INSIDE: • Kravchuk denies media reports of change in no-nukes policy — page 2. • New chief of Freedom House promotes engaged' foreign policy — page 3. • The Ukraine Famine Commission: a look at its beginnings — page 7. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXI No. 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1993 50 cents Chornobyl plant to stay open RFE/RL announces cutbacks, layoffs by Marta Kolomayets reactors at the Khmelnytsky, Rivne and (BIB), which oversees RFE/RL and the Kyyiv Press Bureau Zaporizhzhia power plants, as soon as six Munich Research InstituteU.S . Information Agency, which has months from now and no later than in control of Voice of America (VOA). KYYIV — Motivated by Ukraine's two years. All of these stations have to close, at least for now Initially, the president wanted to end all energy crisis, lawmakers here abandoned VVER-1000 reactors, which are consid­ budgeting for the radios, but after much safety concerns, voting on Thursday ered safer than the RBMK model at the by Roman Woronowycz protest by the Congress and national and morning, October 21 to keep the Chornobyl plant. international leaders, he backed down. It JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Radio Free Chornobyl nuclear power station open Ukraine's environmental lobby con­ eventually was decided to combine Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and to lift a moratorium on the construc­ demned the decisions, and Green World RFE/RL with VOA under the oversight President Eugene Pell announced in tion of new nuclear plants. distributed a leaflet in Parliament that of a new board. It appears that RFE/RL Munich, Germany, on October 18 that read: "We were able to fight and win will be hit hardest by the consolidation. The Parliament's 221-38 vote comes the Research Institute, which is part of against the Soviet system, which tried to as a 5ифгІ5Є in a country that was hit by RFE/RL and houses the world's largest According to the Pell memo, in addi­ hush up the consequences of Chornobyl. the world's worst nuclear accident at collection of samizdat/samvydav publica­ tion to the lay-off of RFE/RL personnel But we have fallen victim to the Chornobyl on April 26, 1986. The legis­ tions, will shut its doors at least tem­ and the termination of the Research lation also pledges to open additional (Continued on page 4) porarily with vague assurances it will Institute in its current form, broadcasts to reopen soon after, although he mentioned Afghanistan and Hungary are to end no timetable. almost immediately. Polish and Czech broadcasts are scheduled to cease by the Mr. Pell also announced the immedi­ end of the year and will resume from ate elimination of two broadcast depart­ Warsaw and Prague, respectively. New U.S. envoy arrives in Kyyiv ments within the surrogate news services, Broadcast hours will be reduced to an by Marta Kolomayets with a sizeable free-market economy," which has broadcast news of Eastern unspecified amount, and the staff at both Kyyiv Press Bureau Ambassador Miller told the Ukrainian Europe and the now defunct Soviet locations will be limited to 15 people. leader as he presented his note. Union to those areas for more than 40 KYYIV — Stressing a new phase in RFE/RL headquarters also will move. "We want to help Ukraine in ways that years. He added that RFE/RL staffing bilateral relations, the new U.S. ambas­ Melissa Fleming, press officer at the Ukrainians want to help themselves," he will shrink by more than 50 percent by sador to Ukraine, William Green Miller, radios said, "Both Washington and said. 1995, from the current 1,530 employees presented his diplomatic credentials to Prague, Czech Republic, are being con­ Referring to recent erroneous reports to 705. No specific information regarding President Leonid Kravchuk at the the Ukrainian division of Radio Liberty sidered. We will know more oncp a feasi­ in the Western media that Ukraine was Mariyinsky Palace on Wednesday after­ was available. bility study is completed." She added going to keep part of its nuclear arsenal. that the primary consideration will be noon, October 20. The announcement culminates more President Kravchuk emphasized, costs. "But, I'm sure the willingness of "President Clinton and his administra­ than eight months of political maneuver­ "I hope the two of us can work directly employees to relocate will also be con­ tion have made a commitment to support ing and compromise between U.S. and that the United States does not rely Ukrainian independence and the develop­ President Bill Clinton's White House, the sidered," she said. ment of a free, democratic civil society (Continued on page 4) Board for International Broadcasting (Continued on page 4) Leadership Conference focuses on building Ul<raine's future WASHINGTON — Building some 400 Ukrainian-American profes­ lems, and the next two to three years will year's conference. ; Ukraine's future by promoting sionals, presented this year's "Friend of be critically difficult, Dr. Brzezinski, for­ The task for leaders in Ukraine, he American-Ukrainian partnerships was the Ukraine" award to billionaire philantro- mer national security adviser and current­ said, is to mobilize the Ukrainian people, theme of The Washington Group's sev­ pist George Soros for his contributions ly counselor at the Center for Strategic and the task of Ukrainians in the United enth annual Leadership Conference on "in helping establish freedom and and International Studies, said in his States is to fashion an image of Ukraine October 8-10, which brought together the democracy in Ukraine." remarks during a reception at the as an active member of the European former and current U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine faces some very serious prob­ Ukrainian Embassy, which launched this community. Ukraine, Ukraine's ambassador in Ukraine's problems, he said, are both Washington, Zbigniew Brzezinski, as internal and external. "The political insta­ veil as representatives of major U.S. and bility (in Russia), the militarization of international assistance institutions, non­ Russian foreign policy, the increased governmental organizations, business, pressure to recreate the outer boundaries media and the arts. of the old empire do suggest that dark They were joined by more than 250 clouds are gathering, and it will take conference participants, who heard Dr. determined effort, and much commit­ Brzezinski's warnings about "dark ment, a great deal of unity to safeguard clouds" gathering in the north of Ukraine the Ukrainian state." and former Ambassador Roman Dr. Brzezinski recalled that while Popadiuk calling on the administration to much of the world's attention was pursue a "more active policy" toward focused on the clash between the Russian Ukraine. The new U.S. ambassador, president and Parliament on September William Miller, told his audience that "it 21, "something else took place on will take all of our efforts, official and September 25 - the recreation of the eco­ private, to make things go well" in nomic union of nine former member- Ukraine. states of the Soviet Union...which has in They also heard panel discussions on it the potential for also becoming a politi­ international assistance, the business cli­ cal union." mate in Ukraine, the work of non-gov­ Ukraine, he noted, is not a member of ernmental organizations, and the state of that union, though it is associated with it. the arts and media in Ukraine. "But this process is gathering rhomen- At the conference Awards Banquet, Seen during a reception at Ukraine's Embassy (from left) William Miller, the new tum," he emphasized, "and one h^s to give The Washington Group, an association of U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Dr. Oleh Bilorus, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., and Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski. (Continued on page 12) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1993 No. 43 Kravchuk denies media reports of chiange in no-nul(es poiicy Ukrainian choppers evacuating Georgians resetde in Ukraine from other parts of the by Marta Kolomayets Most of Ukraine's lawmakers support former USSR. (RFE/RL Daily Report). Kyyiv Press Bureau Ukraine's ratification of START I, but a CHUBERI, Georgia — Ukrainian number favor temporarily keeping the 46 helicopter pilots are aiding the evacua­ New patriarch enthroned KYYIV — President Leonid tion of some 7,000 refugees stranded in newer SS-24s they claim are not covered KYYIV — Patriarch Dmytro of the Kravchuk remains committed to giving by the accord as a deterrent until the Abkhazia region at the request of up Ukraine's nuclear weapons, top aides Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze. Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Ukraine's security concerns with its Church was enthroned here on October 14 said Wednesday, October 20, denying northern neighbor are alleviated. Reuters reported on October 14 that the refugees are boarding Ukrainian MI-8 in a ceremony at the Church of Our Savior, recent Western media reports that However, even the START debate seems helicopters and are being transported reported Respublika. Participating in the Ukraine has decided to hold on to its 46 to be weeks, if not months off, as amid gunfire from rebels attempting to enthronement were Archbishop of Lviv SS-24 missiles. Ukraine concerns itself with growing oust Mr. Shevardnadze to camps near and Halychyna Petro; Bishop of Uman anr' Speaking to reporters in the domestic problems, including an escalat­ Georgia's second-largest city, Kutaisi. Vicar of Kyyiv Mykhail; Bishop of Lutskt Parliament's corridors on Tuesday, ing inflation rate, rising unemployment, The rebels support Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and Volyn Feoktyst; and Bishop of October 19, President Kravchuk said as well as both parliamentary and presi­ who was toppled in an armed revolt in Kharkiv and Poltava Ihor.