Yushchenko Loses Key Ally As Tarasyuk Resigns Post American
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INSIDE: • The Millennium Challenge Corp. looks to Ukraine — page 3. • Family members, townspeople welcome Heide — pages 10-11. • The latest archeological excavations at Baturyn — centerfold. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine American astronaut Stefanyshyn-Piper Yushchenko loses key ally receives a hero’s welcome in Ukraine as Tarasyuk resigns post by Zenon Zawada Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – In yet another defeat for Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Ukraine’s Western ambitions, Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasyuk surrendered in his two-month battle with the coalition government and submitted his resignation on January 30. As his reason Mr. Tarasyuk cited the decision of a Kyiv District Court to once again delay reviewing his appeal regard- ing his December 1, 2006, dismissal, indicating that the court was engaged in intentionally delaying the process. “I didn’t believe it was reasonable to further engage in this theater of the absurd which the Anti-Crisis Coalition and the government created,” Mr. Tarasyuk said, insisting that he was not capitulating but rather wishing to end a Official website of the President of Ukraine conflict. Zenon Zawada Despite such claims, it was apparent U.S. astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper with President Viktor Yushchenko Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk of Ukraine after he awarded her the Order of Princess Olha. that Mr. Tarasyuk and his allies had buckled under the fierce pressure the before his resignation. by Zenon Zawada behalf of his fund’s Zavtra.ua program – coalition government placed on him to resign, which involved physically block- probably not on the list of potential can- Kyiv Press Bureau an offer she accepted. didates. Holding a bouquet of pink-tipped ing him from attending Cabinet of Since the coalition government led by KYIV – Ukrainians treated American white roses and wearing a bright, blue Ministers meetings, as well as freezing the Party of the Regions has the power to astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper NASA outfit, she stepped into a room financing of his ministry. approve or reject the next foreign affairs to a hero’s welcome upon her first ever where she suddenly found herself fac- As a result of such tactics, the min- minister nominated by Mr. Yushchenko, visit to her father’s native land. ing a sea of about 75 mass media mem- istry’s bills weren’t getting paid in recent the candidate will no doubt have to be a During a five-day visit that began bers. weeks, diplomats were missing their Russian-oriented diplomat, political January 28, the Ukrainian media gave Without consistent exposure to the salaries and Mr. Tarasyuk was denied Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper celebrity treat- Ukrainian language for more than 20 financing for any overseas trips. observers said. ment, chronicling her daily events and “Dragging out this scandal would years, Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper had to (Continued on page 13) making her the most popular member of make the most of what she could remem- have meant further provoking the disin- the Ukrainian diaspora. ber from her youth; she also mixed in a tegration of the diplomatic machine and “I was born and raised in America, so few Russian words she learned, presum- the ineffectiveness of an important min- I’m an American,” she told a reporter ably when working with Russian cosmo- istry, as well as creating an ineffective who asked what nationality she considers nauts. foreign policy for Ukraine,” said Vadym Former ambassadors herself. “But because my father is from As Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper fielded and Karasiov, director of the Institute of Ukraine, and there’s a large Ukrainian answered the media’s questions, the Global Strategies and a Kyiv political to Ukraine comment community in Minnesota, and we attend- amusement of the press corps revealed analyst who has ties to Victor Pinchuk. ed Ukrainian church and Saturday that Ukrainians still remain fascinated The conflict between Mr. Tarasyuk school, I also feel as though I’m a little with diaspora Ukrainians and their began to annoy not only the diplomatic on Tarasyuk resignation bit Ukrainian. And my mother is German accomplishments. corps, but possibly the Presidential by Yaro Bihun … so I feel as though I’m all three.” She immediately thanked Mr. Pinchuk Secretariat as well, he said. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Stepping off the plane in Boryspil for inviting her and kept her answers Numerous political observers specu- WASHINGTON – Two former Airport outside Kyiv amidst falling snow brief, as reporters asked questions rang- lated that President Yushchenko gave up U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, and chilly winds, Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper ing from her experience in space to her his support for Mr. Tarasyuk once the William Green Miller and Steven was soon greeted and welcomed by U.S. favorite Ukrainian dishes. coalition government began resorting to Pifer, have remained keenly interest- Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor “I really like borsch, varenyky, holubt- such extreme tactics. and Ukrainian astronaut Leonid “Yushchenko isn’t capable of fight- ed and involved in Ukrainian affairs si, almost all Ukrainian dishes,” Ms. since their assignments in Kyiv in Kadenyuk. Stefanyshyn-Piper said, adding that she ing,” said Ivan Lozowy, president of the She had arrived from the World Kyiv-based Institute of Statehood and the 1990s, and the news of Borys cooks some as well. Tarasyuk’s resignation, while not a Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, And what about music? Democracy, which is exclusively where she met Ukrainian political leaders financed by Ukrainian business dona- surprise to either, was something “On our shuttle, there was a tradition they would rather not have hap- and journalists attending businessman that Houston would play us songs every tions. “He is a person far removed from Victor Pinchuk’s annual Ukraine lunch- the realities of the bare-knuckles politics pened. morning,” she said. “And they played Ambassador Miller said that eon. Ukrainian songs for me on my fourth day that we’re seeing today.” “It was very interesting for me to hear Vice-Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko since his assignment to Kyiv he in space.” had developed a very close rela- what direction Ukraine is going economi- Which songs? reporters asked excitedly. will serve as acting minister of foreign cally,” she commented. affairs until Mr. Yushchenko and the tionship with Mr. Tarasyuk. He “The songs were by a Ukrainian group thinks that Mr. Tarasyuk stayed on Ms. Stefanyshyn-Piper flew to Kyiv from England, with lyrics by Taras coalition government reach an agreement with Mr. Pinchuk and his wife, Olena on Mr. Tarasyuk’s successor. as the minister of foreign affairs Shevchenko.” for as long as he did during the try- Franchuk, upon his invitation and request As part of her space gear, Ms. It’s precisely because Mr. Ohryzko’s that she participate in presenting scholar- foreign policy platforms are fairly simi- (Continued on page 4) ship awards at a January 31 ceremony on (Continued on page 12) lar to those of Mr. Tarasyuk that he is 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2007 No. 5 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Is Belarus a pawn on Russia’s chessboard? UWC appeals to Europeans, U.N. not enough grain for domestic needs. by Victor Yasmann been put forth by Sergei Pereslegin, a spe- Having been stored for six months, the TORONTO – The Ukrainian World RFE/RL Newsline cialist on alternative-future analysis who grain reportedly spoiled, germinated and heads the St. Petersburg-based research Congress, an umbrella organization for the was attacked by insects. The volume of While policy-makers in the European center Modeling the Future. Mr. Pereslegin, Ukrainian diaspora, has sent an open letter unusable grain now amounts to some Union fret about Russia’s reliability as an who is reputed to have earned Russian to the Council of Europe, the Organization 270,000 tons. Farmers say the grain market energy supplier, their counterparts in Russia President Vladimir Putin’s attention and for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in Ukraine is saturated with 6 million tons interpret the recent conflict with Miensk respect, argues that the Kremlin has in fact the European Union and the United of excess grain, which could be sold abroad differently. Economic Development and revised its entire strategy toward Belarus. Nations, urging these organizations to press for 4 billion hrv ($800 million U.S.). “It is the Polish government into condemning Trade Minister German Gref and Finance The main tenets of Mr. Pereslegin’s a paradoxical situation that this country has and redressing the forcible resettlement of Minister Aleksei Kudrin argue that the rise argument can be found in his book “A never seen before. Every night 5,000 to ethnic Ukrainians in 1947, RFE/RL’s of oil and gas tariffs for Belarus has more of Do-It-Yourself Guide to Playing on the 10,000 tons of grain are thrown out into the Ukrainian Service reported on January 29. an economic than political meaning. World Chessboard,” published in 2006. Black Sea, feeding fish. At the same time, In April and May 1947 the Polish govern- They point out that Russia’s forthcom- The book was intended as a Russian we are looking for funds for the agricultur- ment conducted a military operation called ing entry into the World Trade response to Zbigniew Brzezinski’s “The al sector,” Ukrainian Television quoted Akcja Wisla, which relocated some Organization (WTO) requires the Grand Chessboard” of 1997. Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation 150,000 Ukrainians from their native areas Kremlin to raise domestic prices to world According to Mr. Pereslegin, the Chairman Leonid Kozachenko as saying.