lished by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian Weekl Y Vol. LIX mNo. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 3,1991 50 cents Ukrainians ponder creation Ukraine adds sovereignty poll of own national army to March 17 union referendum by Kathleen Mihalisko sional, Lt. Gen. Tarasov, who said that by Marta Kolomayets chairman of Rukh, noted the legal Radio Liberty it was conceived as an instrument to Kiev Press Bureau implications of not allowing the Gali­ "disorganize, weaken and ultimately cian Assembly to hold its own referen­ MUNICH — Speaking at a Moscow abolish" the USSR armed forces. Ac­ KIEV - Citizens of the Ukrainian dum. "Leonid Kravchuk cannot be press conference on January 14, just one cording to Gen. Tarasov, the commit­ SSR will be asked: "Do you agree that regarded as a serious politician if he day after the Soviet military's bloody tee's immediate tactic was to expose Ukraine should be part of the Union of objects to the Galician Assembly's intervention in Vilnius, Boris Yeltsin public opinion to the notion of a Soviet Sovereign States, based on the question. He allowed the Crimean outraged President Mikhail Gorbachev Russian army even if in a negative way, principles of Ukraine's Declaration of oblast to hold a referendum (on Ja­ and his numerous other adversaries by in order to get the population thinking State Sovereignty?," during a public nuary 20). If he considered this a legal pointing to three conditions he felt were and talking about it. opinion poll which will be conducted action, then he must also consider the necessary for the defense of the sove­ simultaneously with the union referen­ actions of the three oblasts lawful." Even though he has subsequently reignty of the Russian Federation: dum on Sunday, March 17. modified his position, Mr. Yeltsin is the Members of the National Council constant vigilance, a Russian security The decision was passed by 307 votes most prominent politician until now to and the Popular Movement of Ukraine committee, and a Russian army, with­ of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian have thrown open the question of a regard the Supreme Soviet's decision to out which the interests of Russians, he SSR on Wednesday, February 27, with national army. But other republics have hold the referendum and the plebiscite maintained, could be trampled. 395 deputies taking part in the day's been thinking if not necessarily acting on March 17 as yet another step, albeit a A storm of conservative indignation proceedings. small one, for Rukh to reach its ulti­ along those lines for quite some time, in The Ukrainian Parliament, which greeted his remarks, and Mr. Yeltsin particular the Baltic states and Georgia. mate goal: a free, independent and has since denied that the RSFSR really had recessed for 10 days, allowing the democratic Ukraine. What is more, in declaring their state intends to found its own army. How­ Presidium of the Ukrainian SSR to Mr. Holovaty outlined these steps as sovereignty on July 16 and July 27, ever, Mr. Yeltsin moved quickly on the formulate the republican question, such: the first was the Declaration of respectively, Ukraine and Byelorussia first two conditions by naming Col. examined its choices for little over an State Sovereignty passed on July 16; the both proclaimed the rights to establish Gen. Volkogonov as RSFSR Supreme hour before accepting this final version second will be a majority of "yes" votes their own armed forces, to set down the for the March 17 vote. Soviet advisor on defense matters and on the republican question on March terms of military service by their citi­ Col. Gen. Kobets as head of the new Among the suggestions presented by 17. He added that this will be followed zens, and to reject inclusion in military State Committee on Defense and Se­ the deputies was to hold a republican by the acceptance of a new Ukrainian alliances. curity of the RSFSR. plebiscite either before or after the Constitution, which will then make the And as if in anticipation of an objec­ March 17 date. This question was Within one week of its formation path toward a free and independent tion made recently by Mr. Gorbachev rejected by the majority, which argued under the Council of Ministers on Ukraine clearer. - that dangers could arise in separatist that it was senseless to rile the masses January 31, Gen. Kobets'committee was Mr. Holovaty also spoke of the twice and present the state with another criticized by another military profes­ (Continued on page 14) reasoning behind holding a union 22 million ruble expenditure. referendum and a republican plebiscite. Supreme Soviet Chairman Leonid He stated that Mr. Kravchuk wants to Kravchuk asked that regional and avoid war with Moscow and,thus, he is Lithuania offers four proposals oblast governments refrain from placing approaching the March 17 action le­ yet another question on the March 17 gally. Mr. Holovaty added that a for negotiations with Moscow ballot. referendum in Ukraine would not be However, according to Vyacheslav legal because the republic does not yet NEW YORK - Lithuania's legisla­ 3, 1940, on Uie incorporation of Lithua­ Chornovil, the Lviv Oblast chairman, have a law on citizenship, and no law on ture has appealed to its Soviet counter­ nia into the USSR, which formally whose territory comprises a third of the referendums. part in Moscow for its assistance in completed Lithuania's annexation and Galician Assembly (the other two However, he added, this does not convincing the Gorbachev government was a consequence of the Molotov- oblasts in the assembly are Ivano- mean that the survey will have no to begin negotiations with Lithuania, Ribbentrop Pact, is not legally binding Frankivske and Ternopil), the three political meaning. "It gives the citizens reported the Lithuanian Information on the Republic of Lithuania and the oblasts will pose the question: "Do you of Ukraine the opportunity to voice Center of New York. USSR; not want Ukraine to become an inde­ what kind of state they want to live in." pendent state which independently de­ At its plenary session on February 19, "4. to authorize the State delegation Olexander Lavrynovych, vice-chair­ cides its domestic and foreign policies, the Supreme Council of Lithuania of the USSR to commence negotiations man of Rukh, and BohdanTernopilsky, with the State delegation of the Repub­ which guarantees equal rights to all of adopted a document urging the first assistant to Mykhailo Horyn, chairman lic of Lithuania with the aim of re­ its citizens, regardless of their national session of the USSR Supreme Soviet to of the Political Council of Rukh, added suming the recognition of the indepen­ or religious allegiance?" "give serious attention" to the follow­ that they would not ask the citizens of dence of the Republic of Lithuania and fSee'story about Galician Assembly ing four proposals: Ukraine to boycott the referendum, concluding a relevant agreement be­ on page 2.J "1. to assess the unlawful actions of tween our States." Ivan Drach, head of the Popular (Continued on page 16) the USSR Armed Forces in the Re­ Elsewhere in the document, the Movement of Ukraine, and a people's public of Lithuania and especially of the LithuanianParliament notes with ap­ deputy elected in Galicia, said he antici­ January 13, 1991, massacre of peaceful proval the Soviet legislature's Decem­ pates problems, if indeed, the Galician and unarmed citizens; INSIDE: ber 24, 1989, decision declaring the Assembly (Halytska Asambleya) poses "2. to direct the executive authorities secret protocols of the Hitler-Stalin a third question on March 17. "We'll 9 Mykhailo Horyn, chairman of of the USSR to immediately return to Pact, which led to the Soviet annexa­ lose 3 to 4 million voters from the region Rukh's Political Council, comments the Republic of Lithuania its public tion of Lithuania, as "null and void." As for the republican survey," he stated, on new developments in Ukraine — buildings (TV and Radio Center, and proposal No^ 3 indicates, however, the "We know that about 80 percent of page 3. other buildings), seized by the USSR Soviet legislature has not yet directly western Ukraine wants an independent Ф Interview with Jon Gundersen, Armed Forces in January, 1991, and to invalidated the act of forcible annexa­ Ukraine. 1 think it would be \yisefor the U.S. consul general to Kiev — page withdraw oppressive forces of the tion in 1940 itself. citizens of western Ukraine to support 5. Army, the Interior Ministry and the President Vytautas Landsbergis on the central, eastern and southern re­ Ф "Will Ukraine Become an Inde­ KGB of the USSR from the territory of February 19 issued a statement through gions of Ukraine and vote 4yes' to the pendent State m the 1990s/' speech the Republic of Lithuania; his press office charging that the Soviets second question." by Dr. Bohdan Krawchenko - page "3. to recognize that the decisions of "are making even more nice promises," Serhiy Holovaty, a member of the the USSR Supreme Soviet as of August (Continued on page 16) National Council and Kiev regional 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 1991 No. 9 Ukraine's western oblasts Newsbriefs form Galician Assembly by Marta Kolomayets In an 11-point resolution, the oblast from Ukraine delegates brought up cooperation in the Kiev Press Bureau fields of agriculture, trade, joint ven­ tion and were hindered from cooperating LVIV — in the spirit of consolida­ tures, cultural and educational ex­ ^ KIEV - Ukrainian Prime Mi­ with the Television News Service, which tion, deputies from three oblasts — change, and the formation of a coordi­ nister Vitold Fokin has reportedly served as a more objective information Lviv, Ivano-Frankivske and Ternopil nating council.