The Ukrainian Weekly, 2018
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
INSIDE: Obituaries: Nigel Colley, Myroslav Popovych – page 4 U.S. deputy secretary of state speaks in Kyiv – page 8 New bishop of Chicago raises spirits, and funds – page 11 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXVI No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 $2.00 Facelift or farce? Polish law on Ukrainian nationalists, Volyn atrocities irks Kyiv ‘Restoration’ of palace by Mark Raczkiewycz For example, “Ivan Patryliak, whose work Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Ukrainian nationalist groups is regarded called the law “absolutely biased and cate- shocks Crimean Tatars KYIV – A controversial law in Poland as the best in Ukraine, calculates that gorically unacceptable” on his Facebook that criminalizes the implication of Poles’ 39,000-40,000 Poles and 17,000-21,000 page on February 1. He called on the Polish by Tony Wesolowsky participation in Nazi war crimes and bans Ukrainians were killed,” wrote Mr. Kuzio on side “for objectivity and dialogue.” He also RFE/RL the ideology of Ukrainian nationalism has December 1, 2017, in New Eastern Europe. sent Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko unnerved Kyiv, Washington and Jerusalem. Using one-sided language, the bill in par- with a delegation to Poland on February 16 Centuries-old oak beams ripped out Polish President Andrzej Duda signed in a failed to attempt to change and concrete poured in their place. the law on February 7 and it came into the bill’s wording. Priceless tiles removed. Murals nearly force on March 1, according to Polish daily Ukrainian President Petro If enforced, the bill could erased by high-pressure streams of newspaper Wprost. Poroshenko called the law “infringe on the rights and free- water. The bill – known as the amendment to the doms of our compatriots who These are reports from the restora- act on the Institute of National Remembrance “absolutely biased and work and live in Poland, [they tion of a 16th-century Turkic palace (known by its Polish-based acronym as IPN) categorically unacceptable.” could be] persecuted for saying near the southern tip of Russia- – makes it illegal to deny the acts of Ukrainian certain words or for their politi- occupied Crimea. nationalists in 1925-1950 towards Poles and cal beliefs,” Mr. Rozenko said in a For the Moscow-installed local specifically refers to the atrocities in Volyn ticular bans the promotion of ideology statement ahead of the trip to Poland. authorities, a firm with apparently no during World War II as “genocide.” attributed to nationalist leader Stepan Ukrainian lawmakers also passed a reso- experience in restoring historic build- An overall proportion of two Polish to Bandera who resisted Poland’s brutal “pac- lution on February 6, the day before Mr. ings seemed to be the perfect choice to one Ukrainian were killed in Volyn, stated ification” polices during the inter-war peri- Duda signed the bill, that stated they were renovate the Khan’s Palace in political scientist Taras Kuzio. Various esti- od as a leading member of the Organization “deeply concerned” that the law could Bakhchysarai, some 50 kilometers mates by Polish, American and Ukrainian of Ukrainian Nationalists. He was incarcer- “strengthen anti-Ukrainian tendencies.” southwest of the Black Sea port city of historians state that in total 30,000 to ated in a Nazi concentration camp in occu- Sevastopol. 60,000 people were killed. pied Poland for most of World War II. (Continued on page 18) Critics are shocked, warning that irreparable harm is being done at the site, which in 2013 was listed by UNESCO as a potential addition to its World Heritage List. Poroshenko aims for EU, NATO membership “The palace is threatened with los- ing its historic value. The workers have already chopped up old beams, for Ukraine in fourth public news conference used concrete on parts of the struc- by Mark Raczkiewycz ture. They are vandals. That’s not how restoration is done,” says Edem KYIV – President Petro Poroshenko Dudakov, the former head of the vouched to “anchor” European Union and Crimean Committee on Interethnic North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Relations and Deported Peoples. membership in Ukraine’s Constitution and The outrage is so deep that Kyiv has indicated he is likely to run for re-election called on UNESCO to demand that next year in his fourth news conference as Moscow abide by international norms the head of state. and avert further steps that could “During a time when anti-European cause even more irreparable damage political forces raise their heads who strive at the site, media have reported. for revenge, the amendments… could be UNESCO (the U.N. Education, insurance for any surprises and imperatives Scientific, and Cultural Organization) for the years ahead,” he said on February 28 has been tightlipped on the matter. at Kyiv’s Mystetskyi Arsenal cultural center. “At this stage, we cannot comment Regarding next year’s March 31 presi- on the very latest developments,” dential elections, Ukraine’s fifth president UNESCO spokeswoman Laetitia Kaci said that he’ll decide whether to run for re- told RFE/RL. “However, we can tell election once the campaign starts. you that the site won’t be nominated Given that he is currently in second place for inclusion in the World Heritage List in public opinion polls behind populist for- Presidential Administration of Ukraine this year.” mer Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the President Petro Poroshenko fields questions on February 28 at Kyiv’s Mystetskyi The Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysarai president said, “Ratings don’t concern me… Arsenal National Art and Culture Museum Complex during his first news conference was built in the 16th century and those who care about ratings are popu- of the year titled “Challenges 2018.” lists… I’ve never lost a political race… I am a served as a residence for a succession appear in the political landscape, he said, “Should Vakarchuk lose a presidential of Crimean Khans. The Crimean candidate.” Popular rock star Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, referring to France’s youngest president, race, he most definitely will win seats in the Khanate was a Turkic vassal state of Emmanuel Macron, who was elected last October 2019 parliamentary elections on the Ottoman Empire from 1478 to who is currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, year at age 39. the back of his popularity,” Mr. Berezovets 1774 – the longest-lived of the Turkic Development and the Rule of Law, is a Other possible candidates include said, alluding to a potential political party. khanates that succeeded the empire of potential dark horse in the race, political sci- Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, the twice former On renewing a $17.5 billion financing the Golden Horde. entist Taras Berezovets of Berta head of the Security Service of Ukraine program with the Washington-based The walled enclosure contains a Communications told The Ukrainian Weekly. (SBU), and Anatoliy Hrytsenko, a former International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Low approval ratings among all leading defense minister, according to the political (Continued on page 14) politicians leaves room for a “Macron” to consultant. (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 No. 9 ANALYSIS Russian expansion in Black and Azov seas: Naftogaz’s legal victory over Gazprom Poroshenko awards 108 servicemen Ukraine’s energy company Naftogaz says President Petro Poroshenko signed a economic consequences for Ukraine Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom decree awarding 108 servicemen with state awards, the presidential administra- and condensate. The Prykerchenska zone will have to pay it $2.56 billion after a by Ihor Kabanenko tion’s press service reported. “Some 108 holds about 321.2 bcm of gas and 126.8 Swedish court on February 28 ruled in Eurasia Daily Monitor soldiers were awarded for the personal million tons of oil and condensate; and the Naftogaz’s favor in the final stage of a long- courage and selfless actions shown during Moscow’s appetite in the Black Sea and continental slope has an estimated 766.6 running legal battle. In June 2014, Gazprom the defense of the state sovereignty and the Sea of Azov has not decreased after bcm of gas and 232.6 million tons of oil and state-owned Naftogaz lodged multibil- territorial integrity of Ukraine, exemplary Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. and condensate (RIA.ru, April 13, 2014). lion-dollar claims against each other with performance of military duty. At the same Russia has gradually advanced its pres- The estimated price of natural gas extract- the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm time, 105 military servicemen of the ence into significant areas of the exclusive ed from the continental shelf is about $50 Chamber of Commerce, which resolves Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded maritime economic zone of Ukraine, per thousand cubic meters (Neftegaz.ru, commercial disputes. The latest ruling, with high state awards, 43 of them posthu- which, in accordance with international May 15, 2014). The success rate of geolog- which concludes the legal dispute, dealt mously. Some 62 wounded soldiers, along law, is subject to the sovereign rights of ical exploration in the Ukrainian continen- with Naftogaz’s claims that it was owed with one wounded soldier of the National Ukraine. This expansion aims to establish compensation for Gazprom not sending a tal shelf reaches 0.5-0.6, while the average Guard of Ukraine were awarded, while two control over critical maritime areas and world index is 0.3 (Informat.com.ua, July certain amount of gas annually via Ukraine and paying too little for the gas that did employees of the Ukrainian Internal Affairs transport communications nodes. 20, 2017). Consequently, Ukraine’s sea Ministry were posthumously granted deco- In violation of the U.N.