The Ukrainian Weekly, 2020

ХРИСТОС НАРОДИВСЯ! CHRIST IS BORN! THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII-LXXXIX No. 52-1 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2020-JANUARY 3, 2021 $2.00 Protests begin over Zelenskyy ‘biggest disappointment’ of 2020 appointment of education as more controversial Cabinet appointments made minister in Ukraine by Mark Raczkiewycz KYIV – As the year ends, a moderate reshuffle in the by Roman Tymotsko Cabinet of Ministers and at the executive branch took place KYIV – Several hundred people, including students from over the past 10 days in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Kyiv’s leading universities, members of youth and student administration amid the political newcomer’s dwindling organizations, academics, and parents, gathered in front of popularity 19 months into his term. the presidential office here on December 21 to protest Oleh Tatarov, the president’s deputy chief of staff Parliament’s decision to appoint Serhii Shkarlet to the responsible for law enforcement, said on December 21 that position of minister of education and science of Ukraine. he would recuse himself of certain duties in order to coop- On December 17, 226 national deputies – the minimum erate with investigators and avoid a conflict of interest in a required – voted to appoint Mr. Shkarlet to the position. large-scale corruption case in which he is a suspect. Members of the Holos Party, however, claimed that eight After receiving a notice of suspicion for involvement in deputies whose votes had been counted in favor of Mr. the alleged $2.8 million graft scheme from the National Shkarlet’s appointment were not present when the vote Anticorruption Bureau (NABU), Mr. Tatarov said at a brief- took place, which Holos Party deputies said meant that ing the same day that he had “temporarily transferred part those eight votes were not cast legally. of my powers to another employee of the president’s office This was not the first instance in which students and in order to avoid manipulation.” educators expressed their disapproval of the new minister. NABU head Artem Sytnyk told journalists the following Public outcry first started six months ago when Mr. day that the agency is seeking to hold Mr. Tatarov in custo- dy or on bail for which the Specialized Anticorruption Shkarlet was originally considered for the position. In June, courtesy of Educaton_Science Ministry he was appointed acting minister of education despite Prosecutor’s Office is asking the equivalent of $357,000. Education Minister Serhiy Shkarlet numerous letters from academics, educators, and repre- In response, Mr. Tatarov said on the messaging applica- sentatives of student organizations who wrote arguing tion Telegram that the possibility of his detainment is moot. not be any arrest in a completely fabricated criminal pro- against Mr. Shkarlet’s appointment to the position. “I want to inform the … official [Mr. Sytnyk], who has ceeding where there is no fact or evidence.” Educational reform is one of Ukraine’s fundamental flirted with corruption, that his public relations campaign will end in the same way as all his previous activities – In August, civic activists balked at Mr. Tatarov’s appoint- (Continued on page 8) with nothing,” Mr. Tatarov wrote. “There will not and can- ment to the presidential office. Under former President Viktor Yanukovych, he was the deputy head of the main investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During his tenure, he justified the use of violence against protesters during the pro-democracy, anti-corruption Euro-Maidan uprising that ousted Mr. Yanukovych. Christmas More than 100 people, mostly protesters, were killed during those protests, now known as the Revolution of Dignity. “This is an appallingly ill-considered decision and is celebration understandably viewed as a spit in the face by many of those persecuted on the Maidan and the families of those in Ukraine who were killed,” the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group said in a statement at the time. A trained lawyer, Mr. Tatarov had worked within the police since 1999 and has also run a law firm. The high-level corruption case comes as Ukraine is making preparations to receive the first batches of the COVID-19 vaccine next year. This week, Kyiv is also hosting an online visit by the International Monetary Fund to review Ukraine’s financial outlook and its commitments to fight corruption. Kyiv is looking to unlock the remaining $3 billion of funding as part of an 18-month, $5 billion lending program. Another change in the president’s office the same day was Yulia Kovaliv, who resigned as a deputy chief of staff responsible for economics and investment. After 15 months on the job, she described her tenure on Facebook as “an unbelievable experience … in a complicated time for the country.” Ukrainian online news site Pravda reported she would The country’s main Christmas tree was lit up on Saint Sophia’s Square in Kyiv on December 19. To Eastern rite continue to serve as an adviser to the president and return Christians, the day falls on Saint Nicholas Day, according to the Julian calendar. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko to the state-owned oil and gas company Naftogaz in an presided over the tree-lighting ceremony. While speaking on stage, Mr. Klitschko called on Kyivans and guests unknown capacity. of the capital to thank the front-line “defenders” of Ukraine, and to also thank the health care workers and first She had also headed the Office of the National responders “who continue to work on holidays and weekends and save people’s lives” amid a coronavirus pan- Investment Council, which promoted dialogue between the demic that has led to the deaths of nearly 17,000 people and infected nearly 1 million more in Ukraine. government and CEOs of foreign investors. – by Mark Raczkiewycz (Continued on page 12) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2020-JANUARY 3, 2021 No. 52-1 ANALYSIS While reaching out to incoming U.S. administration, Investors file case over Motor Sich investment of Donetsk and Luhansk, generally known as the Donbas, where more than 13,200 Chinese investors have brought a $3.5 people have been killed in the ongoing con- Kremlin signals resumption of bilateral arms race billion arbitration case against Ukraine for flict since. Weeks before inciting separatism blocking the sale of a strategic aircraft force for good in the world while the U.S. is in the region, Russia forcibly annexed by Pavel Felgenhauer engine maker whose fate Washington is bad, ugly, dark and aggressive. According to Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula after sending Eurasia Daily Monitor closely following. The Chinese investors Mr. Putin, last August’s alleged poisoning of in troops and staging a referendum that behind Skyrizon filed the arbitration case opposition leader Alexei Navalny by was deemed illegitimate by more than 100 In the wake of the December 14 vote by earlier this month, accusing Kyiv of expro- the Electoral College, which officially con- Novichok in Tomsk is a Western provoca- countries. The law has been prolonged priating its investment in Motor Sich after three times since then and was set to expire firmed the election of Joseph Biden as the tion and falsification. “If we really wanted the government froze its shares in the com- next president of the United States and to poison Navalny, he would have been on December 31, 2020. (RFE/RL’s pany, the Kyiv Post reported December 17. Ukrainian Service) Kamala Harris as vice-president, Russian dead,” Mr. Putin reasoned or darkly joked Motor Sich owner Vyacheslav Bohuslayev President Vladimir Putin finally, and reluc- (Kremlin.ru, December 17). agreed in 2017 to sell a majority stake in Russian invasion of Ukraine tantly, congratulated the U.S. president- In contrast, he praised Turkish strong- the company to Skyrizon, triggering con- Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported elect. In November 2016, Mr. Putin was one cerns in Kyiv and Washington over the December 22 that in the previous 24 hours, of the first world leaders to congratulate real man [macho], who keeps his word and transfer of its advanced technology to no Ukrainian soldiers were killed, although Donald Trump on his victory; in 2020, he doesman Presidentnot wag his Recep tail.” WhileTayyip Mr. Erdoğan: Putin and “A Beijing. Former national-security adviser two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in was apparently the last head of state of a John Bolton told Ukrainian officials last action. During the same 24-hour period, major world power to extend the same ges- the Russian president appreciates his year during a trip to Ukraine in 2019 that Russian-terrorist forces opened fire on ture to Mr. Biden. Mr. Putin sent his con- TurkishMr. Erdoğan counterpart’s may have serioussteadfastness differences, and the U.S. opposes the sale of the company to Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk and gratulations via telegram, expressing hope predictability. Mr. Putin also believes he has China. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reit- Donetsk sectors of the front 11 times in that Moscow and Washington can work strong personal chemistry with Chinese erated that message this year. However, total, including at least seven times with together constructively to solve global leader Xi Jinping – in addition to Russia and Motor Sich needs large-scale investment to heavy weapons – mortars and artillery. On problems “despite their differences” China having “identical interests in many stay competitive, and Western companies December 21, Ukraine’s Joint Forces (Interfax, December 15). different fields” (Interfax, December 17). At haven’t shown great interest in buying the Operation reported that on December 17 a the same time, Mr. Putin saved a few nice Soviet-era company, which employs thou- Today (December 17), the Russian presi- Ukrainian soldier was taken into captivity dent held his annual “big” end-of-year words for the outgoing U.S.

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