Conclusion of THE YEAR IN REVIEW pages 7-13 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXIX No. 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021 $2.00 Verkhovna Rada seeks reform of security, approval Zelenskyy sanctions pro-Kremlin lawmaker, cancels of COVID-19 vaccine, while adopting referendum law three TV channels, citing Russian propaganda by Mark Raczkiewycz verify facts or present two sides of a story.” Ms. Mendel furthermore said the chan- PUBLIC VACCINATION PLAN FOR 2021 KYIV – As the clock struck midnight on nels have “transformed into an instrument February 3, three television channels of propaganda” and that “it’s been already Category/ 2021 (month) February March April May June July August Sept. October Nov. Dec. known for their pro-Russian bias and confirmed these channels receive financing Medical staff for spreading disinformation, ceased broad- from Russia.” 367 thousand COVID-19 care casting. What appeared on TV screens were Ukraine is in its eighth year of an unde- 80+ and primary medical care 1.9 million the rainbow-colored stripes of the tuning clared war with Russia that Moscow insti- providers All other medical signal. gated in 2014 and which has killed more care providers 363 thousand It was the outcome of Volodymyr than 14,000 people and internally dis- Aged 70-79 2.9 million Zelenskyy’s presidential order from the placed over 1 million in Europe’s only previous day that approved a National ongoing bloody conflict. As of February 4, State security 640 thousand structures Security and Defense Council (NSDC) deci- four Ukrainian soldiers have been killed Aged 65-69 2.3 million sion to close the TV stations as part of a this year despite a fragile cease-fire that larger package of sanctions. has never taken hold. Educational 1.4 million sphere The five-year restrictive measures were In a joint statement, the three TV chan- Aged 60-64 2.8 million imposed on Taras Kozak, a lawmaker from nels said they were a victim of a “political Other 1.7 million the pro-Kremlin Opposition Platform-For massacre of undesirable media” and they categories Life (OPFL) party, who is the nominal called the measures an “act of censorship.” done by mobile teams done at designated locations Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine owner of the channels NewsOne, ZIK and Mr. Kozak appeared on Russian media 112. denying he was “a Russian agent” and Mr. OPFL co-chairman Viktor Medvedchuk Medvedchuk said the sanctions were politi- by Mark Raczkiewycz The Cabinet of Ministers the same day published a vaccination schedule to have is widely considered the real owner of the cally motivated due to the president’s KYIV – Following the winter break, the 14.4 million Ukrainians vaccinated this channels. The wealthy and powerful law- diminishing approval ratings. Verkhovna Rada reconvened on January 26 year. maker has been sanctioned by the U.S. “[Mr.] Zelenskyy’s rating is falling rapidly and over the past two weeks passed legisla- Up to 200,000 doses of vaccines from since 2014 for his role in Russia’s illegal sei- not because of TV channels, but because he tion or edged bills closer to adoption to Pfizer under the WHO-led COVAX initiative zure of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. refuses to answer important questions for combat the coronavirus pandemic, allow are expected this month. Front-line medical While saying Ukraine “strongly supports Ukrainians,” Mr. Medvedchuk said. for national referendums, upgrade its coun- workers treating COVID-19 patients will be freedom of speech,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in a Recent polls have shown dipping ratings terintelligence agency, and create another the first recipients of 367,000 vaccines. tweet announcing the decision, Kyiv for the pro-presidential Servant of the crime-fighting agency. Kyiv is “negotiating with six vaccine doesn’t condone “propaganda financed by People party. It also rejected a reformer to head the manufacturers that have currently conduct- the aggressor country that undermines According to a survey conducted on energy ministry. ed two phases of clinical trials and are con- Ukraine on its way to the EU and Euro- January 27-February 1 by the respected Approval for fast tracking COVID-19 vac- ducting a third one. The vaccines are regis- Atlantic integration.” Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Mr. cines took place on January 29 as the coun- tered in other countries and in the World His spokeswoman, Iuliaa Mendel, took Zelenskyy’s party had 22.1 percent sup- try prepares to start vaccinating its popula- Health Organization as official and legal,” to Facebook to call the cancelled channels a port, as opposed to 17.5 percent for OPFL. tion of 42 million people, one of the last Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. “pool affiliated with Viktor Medvedchuk.” The two lawmakers, along with other countries in Europe to not have started She said they “have long forgotten what it administering vaccines. (Continued on page 6) means to practice journalistic standards, (Continued on page 3) Serhiy Proskurnya, legendary Ukrainian Theater director, dies at 63 by Roman Tymotsko wrote on February 2. “Great loss for me, connoisseur of music. It was interesting to for all of us. I write about you in the past, accompany him to concerts, performanc- Serhiy Proskurnya, renown Ukrainian and I do not believe it. My heart breaks es, art events and share meticulous theater director, producer, winner of the with pain,” the former minister of culture impressions during the break. He was able prestigious Serhiy Danchenko Award and said. to notice the finest details because he was the laureate of the National Union of Mr. Proskurnya was born in Lviv in a master of details in everything – in life Theater Actors of Ukraine “Experiment” 1957, and later the family moved to and art,” Mr. Malkovych said. Award, died on February 1. Cherkasy. At first, he connected his life Mr. Proskurnya was actively interested The Lviv-born director promoted with music and even graduated from in theatrical life and even applied to Ukrainian theater abroad, modernized the music school. Moscow’s acting school. He was rejected perception of Taras Shevchenko and “We became friends when we were still and then worked as a teacher and served directed epoch-making festivals at the students,” the renown poet Ivan in the army. Only after he worked as a dawn of Ukraine’s Independence. Malkovych wrote on Facebook. “We were teacher and served in the army did Mr. Yevhen Nyshchuk, a former minister of very close because we both graduated Proskurnya finally begin his arts educa- culture in Ukraine, announced Mr. from music schools – Serhiy as a violist tion. He enrolled in and studied acting Proskurnya’s death in a Facebook post. and I as a violinist.” and directing at the Ivan Karpenko-Kary The cause of death is not yet known. Mr. Malkovych recalled his longtime Kyiv State Institute of Theater Arts. In “He was not just a director, he was a friend as a man who had a passion for Mr. Proskurnya’s Facebook page 1983 Mr. Proskurnya was invited to direct prominent cultural figure, a philosopher. I music and cared deeply about art. “[Mr.] Serhiy Proskurnya called him our Playwright,” Mr. Nyshchuk Proskurnya was an extremely delicate (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021 No. 6 NEWS ANALYSIS New year, new battles: Does China U.S. pledges economic, military support Life (OPFL), is listed as the owner of the three outlets, Ukrainian media claim that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has the broadcasters – Ukrainian television plan to give up on Motor Sich? pledged continued U.S. economic and mili- channels 112, NewsOne, and ZIK – are tary support to Ukraine under President under forced limbo by the Ukrainian actually owned by Vicktor Medvedchuk, the by Alla Hurska Joe Biden’s new administration. In a phone authorities, but in 2020, Chinese investors head of OPFL’s political council and one of Eurasia Daily Monitor call with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister began to more actively put pressure on the richest and most influential individuals Dmytro Kuleba on February 1, Mr. Blinken For the Ukrainian company JSC Motor Ukraine’s financial and industrial groups. In in the country. The EU statement contrasts “emphasized strong bipartisan support for Sich, one of the world’s largest manufactur- its battle for Motor Sich, Chinese Skyrizon with the response from the United States, Ukraine and the priority the United States ers of engines for missiles, helicopters and allied with Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, who is which said that “the U.S. supports Ukraine’s places on Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial jets, the year started with new battles over the owner of DCH Group and one of effort to counter Russia’s malign influence integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” the ownership. Chinese investors have reiniti- Ukraine’s wealthiest men. in line with Ukrainian law, in defense of its State Department said in a readout of the ated their earlier efforts to take over With support from Mr. Yaroslavsky – sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Mr. call. “He pledged to continue robust U.S. Ukraine’s top defense producer, and Kyiv is proficient as he is in doing business in Medvedchuk, who heads the Opposition economic and military assistance to mobilizing its efforts to prevent this strate- Ukraine – the pressure on Kyiv has Platform For Life’s political council, was Ukraine,” it added, while working on a dip- gically important firm from slipping away. increased significantly (Icg.biz.ua, January sanctioned by the United States in March lomatic resolution to Russia’s aggression in On January 29, Ukrainian President 13).