1NS1DE: ^ Demographics of party support - page 3. - Columbia University expands Ukrainian studies - page 5. ^ More on Christmas traditions, holiday events - centerfold. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXII No. 1 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 2,1994 50 cents CHRIST IS BORN - ХРИСТОС РОДИВСЯ 'US?S^^?^ Ukraine sends ClS summit marked mixed signals by shift from center on ClS military to bilateral concerns ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan7KYYiv by Roman Woronowycz - On December 23-24, 1993, a summit Kyyiv Press Bureau of the presidents and officials of the 12- KYYiv — Ukraine is not currently member Commonwealth of independent contemplating any move into a military States took place in Ashgabat, but much union with the Commonwealth of of it was taken up by bilateral talks. independent States, a Defense Ministry Particularly significant were those official stated at a press briefing here on between Ukraine's President Leonid December 28. Kravchuk and Russian Federation And though this may be true, right President Boris Yeltsin and those now the government is sending a variety between Mr. Kravchuk and his of signals. Kazakhstani counterpart, Nursultan Deputy Defense Minister ivan Bizhan Nazarbayev. said Ukraine's intention is to remain sep– Following his return from Ashgabat, arate of the confederation but that "bilat– President Kravchuk said a summit on eral military and technical cooperation Ukraine's nuclear weapons was dis– with ClS countries is always high on our cussed in his meetings with Russian agenda." He called a military policy sep– President Boris Yeltsin, and was dealt arate of the ClS a cornerstone of with in recent correspondence with U.S. Ukraine's foreign policy. President Bill Clinton. A December 22 Washington Post Mr. Kravchuk expressed the hope that report had claimed that Ukraine's a trilateral treaty will be prepared, which defense minister, Gen. vitaliy Radetsky, would "address issues of compensation, "had called for his country to seek 'per– scientific and technical assistance, fsecu– manent ties' with the Russian-dominated rityj guarantees and ecological prob– ClS." lems." The president also said, "We Minister Bizhan explained that Gen. agreed that the treaty would not consti– Radetsky did not utter those words. He tute a resolution of a particular question, said, "Ukraine is exploring various pos– but would deal with a complex of sibilities, one of which includes becom– issues." ing a part of the ClS military contin– Mr. Zlenko confirmed that Mr. gent." Mr. Bizhan said Minister Kravchuk had received a letter from Mr. Radetsky had explained that two other Clinton addressing issues of disarma– issues were being examined: joint main– ment, economic cooperation and military tenance of military equipment and test– conversion, and that the letter also ing grounds, and the movement of arma– acknowledged "the need for trilateral ments through countries of the ClS. Christmas card by Halyna Lypa-Zakhariasevych published by The Ukrainian Museum, New York, 1989. (Continued on page 16) Presidential advisor Leonid Kozhara said he did not know what Minister Radetsky had in mind but that, "he may simply have been offering a personal opinion." ACCELS equals opportunity for Ukraine's students The Defense Ministry itself is offering by Rebecca Morrison charged with administering a series of known as the Benjamin Franklin varying versions of the directions being Special to The Ukrainian Weekly USlA-sponsored open competitions for Fellowship Program, the Muskie pursued by Ukraine as regards its mili– Ukrainians to study in the United States, Program is funded by the United States KYYiv - ACCELS (The American tary affairs. providing standard ETS testing through- information Agency (US1A) and Council for Collaboration in Education Mr. Bizhan in his briefing also said out the country and operating an designed to afford graduate study in the and Language Study) may not be the that Deputy Defense Minister ivan Advising Center on educational opportu– critical fields of business administration, Oliynyk was in Moscow December 28- best-known acronym in the United nities for Ukrainians abroad. economics, law and public administration 29, to further discuss ClS bilateral coop– States, but its sense is well-known in Open competitions are held for all to exceptional young people from the for– eration. Ukraine. educational levels, providing funding for mer Soviet Union. A Defense Ministry spokesperson An oasis of brightly lit rooms and high school, university and graduate stu– This marks the third academic year in who admitted to not hearing Mr. well-stocked libraries in an otherwise dents as well as grant opportunities for which ACCELS has participated in the Bizhan's briefing quite plainly disagreed. dreary Kyyiv State University, post-graduate research. The most Muskie Fellowship Program process in "A working committee went to Moscow ACCELS's Ukrainian headquarters are renowned of the open competitions is the Ukraine, in the past two years, some 50 to discuss military relations between well into their third academic year of Edmund Muskie Fellowship Program, young people from cities such as Kyyiv, Russia and Ukraine. However, they will activity in Ukraine. With branches in which ACCELS administers in coopera– Kharkiv and ivano-Frankivske were not be talking about Ukraine's relations Kyyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa and Lviv, tion with the international Research and awarded one– and two-year Muskie with the ClS." ACCELS Ukraine consists of seven full- Exchanges Board (1REX), the institute of Fellowships to such renowned American Until now the Ukrainian government time American staff members and 10 international Educational (HE) and the institutions as Boston University, Temple had shown no desire to move into any Ukrainians. Renaissance Foundation. Created by the University, the University of Chicago (Continued on page 13) Together, the offices of ACCELS are United Congress in 1991 and formerly (Continued on page 13) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 2,1994 No. 1 Journalist's notebook in Ukraine by Maria Kolomayets Socialist Party announces platform abroad. (Embassy of Ukraine) Kyyiv Press Bureau KYYiv - Ukrainian Television EC gives aid to former republics, Ukraine reported on the pre-election platform of the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU), which BRUSSELS - The European boasts 30,000 members and 120,000 active Community granted 19 million European Ukraine is its people supporters operating in 25 regional, 58 city currency units (S21.66 million U.S.) in humanitarian aid to refugees, the poor Following the news from Ukraine S225,000 when granted by the govern– and 244 district committees, on December 18. SPU leader Oleksander Moroz stated and the sick in the countries of the former these days is not a joyous endeavor. Few ment, but with inflation eating this money Soviet Union on December 13. here feel like celebrating the holidays up before it was put to work, the director that the party, which is in opposition to the current power in Ukraine, supports the Humanitarian agencies distributing the when they cannot afford to put a had about S25,000 to 50,000 to work aid include Medecins Sans Frontieres and Christmas bird on the table (S10 for a with), Mr. Shmotolokha created a National establishment of independent Ukraine but proposes restoring broken relations with the United Nations High Commissioner plump turkey at the market, at a time Cinemateque of Ukraine, which in turn for Refugees. The aid will be distributed when the minimum wage is S4 a month). delivered a small miracle, a real gift to the Russia and integrating Ukraine in the Commonwealth of independent States, in as follows: Russia and Ukraine received 4 Most parents worry what they will put Ukrainian people who are only now learn– million Ecus (S4.56 million), S460,000 of under the tree for their kids on New ing their history. addition, the party stands for granting all power to local councils, a move that favors which is allocated to Ukraine; Armenia, Year's Day. instead of wandering the Besides the fact that the films delve Azerbaijan and Georgia each received 3 city to observe brightly lit streets and into history beginning with the Trypillian the Socialists as they are one of the largest and best organized parties. The SPU also million Ecus (S3.42 million); Kyrgyzstan colorful Christmas decorations, people culture, and explore the princely era, the — 3.1 million Ecus (S3.53 million); and hurry home to warm themselves next to days of Kozak glory, as well as the failed favors a six-month moratorium on privati– zation and a review of the legality of prop– Tadjikistan - 2.9 million Ecus (S3.30 their space heaters and kitchen stoves. attempts at statehood in the 20th century, million). (Reuters) in the midst of an energy crisis, most they show the viewer a history that was erty and enterprises so far privatized. of the streets in the capital city, Kyyiv, often distorted, frequently misconstrued While an appeal to the "working people of Kyyiv to levy tax on foreigners are dark. A tree stands in independence and regularly erased becoming "blank Ukraine" was adopted in which the SPU Square to remind the people of the spots in history." declared its intention to cooperate with the KYYiv - The city of Kyyiv will levy a approaching holidays, but there is little Geared for high-school-age children, Communist and Peasant parties, the SPU tax on non-residents of Ukraine in order to cheer in this nation which has encoun– these films offer — perhaps for the first also said it will oppose all parties and fight crime, the newspaper Holos Ukrainy tered hard times in an independent state. time — a real picture of Ukraine's past, movements of the "nationalist and bureau– reported on December 8. visitors to Kyyiv But, as this is my last column from its problems and its joys, putting blame cratic elite," i.e.