INSIDE: l Partnership Memorandum signed for National Holodomor-Genocide Museum – page 4 l Ukrainian Youth Association marks 75th anniversary in diaspora – page 9 l Rep. Boyle meets with Ukrainian Human Rights Committee – page 12 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXIX No. 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 $2.00 Blinken says U.S. considering Ukrainian government tags Kremlin-friendly politicians ‘additional’ military assistance to Ukraine Medvedchuk and Kozak with suspicion of high treason SBU conducts search of Medvedchuk’s Kyiv home Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s government. Ukrainian Service “Such actions by the authorities are an open and cynical political reprisal against KYIV – The Security Service of Ukraine the opposition politician,” the pro-Russian (SBU) has searched the Kyiv home of Opposition Platform – For Life party added Kremlin-friendly tycoon and politician in a statement on its website. Viktor Medvedchuk, who along with anoth- Mr. Medvedchuk is the head of the politi- er pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker, Taras cal council of Opposition Platform – For Kozak, is under suspicion of treason. Life, which is the largest opposition group SBU officials told RFE/RL that the search in Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna was conducted on May 11, adding that Rada. He is one of the party’s 44 deputies in detailed information on the case will be the 450-seat legislature. made public later. In February, Ukraine’s National Security Serhii Nuzhnenko/Radio Svoboda.org, RFE/RL Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Council announced sanctions against Mr. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service in Venedyktova said the same day that she Medvedchuk, his wife Oksana Marchenko Kyiv on May 6. had signed notices of suspicion to be hand- and several other individuals and entities. ed to two lawmakers, whom she identified The sanctions froze the couple’s assets Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Kyiv has requested U.S. air defense sys- as M. and K., as suspects for alleged high for three years and prevented them from Ukrainian Service tems and anti-sniper technology, along treason and the illegal exploitation of natu- doing business in the country. with a possible deployment of Patriot mis- ral resources in Ukraine’s Russian-annexed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens- KYIV – Secretary of State Antony Blinken siles in Ukraine. Crimea. kyy’s government in February also sanc- says the United States is considering Mr. Blinken told RFE/RL on May 6 in an Local media identified M. as Mr. Medved- tioned three television stations believed to Ukraine’s request for “additional” military interview in the Ukrainian capital, where chuk and K. as the other pro-Russian law- be owned by Mr. Medvedchuk. The move assistance to help deter Kremlin aggression he met with the country’s top leaders, maker, Mr. Kozak. came shortly after talks between U.S. Secre- following a massive buildup of Russian including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr. Medvedchuk’s political party said tary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian forces near their shared border and in the treason investigation and house search annexed Crimea. (Continued on page 7) were acts of “revenge and reprisals” by the (Continued on page 7) In Ukraine, annual World War II commemorations shift from Soviet to Western tributes of the war’s end by Roman Tymotsko Mr. Zelenskyy also visited the Bell of Remembrance at the memorial. The KYIV – In an attempt to combat Russian memorial currently houses the first of four propaganda over “the Red Army’s glorious bells that will be located throughout victory” during World War II, the Ukrainian Ukraine, the installment of which was initi- government has in recent years largely ated by the president a year ago. shifted toward adopting Western traditions Four bells will symbolize the memory of that commemorate the end of the war. the dead and reconciliation between coun- Every year, an ever-larger number of tries who fought during World War II: a Bell Ukrainians have taken to marking the occa- of Remembrance in the Luhansk region, a sion on May 8, a day of remembrance and Bell of Victory in the Zakarpattia region, a reconciliation. The day is also designated by Bell of Peace in Donetsk, and a Bell of Unity a resolution of the United Nations General in Simferopol, which will be installed after Assembly as the Time of Remembrance and the temporarily occupied territories are Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their returned to Ukrainian control. Lives. Previously, Ukrainians traditionally Public opinion polls in Ukraine show commemorated Victory Day on May 9, a that Ukrainians are largely split about com- Soviet-era holiday that marked the surren- Serhii Nuzhnenko/RadioSvoboda.org, RFE/RL memorations of WWII, with 41 percent der of Nazi Germany in 1945. Children in Ukraine play on a Soviet-era tank in a museum dedicated to World War saying they believe that two dates should However, during a period of continued II artefacts. be celebrated in Ukraine: Remembrance Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, and Reconciliation Day on May 8 and the government in Kyiv has sought to dis- Ukraine, where 2,814 soldiers were buried For the second year in a row, Mr. Victory Day on May 9. Meanwhile, 31 per- tance itself from Russian ideological sym- in a mass grave. Milove became one of the Zelenskyy visited Ukraine’s easternmost cent say the commemoration should take bols as part of its effort to fight what offi- first Ukrainian towns occupied by the Red region on the Day of Remembrance and place on May 9, according to a survey con- cials here call a hybrid information war. Army, replacing the occupation by Nazi Reconciliation and the eve of Victory Day. ducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic On May 8 Ukrainian President Volody- Germany. Traditionally, the Ukrainian head of state Initiatives Foundation and the Razumkov myr Zelenskyy visited the “Ukraine for Ambassadors from the G-7 countries laid flowers at the Eternal Flame and hon- Center’s sociological service. Liberators” memorial complex in the town and the EU accompanied Mr. Zelenskyy on ored those killed during World War II bat- of Milove in the Luhansk region in eastern his trip to Milove. tles defending the homeland. (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 No. 20 ANALYSIS Blinken’s debut in Ukraine: World Bank approves $90 million loan in the MAP “does not prejudge any decision by the Alliance on future membership,” it The World Bank has approved a $90 mil- adds. Mr. Kuleba’s comments come after a case for managing expectations lion project to help Ukraine’s health sector Russia earlier this year deployed more than respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 100,000 troops near the border with by Vladimir Socor are set to promote Ukraine’s aspirations at international financial institution Ukraine and in occupied Crimea – the big- Eurasia Daily Monitor the summit in Ukraine’s absence. Mean- while, Kyiv has left the post of Ukraine’s announced the loan on May 11, saying the gest mobilization since Moscow seized the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his ambassador to NATO vacant since August project will help Ukraine buy COVID-19 Ukrainian peninsula in March 2014 and closest entourage sometimes raise public 2019. For their part, NATO officials suggest vaccines and improve infrastructure for war broke out in eastern Ukraine. The expectations of what the United States can that Ukraine should make best use of its vaccine storage and logistics. “This new buildup prompted alarm in Western capi- deliver to Ukraine to unrealistically high recently (since June 2020) gained status as loan will help Ukraine with purchasing and tals over Moscow’s intentions amid an levels. Furthermore, they tend to discount an Enhanced Opportunities Partner (EOP). deployment of vaccines, including through, uptick in fighting between Ukrainian gov- the close relationship between what the This is no substitute for a MAP, however; but not limited to, the COVAX global initia- ernment forces and Kremlin-backed sepa- U.S. is actually delivering to Ukraine and the neither has EOP’s relevance to Ukraine tive,” said Arup Banerji, World Bank region- ratists in the country’s east. The conflict latter’s own performance on economic and been fully tested in practice. Ukraine’s main al country director for Eastern Europe. The has killed more than 13,000 people since governance reforms. These twin tendencies source of military equipment, assistance World Bank has already provided $57 mil- April 2014. Russia says its troops have of Mr. Zelenskyy’s team can generate public and training is not NATO as such, but the lion in lending to support Ukraine’s COVID- returned to their permanent bases after disappointment after undue expectations, United States on a bilateral basis as well as 19 response. Earlier on May 11, Health participating in massive drills, but confronting the U.S. with a problem of a coalition-of-the-willing comprising the Minister Maksym Stepanov said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expectation management in Ukraine (see U.S., the United Kingdom and Canada. These Ukraine had contracted to purchase 42 mil- said on May 11 that Russia had not with- Part One in Eurasia Daily Monitor, June 6). arrangements outside NATO’s official lion doses of COVID-19 vaccines from sev- drawn military hardware. Mr. Zelenskyy Mr. Zelenskyy has decided that Ukraine framework (thus, not requiring its collec- eral producers to be received by the end of told Ukraine 24 he believed Russia won’t would ask the North Atlantic Treaty tive political approval) look set to continue this year.