• www.promoteukraine.org • Promote Ukraine • Промоут Юкрейн • #BUR5 • @PromoteUkraine 1 PREDATORY PEACEKEEPING. INSTEAD OF SETTLING CONFLICTS, RUSSIA FREEZES THEM IN ITS OWN INTERESTS GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE ANKA FELDHUSEN: “CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS IS AN EYE-OPENER FOR ZELENSKY” MEP JERZY BUZEK: “FURTHER REFORMS ARE A PRECONDITION FOR UKRAINE’S SUCCESS IN THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL” WHAT DO UKRAINIAN BUSINESSES EXPECT FROM THE UNPREDICTABLE 2021? #STOPRUSSIANBRUTALITY DECEMBER-JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 Brussels Ukraїna Review Brussels Ukraїna Review Огляд Україна Брюссель Edition – 1 February 2021 Journal is published in Ukrainian EDITOR’S and English Оnline: FOREWORD www.promoteukraine.org Publisher: NGO “Promote Ukraine” elcome to Business Association executive www.promoteukraine.org the Brussels director’s article, of presenta- Ukraїna Re- tions of successful ideas (“law Address: view №5! firm-boutique”) and climate pro- Velyka Zhytomyrska 33 The Christ- jects “Greening of Ukraine”). Office 611 mas and You will also find the results of Kyiv 01601 NewW Year marathon has just fin- our recent survey and “Cultural ished. It was a period of debriefing, Pages.” What are they about this Address of the attempts to forecast and program at time? Belgian NGO “Promote Ukraine”: least a foreseeable future, as well as Veldstraat 24 seeking a source of energy and in- Read, please! 1731 Relegem Belgium spiration for the next 365 days. ISSN 2736-4224 The same is with this issue, Marta Barandiy which begins with the analysis Email: of 2020: local elections, the chal- [email protected] lenges of the pandemic, the con- stitutional crisis in Ukraine. Then Editor-in-chief: follows a series of materials that Marta Barandiy resonate with the events in Rus- sia over the detention of Alexei Editors: Navalny: about the Crimea, about Evhenia Kolomiyets-Ludwig Russia’s relations with the Euro- Natalia Richardson pean Union, about conflicts and Illustrations and page making: sanctions. Anna Chernysh-Poltoratska About the future: the best es- cape from any trouble is work. Journal “Brussels Ukraїna Review” Business. Business in Ukraine. is distributed free of charge among Business in the EU. Business in researchers, experts, opinion leaders, Ukraine and the EU. That is the government officials and politicians leitmotif of several interviews of Ukraine and the European Union. (with the Ambassador of Germa- Reproduction of the materials of the Journal ny in Ukraine, with the head of is permitted only with the reference to Office UkraineInvest, with MEP the Journal. Opinions and other content Jerzy Buzek), of the European published by the authors in the Journal, do not necessarily reflect the position of the Board of Editors. Author is solely responsible for the content of the material he/she provides. Author is only responsible for the material, provided in the original language. Translation of the materials is made by a third party on the request of the Publisher. The Publisher is not responsible for the goods and services, advertised within the publication. Photos are from open sources. #BUR5 • @PromoteUkraine 2 • Brussels Ukraïna Review • www.promoteukraine.org • • www.promoteukraine.org • Promote Ukraine • Промоут Юкрейн • #BUR5 • @PromoteUkraine 3 02 Editor`s Foreword RUSSIAN AGRESSION EDITOR’S GREEN ENERGY. FIVE MOMENTS OF 2020 32 Predatory peacekeeping. INTERROGATION FOREWORD Instead of settling conflicts, 04 Fight against COVID-19 Russia freezes them in its own 62 Report on the online survey Taras Kozub interests results about the attitude Stepan Nazarenko of the ukrainian population 08 Constitutional crisis to renewable energy (clean in Ukraine RUSSIA. SANCTIONS energy), green economy and our personal impact on the PROMOTHOUGHT FROM 36 “European Union’s teeth” protection of the environment SUSHCHENKO on Ukraine’s service by means of sustainable Leonid Shvets energy sources 12 About local elections Prepared by Evhenia Kolomiyets- Roman Sushchenko BUSINESS. INTERVIEW Ludwig INTERVIEW 40 Sergiy Tsivkach: “Investors CIVIL SOCIETY. CLIMATE have not lost interest in Ukraine 14 German Ambassador to during the pandemic” 70 The Ukrainian collective Ukraine Anka Feldhusen: success through tree planting “Constitutional crisis is an eye- BUSINESS. PROMO opener for Zelensky” CULTURAL PAGES 46 A “boutique” law firm in the CRIMEA IS UKRAINE heart of Europe 74 Svitlana Lebiga: artist who tells Europe about 20 Crimean political and 48 Starting a business in Ukraine seismic zone Ukraine: is it worth a candle? Natalia Richardson Inna Krupnyk Sergiy Alexandrov RUSSIA – EU 52 What do Ukrainian businesses expect from the 26 Now and then: assessing unpredictable 2021? COVID-19 impact on EU`s Anna Derevyanko relations with Russia Maryna Yaroshevych GREEN ENERGY. INTERVIEW 31 JOIN THE FLASHMOB 56 MEP Jerzy Buzek: “Further #STOPRUSSIANBRUTALITY reforms are a precondition for Ukraine’s success in the European Green Deal” FIVE MOMENTS OF 2020 FIVE MOMENTS OF 2020 OF 2021 UKRAINEAT THE BEGINNING THE TARAS KOZUB IS A JOURNALIST AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, AN EXPERT OF THE PLATFORM “KYIVSTRATPRO”. #BUR5 • @PromoteUkraine 4 • Brussels Ukraïna Review • www.promoteukraine.org • • www.promoteukraine.org • Promote Ukraine • Промоут Юкрейн • #BUR5 • @PromoteUkraine 5 Fight against COVID-19 Moreover, a number of quaran- n Ukraine, the fight tine-related scandals called into against COVID-19 offi- question the equality of opportunity cially began on 3 March and raised the issue of corrupt links when the first coronavi- between the government and loyal Constitutional crisis rus case was confirmed businesses. These affected func- in the Chernivtsi region. tioning of building material megas- One of the most notable events IInitially, the authorities took tores and restaurants, linked with of the year was the autumn consti- quite decisive measures, in par- government officials, amidst the tutional crisis. In late October, the ticular, by launching a broad restriction on operations of restau- Constitutional Court of Ukraine OF 2021 awareness-raising campaign rants, cafés and pubs. (CCU), responding to a motion about safety measures and cre- Despite all the measures, as of 18 submitted by the members of the ating a special fund to combat December, Ukraine ranked 17th in Opposition Platform – For Life the epidemic. As of 6 November, the world in the number of coro- faction and For the Future par- UAH 39 billion or 59% of the fund navirus cases. The situation with liamentary group, repealed the was spent. A “severe” lockdown/ hospital bed occupancy was con- article of the Criminal Code of quarantine was imposed from stantly deteriorating. There were Ukraine which criminalises false 12 March to 3 April, and then ex- no available beds in some regional information in the asset declara- tended as “adaptive” quarantine. centres, and the supply of oxygen tions. The CCU also declared un- The posts of health minister necessary for seriously ill patients constitutional the powers of the and chief state sanitary doctor was insufficient at the end of the National Agency for Prevention UKRAINEAT were, perhaps, associated with year. Prime Minister Denys Shmy- of Corruption (NAPC) to control the “amplest resources” in the hal and Health Minister Maksym and verify declarations, have country and at the same time were Stepanov were mainly blamed for round-the-clock access to the the shakiest. Almost all health- the inefficient use of funds allo- register of declarations and mon- care officials ran the risk of losing cated to fight the epidemic and itor lifestyles. That is, the NAPC their job. They had a multitude of the lack of preparatory work when was deprived of its main control troubles arising from public out- the spread rate declined from May functions. cries, such as the one that erupted to September. The money from The next day, the Agency point- due to late payments to health- THE BEGINNING THE the COVID-19 Response Fund was edly closed access to officials’ as- care workers. Doctors and jun- spent on the Great Construction set declarations for a wide range ior medical staff were promised programme to improve the road of citizens. In its commentary, 300% bonus to salaries, but not all network. the NAPC pointed out the con- of them received payments. And Poor results of the fight against flict of interest of the CCU judges. then there were the statements COVID-19 undermined the level There was indication that two CCU made by Chief State Sanitary Doc- of trust in the central govern- judges entered false information. tor Liashko about “achieving a psy- ment. As evidenced by the 15-17 Although the judges’ vote was se- chological effect” for which public November 2020 poll conducted cret, the NAPC accused these two places – parks and gardens – were by the Rating sociological group, judges of voting “for” the abolition closed for visits in the spring. Lock- 60% respondents were dissatis- of powers. In the blink of an eye, down yielded results. The rate of fied with the activities of Presi- hundreds of criminal cases be- the spread of COVID-19 in Ukraine dent Volodymyr Zelensky in this came “suspended,” in particular, was nearly the lowest among the area, and only 35% appreciated against Odesa city mayor Hennadiy European countries. But, at the his efforts. Trukhanov over embezzlement of same time, the lockdown exhaust- UAH 54 million. ed its effectiveness, which is why experts began to compare it with “a powerful weapon that can be used only once.” On 4 December, the Verk- hovna Rada restored liability