they are accused of plant- the law enforcement bodies.” According to veteran and a children’s surgeon, both of ing, were supposed to be important links. defense lawyer Vitaly Kolomiyets, the new wanting to make his views the object of whom are also parents, would have taken In fact, they have never been charged at all charge speaks of “mystical unidentified public attention and carrying out his part in such a crime is not clear. If it is now in connection with the Sheremet case, yet organizers with the features of a law actions in order to draw the public’s atten- suggested that this was a commissioned the people who were supposedly identified enforcement body.” tion to certain political beliefs… he decided crime, it is difficult to understand how the because of them remain chief suspects, This clearly hearkens back to the sugges- to create an organized group in order to identity of at least the “organizers” could with two still in detention. tion in 2017 of an SBU link, and the con- still remain unclear after six months, at cern that certain video footage seemed to carry out the murder of journalist and The evidence radio presenter Sheremet.” least when the investigators can examine have conveniently disappeared. If, on the The alleged motive elicited outrage in all records of telephone conversations and The last six months have certainly made night that the bomb was planted, an SBU court from Mr. Antonenko, who said he had probe the movements of the three suspects. it clear that the blithe assurances at the officer was near Sheremet’s apartment grown up in a Jewish neighborhood, was Ms. Duhar’s alleged role in photograph- December press briefing of huge amounts bloc, it is reasonable to ask why. The SBU himself half-Jewish and that such allegations ing CCTV cameras near the scene of the of evidence were seriously exaggerated. asserted at the time that the man was no were an insult against him and his family. crime has always seemed rather unneces- Considering how much emphasis was longer one of their employees. So why did The “motive” also made no sense since the sary, and it is noticeable that the courts, placed on comparison of video footage, it is CCTV footage reportedly go missing while murder did not attract public attention to which have repeatedly rejected calls to extraordinary that Mr. Antonenko remains in the SBU’s hands? such racist views, nor was there any evidence release Mr. Antonenko and Ms. Kuzmenko, in detention since he is significantly taller These questions cannot simply be left for at all that attempts had been made to do so. have steadily reduced the preventive mea- than the believed perpetrator seen on some time when or, more likely, if the alleged It seems likely, however, that this “motive” sures against the young nurse. CCTV footage. The expert assessment from organizers are finally identified, since the has now been discarded for another reason. Although there were clear insinuations 2016 of that footage estimated the perpe- answers may well point to irreconcilable The above words, supposedly referring to during the December briefing about unex- trator’s height in outdoor footwear at 170 problems with the prosecution’s case against Mr. Antonenko’s motives, appear to have plained amounts of money, the prosecution cm. Mr. Antonenko’s height is 180 cm. in Mr. Antonenko, Ms. Kuzmenko and Ms. been copy-pasted from an indictment does not appear to be charging any of the bare feet. Mr. Antonenko’s beard and side- Duhar. Given so many unanswered ques- against another person altogether, back in suspects with carrying out the crime for burns are also different on photos from the tions, it is beyond baffling that Mr. Antonenko 2015 (before the Sheremet murder). financial gain. same period. Ms. Duhar looks quite differ- and Ms. Kuzmenko remain in detention. The prosecution’s case now seems dis- This leaves only the disturbing claim ent from the woman seen on the photo, and turbingly lacking in a motive, with the that the organizers looked for people to she has a tattoo on the same arm that the unidentified organizers supposed to have carry out the crime “in volunteer groups of woman on the closed-circuit TV footage acted for personal motives and deciding “to the population” with the criteria being “the can be seen raising (with no tattoo visible). carry out an extremely high-profile event in people’s inclination to violent acts” and Slidstvo.info almost immediately society in order to provoke numerous acts “low moral-psychological qualities.” obtained copies of the “expert assessments” regarding similarities between the CCTV of protest.” The charges It is not clear why Sheremet’s unex- footage of the couple believed to have plant- plained murder should have been expected Mr. Antonenko is no longer suspected of ed the bomb, as well as of the person who is to do this, and it did not. There is no expla- having been the organizer, and he is claimed to have photographed the cameras, nation of how these unidentified individu- accused only of having planted the bomb, on the one hand, and the three suspects on als enlisted the three suspects. The con- together with Ms. Kuzmenko. In announc- the other. These seemed far less clear-cut stant reference to “unidentified organizers” ing the changes, the prosecution mentioned than suggested, and Slidstvo positively does, however, mean that the investigators two new charges: of deliberate destruction called them contradictory, an assertion the are not overburdened by the problems of of property (Article 194 § 2 of Ukraine’s investigators have denied. Ms. Kuzmenko an alleged conspiracy in which only Ms. Criminal Code) and of possession of explo- has also pointed out the questionable validi- Kuzmenko and Mr. Antonenko had had sive devices (Article 263 § 1). ty of comparing two videos of somebody extremely limited contact with one another, Ms. Kuzmenko is no longer accused of walking if, in one case the woman was carry- and neither had even known Ms. Duhar. having detonated the explosive device, with ing something weighing up to five kilograms, Now it is supposed to have been the this action attributed to yet another and in the other – nothing. unidentified “organizers” who “sponsored” “unidentified individual.” There is also something very disturbing It is not clear if the investigators have about all such expert assessments being explained who is supposed to have held on to obtained on the basis of experts comparing the explosive, which is by no means an irrele- the suspects’ posture with that of the per- vant question since both Mr. Antonenko petrators as seen on CCTV footage. Any and Ms. Kuzmenko have at least one child. normal police identification has several There is also nothing to indicate where other individuals of similar appearance. LIKE the explosive came from, with it being the Perhaps “gait analysis,” as provided by a UK same (or other?) “unidentified individuals” expert, does have validity, but surely not as who were responsible for this. This adds a one of the sole items of evidence. new dimension to one of the first worrying A law enforcement link discrepancies in the case. Five names were on Facebook! mentioned during the December press While the organizers are “unidentified,” No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 13 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28

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Calls to Action for Racial Justice in Ukrainian Diaspora Communities

"Being racist or antiracist is not about We Call on All Community Institutions: who you are; it is about what you do." We write these calls to action to help our community •To conduct internal audits to see if their be more equitable by analyzing the prejudices we carry services, support, and membership are extended to -National Museum of African American History & Culture and perpetuate. These calls to action can be used as non-ethnic Ukrainians or people of mixed heritage. guidance for how we behave as a community. We •To implement diversity, equity, and inclusion recognize our own complicity in the system of racial training, to better serve non-white members of We, the undersigned, write from a position of inequity that persists in North America and write with Ukrainian communities, non-white employees, and sadness and anger at the general silence of many in humility, as individuals who must continue to educate neighbors. our Ukrainian diaspora community toward current ourselves on the complex ways in which we have •To institute policies that hold members, events, and we wish to confront the culture of benefitted from structures of racism. employees, students, etc., who use racist terms or casual racism that pervades many Ukrainian spread hateful ideologies in any language account- diaspora institutions in North America. The calls to action below will demand earnest reflec- able, and to provide spaces and opportunities for tion and investments of time and, in some cases, learning ways in which racism is harmful. Ukrainians of all generations, classes, and creeds money. We seek to initiate movement towards these •To make open public calls for reconciliation with are no strangers to state and social oppression. We goals, though we recognize that the process of realiza- the communities displaced by the construction of hope that this document encourages solidarity with tion may be slow and arduous. With these calls, we Ukrainian community buildings, whether it be those Black, Indigenous, and otherwise non-white affirm our commitment to advancing racial equity in through the displacing processes of settler colonial- populations whose oppression is woven into the very North America. This document is modeled after the ism or gentrification. Likewise, Ukrainian-owned fabric of the modern United States and Canada. In the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s buildings that remain in areas of divestment and white words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “nobody’s free until Calls to Action. flight should be opened to local community groups for everybody’s free.” events and social services. We Call on All People of Good Will: •To remove racial or ethnic stereotypes in As a community of people who largely benefit from •To hold community institutions: schools, youth publications, whether positive or negative, or to the racial order of North American societies, we feel organizations, religious communities, media outlets, provide context for historical expressions of these compelled to ask our fellow members to reflect and act businesses, and cultural establishments accountable biases. Likewise, to henceforth publish materials and on the complex ways in which race manifests in the to the principles of racial justice. presentations that examine the presence of various Ukrainian diaspora experience. This is not to diminish •To stop dismissing others’ experiences of ethnic groups and races in Ukraine. the often traumatic lived experiences of many in our present-day oppression on account of oppression in •To eliminate artistic presentations that reinforce community, but to recognize that, despite this trauma, Ukraine. While we may claim understanding and negative stereotypes. We ask that organizations we have often gained from a racial system that empathy, we cannot claim having lived the same prioritize sensitivity in their representations of recognizes many of us as white people. experience. Nor are we to belittle the suffering of historically marginalized groups, and reject the use of others. blackface and similar caricatures outright. This statement is written in support of the ongoing •To study the role of North American immigrant •To divest retirement funds, life insurance protests to protect Black Lives in North America, groups, including our own, in settler colonialism, policies, and other funds from private military sparked by the outrageous murder of George Floyd. slavery, westward expansion, Jim Crow, mass contractors, small arms manufacturers, and other We write this also in memory of Breonna Taylor, incarceration, over-policing, and segregation. companies that depend on mass incarceration and Ahmaud Arbery, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Tony •To become prudent consumers of news media, prison labor. McDade and countless others, whose senseless deaths especially to become aware of the issues affecting our are the result of a long history of state and systemic immediate neighbors and surroundings, not only news The above demands represent concrete and actionable violence against Black Lives. We seek to protect our from Ukraine. steps Ukrainian communities can take to fight racism non-white families and friends and to strengthen our •To shop at Black-owned businesses and support and foster greater understanding and solidarity. We diaspora by making it more welcoming and inclusive local Black-run economic initiatives. have also assembled targeted action items for to people with a variety of connections to our •To establish meaningful personal relationships Ukrainian institutions in North America, viewable at community. with non-white neighbors, relatives, colleagues, etc. www.UkrainianAntiracistCommunity.com Signed, Adrian Chernyk, MD, New York, NY ∙ Adrian Dusanowskyj, Toronto, ON ∙ Adrian Ivakhiv, Professor, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT ∙ Adrian Laluk, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Adrian Podpirka, Washington, DC ∙ Adriana Fedorijczuk, Clifton, NJ ∙ Adriana Helbig, Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh, PA ∙ Adriana Krasniansky, Master’s Student, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA ∙ Adriana Saldan, Chicago, IL ∙ Adriana Tuz, Mississauga, ON ∙ Adrianna Murphy, London, UK ∙ Aleksandra Zelenina, New York, NY ∙ Alessandra Hayes, Kenora, ON ∙ Alexander B. Kuzma, Connecticut, USA ∙ Alex Mykyta, Seattle, WA ∙ Alex Paschyn, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Alex Pyatetskiy, Milwaukee, WI ∙ Alex Rozanec, Film & Commercial Producer, Toronto, ON ∙ Alexa Czartorysky, Massachusetts, USA ∙ Alexa Pavliuc, London, UK ∙ Alexander J Knihnicky, Physician, New Jersey ∙ Alexander Shuhan, Professor, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY ∙ Alexandra Chuma, Master's Student at Harvard University, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Alexandra Foty, Melbourne, Australia ∙ Alexandra Lewyckyj Jarymowycz, Kingston ON ∙ Alexandra Nahorniak, Artistic Photo Director, Jersey City, NJ ∙ Alexandra Nirschl, Yardley, PA ∙ Alexandra Pinkhasov, Abington,Pa ∙ Alina Kuzma, Arts and Cultural Manager, Toronto ON ∙ Alla Korzh, Assistant Professor, School for International Training, USA, Washington, DC ∙ Alla Zagaykevych, Assistant professor, Tchaikovsky National Music Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine ∙ Allie Sonevytsky, Reston, VA ∙ Amanda Filipowich, Toronto, ON ∙ Anastasia Baczynskyj, Toronto, Ontario ∙ Anastasia Fyk, Farmer, translator, pilot, Garland, MB ∙ Anastasia Kharitonova-Gomez, Graduate Student, Kent, WA ∙ Anastasia Rab, Wisconsin, USA ∙ Anastasia Sawka, Student, Toronto, ON ∙ Anastasia Zaluckyj, University of Texas Law Student, Austin, TX ∙ Anastasiya Gorodnicha, Student, Ottawa, ON ∙ Anastasiya Sernetskaya, Nursing Student, Seattle, WA ∙ Anastasiya Spivak, Doula, Educator, Vancouver, BC ∙ Anastaziya Tataryn, Ontario, Canada ∙ Andrea Chalupa, Writer and Filmmaker, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Andrea Fylypovych, Organizational Development Director, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Andrea Hawryluk, Boston, MA ∙ Andrea Lebed, Boston, MA ∙ Andrew Chuma, MD, Downingtown, PA ∙ Andrew Fedynsky, Cleveland, OH ∙ Andrew Ignatov, Senior Data Analyst, Vancouver, BC ∙ Andrew Klufas, Medical Student at Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA ∙ Andrew Ripecky, Psychiatrist, Department of Veterans Affairs, Chicago, IL ∙ Andrij Harasewych, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Andrij W. Chornodolsky, Educator, Timonium, MD ∙ Andriy Katyukha, Mississauga, ON ∙ Andriy Nahachewsky, Chair Emeritus, University of Alberta, Edmonton ∙ Andy Cottrell, Activist, Toronto, ON ∙ Angelina Smolynec, Montreal, QC ∙ Anita Tuz, Mississauga, ON ∙ Ann Genyk, Mississauga, ON ∙ Ann Jaskiw, Cleveland, OH ∙ Anna Hrabovsky, New York, NY ∙ Anna Lawrence, Musician, Educator, Fords, NJ ∙ Anna Pidgorna, Composer, Princeton, NJ &New Westminster, BC ∙ Anna Teskey, Toronto, ON ∙ Anna Vozna, PhD Candidate, Vancouver, BC ∙ Anton Guz, Toronto, ON ∙ Anya Archer, Toronto, ON ∙ Anya Maziak, Chicago, IL ∙ Anya Nirschl, Pennsylvania, USA ∙ Ariadna Gula, Ottawa, ON ∙ Artem Luhovy, MD, MBA, Westmount, QC ∙ Ashley Halko-Addley, Edmonton, AB ∙ Askold S. Lozynskyj, Attorney, New York, NY ∙ Barbara Melnik Carson, Artist, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Betty Roytburd, Artist, New York ∙ Billy Boyko, Tractor Technician, Port Credit, Ontario ∙ Bohdan A Oryshkevich, North Carolina, USA ∙ Bohdan Kordan, Saskatoon, SK ∙ Bohdan Pechenyak, Writer and Researcher, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Bohdan Porytko, Chef/Owner, Denver, CO ∙ Bohdana Smyrnova, Filmmaker, New York, NY ∙ Borys Frankewycz, Surgeon, Regensburg, Germany ∙ Breanne Oryschak, Ottawa, ON ∙ Brian Dolphin, Musician and Ethnomusicologist, Virginia and New York, USA ∙ Brittany Boyko, Edmonton, AB ∙ Carissa Klopoushak, Violinist, Musician, Ottawa, Canada ∙ Cassandra Kaminski, Yellowknife, NT ∙ Cassandra Yacynowych, Toronto, ON ∙ Catherine Dudun, Master’s Student, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL ∙ Chase Gargus, Student, Victoria, BC ∙ Chris Krochak, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Christina Crowe, Toronto, ON ∙ Christina Deychakiwsky, Brighton, MI ∙ Christina Gluch, West Hartford, CT ∙ Christina Hlutkowsky, Pittsburgh, PA ∙ Christina Iwasykiw, Toronto, ON ∙ Christina Kozak, Actor, Artist, Performer, Toronto, ON ∙ Christina Kudryk, Artist, Toronto, ON ∙ Christina Olenych, Toronto, ON ∙ Christina Paschyn, Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker, Parma OH ∙ Christine Czechut Machiedo, MD, Fair Haven, NJ ∙ Christine Fedynsky, Cleveland, OH ∙ Christine Hayda, Educator, Chicago, IL ∙ Chrystyna Dusanowskyj, Educator, Toronto, ON ∙ Chrystyna Tsuvanyk, Kerhonkson, NY ∙ Conner Hladun, Lockport, MB ∙ Corey Rakowsky, Bloomfield, NJ ∙ Cristina Zalucky, Software Engineer, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Dali Kapanadze, science student, Halifax, NS ∙ Damian Kolodiy, New York, NY ∙ Dana Bagan, Toronto, ON ∙ Dana Kurylyk, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Danielle Kruchowy, New York, NY ∙ Danylo Centore, Seattle, WA ∙ Danylo Kuzmycz, Seattle, WA ∙ Danylo Spolsky, Toronto, ON ∙ Daria Antoszko, Edmonton, AB ∙ Daria Eldridge, Stanford University CA ∙ Daria Juergensen, Cheshire, CT ∙ Daria Massimilla, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Darian J. Martyniuk, Chicago, IL ∙ Darya Naumova, Medical Student, McGill University, Montreal, QC ∙ David Demchuk, writer, Toronto, ON ∙ Dayna Konopelny, Toronto, ON ∙ Deanna Lewycky, DeWitt, MI ∙ Deanna Rakowsky, San Francisco, CA ∙ Debra Spolski, San Jose, CA ∙ Demas Nesterenko, Legislative & Policy Manager, Seattle, WA ∙ Devon Sereda Goldie, University of Victoria, BC, Canada ∙ Diana L Gavrykh, Student, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA ∙ Diana Prodan, Digital and Content Marketing Manager, Cleveland, OH ∙ Diko Shoturma, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Dmitry Lytov, IT support specialist, Ottawa, ON ∙ Donna Koziak, Edmonton, AB ∙ Dora Chomiak, New York, NY ∙ Dora Salaban Horbachevska, Silver Spring MD ∙ Dora Shoturma, Educator- Language Instruction, M.Ed, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Dorian Yurchuk, Mount Tabor, NJ ∙ Elias Hayda, Chicago, IL ∙ Elizabeth Archer, Chicago, IL ∙ Elizabeth Kobylecky, Toronto, ON ∙ Elyse Dzenick, Edmonton, AB ∙ Emily Belke, Edmonton, AB ∙ Emily Channell-Justice, Program Director, Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, Cambridge, MA ∙ Esther Fyk, Dauphin, MB ∙ Eugene Bondarenko, Lecturer University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Eugene Lakinsky, Gatineau, QC ∙ Eugene Surdutovich, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Euphrozinia Martin, New York, NY ∙ Evan McIntyre, Digital Marketing and Video Professional, Wayne, PA ∙ Evgenia Bodak, American Studies Student, Leipzig, Germany ∙ Francesca O’Hern, Writer, Los Angeles, CA ∙ Galyna Kaiser, Colorado, USA ∙ Ganna Rotova, Montreal, QC ∙ Ganna Sobolevska, Los Angeles, CA ∙ George Hupka, Saskatoon ∙ Ghilaine Bouadana, New York, NY ∙ Grace Mahoney, Fulbright Ukraine Research Fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Halina Konowal, Fort Collins, Colorado ∙ Halyna Chomiak, Naples, FL ∙ Halyna Zalucky, Professor and Sustainability Consultant, Toronto, ON ∙ Hanna Markewycz, Chicago, IL ∙ Hannah Gitlin, Chicago, IL ∙ Iaroslav Kovalchuk, PhD student, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB ∙ Igor Feldman, Computational Biologist, Boston, MA ∙ Ihor Ilnyckyj, Toronto, ON ∙ Illarion Shulakewych, CEO, Edmonton, AB ∙ Illya Mykytyn, Den Haag, Netherlands ∙ Ilona Umanets, Government Human Resources Consultant, Toronto, ON ∙ Inga Bekbudova, Toronto, ON ∙ Inna Hambal, New York, NY ∙ Ira Lupu, New York, NY ∙ Irena Mikhalyuk, Clinical Psychology PhD Student, Stonington, CT ∙ Irenaeus Yurchuk, Livingston, NJ ∙ Irene Bojczuk, Delaware, USA ∙ Irene Kisil, Toronto, ON ∙ Irene Kytasty Kuzma, Educator, Hartford CT ∙ Irene Mokra, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Irene Traska, Baltimore, MD ∙ Irina Bondarenko, Biostatistician, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Iryna Buczkowski, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Iryna Halaway, Marketing Project Manager, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Iryna Khan, Financial Analyst, New Jersey, USA ∙ Iryna Mahlay, Cleveland, OH ∙ Iryna Voloshyna, PhD Candidate, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN ∙ Ivan Dusanowskyj, Toronto ON ∙ Ivan Wolansky, New York, NY ∙ Ivana Staiti, Oakland, CA ∙ Ivanka Peleschuk, New York, NY ∙ Ivanka Siolkowsky, Business owner, Toronto, ON ∙ Ivanka Sochocky, Toronto, ON ∙ Jars Balan, Edmonton, Alberta ∙ Jennifer Carroll, Durham, NC ∙ Jennifer Stadnik, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Jessica Zychowicz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Edmonton, ON ∙ Jillian Shaigec, Alberta, Canada ∙ Jocelyn Sakal Froese, Contract Faculty, Wilfrid Laurier University, Hamilton, ON ∙ John Vsetecka, PhD Candidate, Michigan State University, Michigan ∙ John-Paul Himka, Historian, Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB ∙ Jordan Zawada, Alberta, Canada ∙ Julia Ellings, Washington, DC ∙ Julia Hontaruk-Levko, Student, Yale University, New Haven, CT ∙ Julia Kharchenko, Seattle, WA ∙ Julia Khodor Beloborodov, Boston, MA ∙ Julia Metelitsa, Toronto, ON ∙ Julia Tsvyakh, Medical Student, Old Bethpage, NY ∙ Julian Hayda, Chicago, IL ∙ Julian Kytasty, Musician, New York, NY ∙ Justin Tse, PhD, Richmond, BC ∙ Kaitlyn Tyschenko, Toronto, ON ∙ Kalyna Durbak, Kirkland, WA ∙ Kalyna Macko, Cedar Grove, NJ ∙ Kalyna Melnyk, Queens, NY ∙ Kalyna Somchynsky, MA Student, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB ∙ Kassandra Luciuk, PhD Candidate, University of Toronto, ON ∙ Kate Balacki Gardner, Carlisle, PA ∙ Kate Woloszyn, Queens, NY ∙ Kateryna Paliukh, Victoria, BC ∙ Kateryna Yarema Simic, Cleveland, OH ∙ Katherine Dobosh, New York, NY ∙ Katherine Pokorny, Chicago, IL ∙ Katherine Tuz Rapita, Burlington, ON ∙ Kathie Doliszny, Kingston, ON, Canada ∙ Kathryn David, PhD Candidate, New York, NY ∙ Katia Bohachevsky Chapin, High School student, New York, NY ∙ Katie Pawluk, Musician, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Katja Pylyshenko Kolcio, Associate Professor, Wesleyan University, Higganum, CT ∙ Katria Tomko, Historical Justice & Reconciliation Researcher and Open Contracting Officer, The Hague NL ∙ Katya Vasilaky, Assistant Professor, California Polytechnic State University, California ∙ Kelsey Kendrick, Edmonton, AB ∙ Ken Gregory, Artist, Winnipeg, MN ∙ Kevin Baron, Alberta, Canada ∙ Kim Hula-Hetu, Edmonton, AB ∙ Krista Figacz, Los Angeles, CA ∙ Ksenia Chatten, Hamilton, ON ∙ Ksenia Kolcio, Seattle, WA ∙ Ksenia Kuzmycz, Venice, FL ∙ Ksenia Roshchakovsky, Cleveland Heights, Ohio ∙ Ksenia Strockyj, Philadelphia, PA USA ∙ Kusia Hreshchyshyn, Berkeley, CA ∙ Kusia Hreshchyshyn, Berkeley, CA ∙ Laada Bilaniuk, Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA ∙ Lana Denysyk, Copenhagen, Denmark & New York, USA ∙ Lana Krys, Chair of Ukrainian Studies, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB ∙ Lanya Trypupenko, New York, NY ∙ Larisa Hayduk, Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre Director, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB ∙ Larissa Babij, Translator and Writer, Kyiv, Ukraine ∙ Larissa Klufas, Seekonk, MA ∙ Larissa Kosmos, Cleveland, OH ∙ Larissa Momryk, Toronto, ON ∙ Larissa Petriw, MD, Edmonton, AB ∙ Larissa Raphael, Museum Educator, New Jersey, USA ∙ Larissa Rozdzilski, Toronto, ON ∙ Larissa Stavroff, Cultural Worker, Toronto, ON ∙ Larissa Szyszka, Oakland, CA ∙ Larissa Woryk, PhD Candidate, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Larry Gregan, Winnipeg, MB ∙ Larysa Droczak, Hoboken, NJ ∙ Larysa Hrabowych, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Larysa Ihnatowycz, Toronto, ON ∙ Larysa Martyniuk, Colorado, USA ∙ Laryssa Czebiniak, Astoria, NY ∙ Laryssa Horodysky, Boston, MA ∙ Laryssa Liteplo, Registered Nurse, Rio Rancho, NM ∙ Laryssa Spolsky, Toronto, ON ∙ Laryssa Tarnowecky, Kingston Ontario ∙ Leah Batstone, New York, NY ∙ Lecia Bushak, New York City, NY ∙ Leo Dorozynsky, MD, Pennsylvania, USA ∙ Lesia Mahlay, Broadview Heights, OH ∙ Lesya Zappernick, Cleveland, OH ∙ Lianne Chapin, Student, Manhattan, NY ∙ Lila Dlaboha, New York, NY ∙ Lila Hrabowych, Brookline, MA ∙ Linda Mudlo, San Diego, CA ∙ Ljubomirka Bilenjkij, Architect, Los Angeles, CA ∙ Luca Iwasykiw, New York, NY ∙ Luda Anastazievsky, Educator, St.Paul, MN ∙ Luda Pawliw, Graphic Designer, Toronto, Ontario ∙ Ludmilla Rowinsky, Parma, Ohio ∙ Lydia Cairns, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Lydia Tomkiw, New York, NY ∙ Lyudmyla Buriy, Lynnwood, WA ∙ Mackenzie Hammer, Student, Edmonton, AB ∙ Maksym Planeta, Dresden, Germany ∙ Mantycz Toboggan, MD, Gynecology, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Maria Brandriff, Hamden, CT ∙ Maria Halovych, Makeup Artist, New York, NY ∙ Maria Hewko, Chicago, IL and Paris, France ∙ Maria Mayerchyk, Visiting Scholar, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB ∙ Maria Pleshkevich, New York, NY ∙ Maria Proskurenko, Seattle, WA ∙ Maria Sonevytsky, Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley CA ∙ Maria Truchan-Tataryn, Waterloo, Ontario ∙ Mariia Zadvorna, Halifax ∙ Marika Kuzma, Professor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley, Madison, CT ∙ Marika Olijar, Student, University of Pittsburgh, PA ∙ Marina Lavrow, Gatineau, QC ∙ Mario Morello, Toronto, ON ∙ Mariya Lesiv, Associate Professor, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL ∙ Mark Kosmos, Landscape Architect, Eugene Oregon ∙ Mark Marczyk, Musician, producer, Toronto, ON ∙ Markian Blazejowskyj, Hartford, CT ∙ Markian Dobczansky, Historian and translator, St. Louis, MO ∙ Markian Dziuk, Nashville, TN ∙ Markian Kuzmowycz, 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Kuzma, Student, Glastonbury, CT ∙ Maya Ripecky, Seattle, WA ∙ Mayhill Fowler , Associate Professor, Stetson University, Deland, FL ∙ Meka Chuma, New Hope, PA ∙ Melania Cybriwsky Meleney, Cambridge, MA ∙ Melania Wowk , Bridgewater, NJ ∙ Melanie Glubisz, Chicago, IL ∙ Melanie Melnyk, Toronto, ON ∙ Michael Boss, Winnipeg, Manitoba ∙ Michael Fedynsky, Washington, DC ∙ Michael Stecyk, Shaker Heights, OH ∙ Michael Szubelak, Toronto, ON ∙ Michaela Yarmol-Matusiak, Toronto, ON ∙ Michele Huston, Kamloops, BC ∙ Michelle Loughery, Vernon BC ∙ Motria Caudill, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago, IL ∙ Motria Mielnik, Toronto, ON ∙ Motria Shuhan, Waldorf Early Childhood Educator, Accord, NY ∙ Mykhailo Mykolaichuk, Automation Engineer, San Francisco, CA ∙ Mykola Pyskir, Music Teacher, Toronto, Canada ∙ Myrna Kostash, Writer, Edmonton AB ∙ Myroslav Ilyniak, Toronto, ON ∙ Myroslava Tataryn, Ottawa, Canada ∙ Myroslaw Bytz, Jr., New York, NY ∙ Nadia Demko MD, MSc, Westmount, QC ∙ Nadia Demko, Montreal, QC ∙ Nadia Haftkowycz, Retired School Psychologist, Wethersfield, CT ∙ Nadia Luciuk, Kingston, ON ∙ Nadia Tarnawsky, Cleveland, OH ∙ Nadia Zychal, Milford, DE ∙ Nadya Oneschuk, Saskatoon, SK ∙ Natalia Chumak, Toronto, ON ∙ Natalia DeLaGuardia, Atlanta, GA ∙ Natalia Holubec, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Vermont, USA ∙ Natalia Nikitchyuk, Sandy Hook, CT ∙ Natalia Pylypyszyn, Math teacher, Newington, CT ∙ Natalia Ripeckyj, MSW, Social Worker, Wisconsin, USA ∙ Natalia Stepaniuk, Ottawa ∙ Natalie Babij, Bolton, VT ∙ Natalie Bilkic, Oakville, ON ∙ Natalie Galpern, Ridgewood, NY ∙ Natalie Holubec, Seattle, WA ∙ Natalie Krupa, Montreal, QC ∙ Natalie Oshukany, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Natalie Semotiuk, Toronto, ON ∙ Natalie Strouse, Bay Village, OH ∙ Natalie Wilson , Toronto, ON ∙ Nataliya Datskiv, Lynnwood, WA ∙ Natalka Haras, Montreal, QC ∙ Natalka Lazar, Washington, DC ∙ Natalya Krawczuk-Wells, Maryland, USA ∙ Nazary Nebeluk, PhD, Medical Student at LSUHSC-New Orleans, LA ∙ Nestor Lewyckyj, Retired, Quebec, Canada ∙ Nestor Olesnycky, Attorney at Law and Retired Judge, Venice, FL ∙ Nestor Voronka, Seattle, WA ∙ Nick Hladio, Student at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA ∙ Nina Cairns, Project Associate, CRDF Global, Arlington, VA ∙ Nina Fontana, Washington, DC. ∙ Nykola Dovgyy, Saskatoon SK ∙ Odarka Stockert, Harpist, Poet, Inventor, New Jersey ∙ Oksana Doubrovski, Medical Student, Detroit, MI ∙ Oksana Falenchuk, New York, NY ∙ Oksana Hawrylak, Visual artist and Designer, Toronto, ON ∙ Oksana Kuryliw, PhD, Educator, Toronto, ON ∙ Oksana Mikhalyuk, Wethersfield, CT ∙ Oksana Pyzik, Global Engagement Lead & Senior Teaching Fellow, University College London, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, UK ∙ Oksana Sokolyk, Media Editor, Toronto, ON ∙ Oksana V. Posa, Charlevoix, MI ∙ Oleh Kolodiy, Associate Professor, Kean University, Maplewood, NJ ∙ Oleh Shemetov, Kharkiv, Ukraine ∙ Olena Boyko, Urbanna, VA ∙ Olena Hrynkiw, Student, Toronto ON ∙ Olena Lymar, Registered Nurse, Chicago, IL ∙ Olena Mishchuk, Assistant Professor, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Olena Nyzhnykevych, Seattle, WA ∙ Olena Urbanowicz, Mississauga, ON ∙ Olenka Kleban, Mouldmaker & Sculptor, Berkeley CA ∙ Olenka Laschuk, Toronto ON ∙ Olenka Makarushka-Kolodiy, Educator, Maplewood, NJ ∙ Olenka Olesnycky, Long Island, NY ∙ Olenka Tytla, Metuchen, NJ ∙ Olesia Fedynsky, Washington, DC ∙ Olesia Pritchard, Virginia, USA ∙ Olga Kovalenko, Mental Health Worker, Victoria, BC ∙ Olga Onuch, Associate Professor in Politics, Manchester, UK ∙ Olga Shcherbyna, Vancouver, BC ∙ Olha Medytska, New York ∙ Olya Buriy, Lynnwood, WA ∙ Olya Rozvadovska, Packaging Engineer, Connecticut, USA ∙ Orest Holubec, Seattle, WA ∙ Orest Mahlay, Student, Georgetown University, Washington DC ∙ Orysia Marciuk, London, UK ∙ Oxana Shevel, Associate Professor, Tufts University, Medford, MA ∙ Oxana Tryndiak, Toronto, ON ∙ Paul de Vassal, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Paul Hadzewycz, College Park, MD ∙ Paul Jarymowycz, Engineer, Kingston ON ∙ Pavlo Ponikarovskyi, Vancouver, BC ∙ Peter Maziak, UX Designer, Los Angeles ∙ Peter Smilsky, Toronto, ON ∙ Petra Wrzesnewskyj, Toronto, ON ∙ Protodeacon Ihor Mahlay, Dentist, Broadview Hts., Ohio ∙ Quinn Moroz, Selkirk, MB ∙ Rachel Lin, Bellevue, WA ∙ Renata Uzzell, Bloomington, IN ∙ Rev. Deacon Thomas Stadnik, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Rev. Karen Stepko, Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church, Rhein, SK ∙ Rev. Michael Perry, Pastor Emeritus, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Rev. Myroslav Tataryn, Pastor and Professor Emeritus, Waterloo, ON ∙ Rev. Taras Dusanowskyj, Scarborough, ON ∙ Roksolana Hovdey, Data Analyst, Toronto, ON ∙ Roma M. Hayda, Providence, RI ∙ Roma Romaniv, New York, USA ∙ Roman Cybriwsky, Professor Emeritus. Temple University, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Roman Hrab, Studio Arts Director, Bard College, New York, USA ∙ Roman Traska, Baltimore, MD ∙ Roman Zelichenko, Queens, NY ∙ Romaniya Voloshchuk, Researcher, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD ∙ Romanna Romaniv, Banker, New York, USA ∙ Rostyslav Boykowycz, Architect, Retired Professor, Pittsburgh PA ∙ Roxolana Wynar, Arlington, VA ∙ Roxolyana Shepko-Hamilton, UX/UI and Graphic Designer, Mississauga, ON ∙ Roxy Toporowych, Filmmaker, New York, NY ∙ Ruslana Westerlund, EdD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA ∙ Ruta Odulak, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON ∙ Ruta Ripecky, Chicago, IL ∙ Ruth Shamraj, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Ryan Boyko, Filmmaker, Toronto, ON ∙ Sandra Joy Russell, PhD Candidate, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Northampton, MA ∙ Sandra Semchuk, Artist, Vancouver, BC ∙ Sean Moir, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Sergiy Ilyenko, Markham ON ∙ Serhiy Bilenky, Historian, Toronto, ON ∙ Sofia Kuczer, Madison Heights, MI ∙ Sofia Zunt, Cleveland, OH ∙ Sofiya Hutsal, Student, St. Paul, MN ∙ Sofiya Kominko, Vancouver ∙ Sofiya Yusypovych, Toronto, ON ∙ Solomea Khtey, Renton, WA ∙ Solomiya Moroz, musician and composer, Montreal, QC ∙ Sonia Geba, The Fulbright Program, Sparta, NJ ∙ Sonia Mickevicius, Toronto, ON ∙ Sonya Bilocerkowycz, Writer and Educator, Geneseo, NY ∙ Sonya Hlutkowsky Soutus, Consultant, Kyiv, Ukraine ∙ Sophia Fedachtchin, Chicago, IL ∙ Sophia Ilyniak, Researcher, Totonto, ON ∙ Sophia Ratevosian, Student, Toronto, MD ∙ Sophie Lazar, Fulbright Fellow to Ukraine 2016-2017, Boston MA ∙ Sophie Lewycky, Toronto, ON ∙ Stefan Glut, New Jersey, USA ∙ Stefan Opryshko, Toronto, ON ∙ Stefan Palylyk, New York, NY ∙ Stefan Zeniuk, Musician and Animator, Brooklyn, NY ∙ Stephan J. Welhasch, Santa Fe, NM ∙ Stephan Kolodiy, Maplewood, NJ ∙ Stephan Woloshyn, Toronto, ON ∙ Stephania Woloshyn, Performer, Designer, Toronto, ON ∙ Stephanie Matys, Marketing Specialist, Toronto, ON ∙ Stephanie Nedoshytko, JD Candidate, Ottawa ON ∙ Stephanie Slysh Simmons, Marietta, GA ∙ Stephanie Turenko, Toronto, ON ∙ Stephen Horoff, Columbia, MD ∙ Steve Makohin, Consultant, Oakville, ON ∙ Steven Lebed, Toronto, ON ∙ Steven Maksymowych, New Jersey, USA ∙ Stysia Baczynsky Reay, Toronto, Ontario ∙ Summer Fields, Community Engagement Manager, Chicago, IL ∙ Suzanna Zak, Artist, New York, NY ∙ Svitlana Kochman, Copywriter and Screenwriter, Chicago, IL ∙ Taisa Hewka, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Taisa Kulyk, Student, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA ∙ Taisa Mysakowec, Student, Toronto, ON ∙ Talka Tsuvanyk, Teacher, Kerhonkson, NY ∙ Tamara Kozyckyj, Chicago, IL ∙ Tamara Romanchuk, Artistic Director, Toronto, ON ∙ Tamara Soltykevych, Edmonton, ON ∙ Tamara Tershakovec, Connecticut, USA ∙ Tania Charchalis, Baltimore, MD ∙ Tania Chomiak-Salvi, Washington DC ∙ Tania Jachens, Auckland, New Zealand ∙ Tania Smyk, Artist and Student, Detroit, MI ∙ Tania Strilets, Edmonton, AB ∙ Tanya Bednarczyk, Montreal, QC ∙ Tanya Brown, Seattle, WA ∙ Tanya Dimitrijevic-Semenowycz, Institutional Services Worker, Toronto ON ∙ Tanya Richardson, Guelph, ON ∙ Taras Gula, College Professor, Toronto, Canada ∙ Taras Kachkowski, Prince Albert, SK ∙ Taras Nebesnyy, Chicago IL ∙ Taras Szmagala, Jr., Cleveland, OH ∙ Tatiana Mamalyga, Toronto, ON ∙ Tatiana Serafin, Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY ∙ Taya Hnateyko, New York, NY ∙ Teresa Woryk, Ann Arbor, MI ∙ Terry Harasym, Mississauga, ON ∙ Teryn Kuzma, Musician, Hartford CT ∙ Teya Lucyshyn, East Aurora, New York ∙ Tonia Murphy, Annapolis, MD ∙ Tymofij Luciv, Chicago, IL ∙ Tyn Soltys, Toronto, ON ∙ Ulana Dubas, Philadelphia, PA ∙ Ulana M. 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July 15 Nashi Predky at Home: Introduction to Archives, with Dr. Michael July 19- Teenage Conference, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Online Andrec, Ukrainian History and Education Center, 732-356-0132 August 1 U.S.A. – Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, or online registration at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/ Online www.uocyouth.org 6093733542636524047 July 27 Ukrainian Dance Intensive instruction, in two one-week July 18 Ukrainian Bread-Making Online, with Jonathan Hejnal, Ukrainian through sessions, Iskra Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Academy, Online History and Education Center, 732-356-0132 or [email protected] August 7 Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey, Whippany, NJ http://iskradance.weebly.com July 19 Children’s online workshop, “Crafts for Kids: Tree of Life,” Online Ukrainian History and Education Center, www.ukrhec.org or [email protected] Entries in “Out and About” are listed free of charge. Priority is given to events July 19 Fund-raising Concert, Ukrainian American Cultural Center of advertised in The Ukrainian Weekly. However, we also welcome submissions Online New Jersey, hosting on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube. from all our readers. Items will be published at the discretion of the editors https://www.facebook.com/UACCNJ and as space allows. Please send e-mail to [email protected].

Bandura Hangouts are announced for summer 2020

by Mykola Deychakiwsky And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. rich”). The time and place of the “Zustrich” Sadly, one by one, each camp had to be can- will depend on the pandemic situation, but DETROIT – Starting last fall, the four celled due to health and safety concerns. when it happens it will give bandurists, North American summer bandura camps The camps were due to run from late June especially young ones, a much-desired began to work together in service of their through the end of August. Nonetheless, opportunity to get together in person. common mission to sustain and advance the NABCAMCOM continued to “zoom” Activities will be in 30- to 40-minute bandura music on this continent. Leaders with a firm determination to keep the segments and will include both individual of Bandura@Bobriwka (Colebrook, Conn.), momentum going and to offer would-be and group instruction, demonstrations, ODUM Bandura Camp (London, Ontario, in bandura campers an opportunity to engage topic lectures, vocal coaching sessions, the past, but this year’s venue was to be with bandura music and with each other mini-performances and some surprise fun Brighton, Mich.), Kobzarska Sich (Emlenton, this summer. activities. Unfortunately, the workshop will Pa.) and Litnia Zustrich (Hawkestone, And so – the NABCAMCOM is pleased to not be able to accommodate those who Ontario) first convened in person in October announced that Bandura Hangouts: A have never played before, but it will be 2019, and then held periodic conference Virtual Workshop will take place this sum- open to bandurists of all levels ranging calls on how they could cooperate, in partic- mer between July 13 and August 7. from novice to advanced. ular on marketing and programming. Two or three learning activities per day While not a substitute for a full-fledged The people engaged in the irreverently- will take place in the afternoons and early bandura camp, Bandura Hangouts will The Bandura Hangouts logo. named NABCAMCOM (North American evenings on weekdays on a Google allow bandura students to continue to Bandura Camps Committee) are also lead- Hangouts platform, run by qualified instruc- learn over the summer, advance their and stipends for those instructors who, in the ing members of bandura groups that spon- tors and activity leaders, primarily those knowledge, and maintain a connection with current poor economy, could use financial sor the camps – namely, the Ukrainian who have been teaching at bandura camps. Ukrainian music, bandura and their bandu- support, readers may go to www. Bandurist Chorus of North America, the Participants will be required to attend at ra-playing peers. BanduraHangouts.com/about-us. We will Women’s Bandura Ensemble of North least 50 percent of all activities in order to More information about registration and greatly appreciate your interest and support. America, the Canadian Bandurist Capella earn a certificate of completion and be eli- the schedule can be found on www. and Zoloti Struny – as well as representa- gible to perform in what is hoped to be a BanduraHangouts.com. To become a spon- Mykola Deychakiwsky is affiliated with tives of ODUM. Fall or Winter Bandura Gathering (“Zust­ sor, or donate to support administrative costs the Detroit School of Bandura.

mine through the government-approval President Zelenskyy and dismissed in the blog: “this insecurity has been cleverly UCC holds... channels. March after what he believed to be his torqued and exploited by Zelenskyy’s oligar- (Continued from page 3) However, Mr. Waschuk warned that for- refusal “to sign off on charges against chic electoral enabler, Ihor Kolomoisky, and eign investors could also be scared off by Poroshenko that he dismissed as ‘trash.’ ” Yanukovych-era legal affairs chief Andriy the Ukrainian reform framework is intend- what appears to be the politically motivat- These were detailed in a recent Portnov in order to settle old scores.” ed to not only “create sufficient precondi- ed prosecution of former Ukrainian UkraineAlert blog on the Atlantic Council’s During the UCC-led webinar, the veteran tions for individual citizens, but also [for] President Petro Poroshenko, who appeared website. Mr. Waschuk is quoted there as Canadian diplomat said that “payback time private-sector actors from within Ukraine in court on June 18 for a pretrial hearing on saying that the raft of charges targeting Mr. for them is bad news for the country as a and outside Ukraine to be able to do busi- charges related to alleged abuse of office Poroshenko “reflect an unfortunate insecu- whole.” ness.” during his time in office. rity” by President Zelenskyy despite his The virtual conference on Ukrainian He referred to President Zelenskyy’s July The former Canadian ambassador cited “crushing election victory” last year “and reform is archived on the UCC’s website: 3, 2019, speech to the Economic Club in comments made by Ruslan Riaboshapka, his continuing opinion-poll dominance.” https://ucc.ca/2020/06/11/ukraine- Toronto in which Ukraine’s head of state the first prosecutor general appointed by Mr. Waschuk referenced what he said in reform-conference-one-year-later/. promoted investment in Ukraine – and mentioned a Canadian publicly listed com- pany, Black Iron, Inc., which has spent a tary intelligence officer and retired colonel Russia, Mr. Girkin, Leonid Kharchenko of decade trying to get an iron ore mine up Turning... of the Main Intelligence Directorate (known Ukraine and Oleg Pulatov of Russia. The and running near Kryvyi Rih, the presi- (Continued from page 6) by its Russian acronym GRU), wrote via suspects are being tried in absentia, and dent’s hometown. Vkontakte: “In the vicinity of Torez, we just Mr. Pulatov is the only suspect being rep- Last November, the Toronto-based com- self-styled first vice-premier of the so- downed a plane, an AN-26. It is lying some- resented by lawyers, as the other suspects pany signed a memorandum of under- called Donetsk “people’s republic,” claimed where in the Progress Mine. We have have not sent any representation. A judge standing with Ukraine’s Ministry of that the separatists did not possess weap- issued warnings not to fly in our airspace. in the case accepted a defense request to Defense to use some of the government- ons capable of reaching targets at an alti- We have video confirming. The bird fell on investigate alternative theories of the ter- owned land, currently used for military tude above 10,000 meters. a waste heap. Residential areas were not rorist act. training, for the $1.1-billion Shymanivske The attack on MH17 was the third such hit. Civilians were not injured.” On July 3 of this year, the court in The mining and processing plant. In exchange, event involving military hardware and air- On July 14 of that year, the U.S. State Hague ordered that defense lawyers and Black Iron would provide the ministry with planes over Ukrainian airspace since the Department released a fact sheet that stat- experts be granted access to the remains of funding to be used to build new barracks conflict erupted in the Donbas. It followed ed Washington had “no evidence that the wreckage that are being held at a Dutch and an ammunition-storage depot, accord- the downing of two jets belonging to the Russia’s support for the separatists has military base, The trial is to resume on ing to Matt Simpson, the company’s chief Ukrainian Armed Forces, an Antonov ceased.” The statement continued, “In fact, August 31. Moscow continues to deny any executive officer. AN-26 and a Sukhoi SU-25, which were we assess that Russia continues to provide involvement in the terrorist act, and inter- He said during the UCC webinar that claimed to be shot down by the Russia- them with heavy weapons, other military national investigators have rejected Russia- President Zelenskyy was personally com- controlled militants. equipment and financing, and continues to proposed explanations. mitted to the project and that Ihor Social media posts by the militants allow militants to enter Ukraine freely.” Source: “Malaysian airliner down in Zhovkva, deputy head of the Presidential claimed, soon after the downing of MH17, The investigation has now led to a trial Ukraine,” (Agence France-Presse, The New Office of Ukraine, has assumed the role of that the insurgents had shot down an air- for the suspected perpetrators, who have York Times, RFE/RL), The Ukrainian Weekly, “investment nanny” to help shepherd the craft. Igor Girkin, a suspected Russian mili- been identified as Sergei Dubinsky of July 20, 2014. 16 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 No. 28