INSIDE: l Reaction to PACE vote on Russia – page 7 l Travel to Ukraine: If you love Lviv… – page 11 l Ukraine wins 51 medals at European Games – page 13 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association, Inc., celebrating W its 125th anniversaryEEKLY Vol. LXXXVII No. 28 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2019 $2.00 Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy makes North American debut calls on Putin to meet at Ukraine Reform Conference in Toronto face-to-face for talks by Christopher Guly Special to The Ukrainian Weekly RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service OTTAWA – A global summit organized to KYIV – Ukrainian President Volody- support Ukraine’s reform process was the myr Zelenskyy has called on Russian logical venue for Ukraine’s new president President Vladimir Putin to talk. to make his first overseas trip and North In a July 8 video statement on American debut with Ukrainian First Lady Facebook, Mr. Zelenskyy said he was Olena Zelenska. ready to hold talks with Mr. Putin in the Attending the third annual Ukraine Belarusian capital, Minsk. Reform Conference in Toronto – a gather- “We need to talk? We do. Let us dis- ing of more than 800 representatives of 37 cuss who Crimea belongs to and who is countries and 10 international organiza- not there in Donbas,” the Ukrainian tions – along with receiving a red-carpet president said, adding that he wanted welcome, signing bilateral agreements and the leaders of the United States, obtaining further funding from the Germany, France and the United Canadian government made Volodymyr Kingdom present at the talks. Zelenskyy’s decision to interrupt his cam- Mr. Zelenskyy said at a summit with paigning for Ukraine’s July 21 parliamenta- top European Union officials on July 8 ry election an astute move to demonstrate that peace can be returned to Ukraine his statecraft skills back home. only by way of diplomatic negotiations. Arriving in Toronto at 6 p.m. on Canada Presidential Office of Ukraine “We want to stop this war, and we Day, July 1, the 41-year-old neophyte politi- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. want to return peace to Ukraine,” he cian spent the next day in the city on a continued. “But this can be done with jammed near 13-hour public schedule that “I would like to deliver my speech in a Ukrainian ships seized by Russia last only one weapon: diplomacy.” began with a 7:45 a.m. working breakfast language that is well understood in this November in the Kerch Strait. He also said that sanctions must be with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister country and almost official – it’s Ukrainian,” President Zelenskyy said he spoke to upheld against Russia until Ukraine’s Chrystia Freeland. The day’s schedule also said the diminutive, gravely voiced presi- Prime Minister Trudeau of expanding the territorial integrity is restored. included several meetings with interna- dent at his July 2 joint news conference Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement to “Sanctions policy is the last civilized tional officials, members of the Ukrainian with the towering Prime Minister Trudeau. include joint ventures in the area of infor- tool to achieve peace,” he added. Canadian community and Prime Minister “Yesterday, we took a walk in Toronto and mation technology, and referred to one of “If someone still has any questions Justin Trudeau; a visit to the Holodomor I had a strange feeling that I am in my home- two new bilateral tracts both leaders or doubts about continuing the sanc- Memorial; an address to the Ukraine land – although 1,000 kilometers away from signed. “The Audiovisual Coproduction tions, I invite everyone to Donbas to Reform Conference; and a dinner in his Ukraine – and somebody approaches you Treaty will help promote Canadian content see how much grief this war has honor hosted by Mr. Trudeau. and says, ‘Can I take a selfie with you?’ – in in Ukraine, [and] once ratified… will facili- caused,” Mr. Zelenskyy said. The July 2-4 itinerary offered many Ukrainian!” he continued in Ukrainian. tate feature film, television and digital pro- Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry opportunities for Mr. Zelenskyy to demon- Following his lighthearted introduction, ductions by creating a framework for the Peskov, told reporters in Moscow that strate how he has transitioned from playing Mr. Zelenskyy turned to the more serious pooling of creative and financial resources the Kremlin will consider Mr. a president on television (in the Ukrainian substance of his first public speech on of Canadian and Ukrainian audiovisual pro- Zelenskyy’s call for talks with Mr. series “Servant of the People”) to filling that Canadian soil. He spoke of his desire to ducers,” according to a backgrounder from Putin, but added that he was “not pre- role as Ukraine’s sixth head of state since reach a ceasefire in the battle-ravaged east- the prime minister’s office. pared” to respond at the moment. his May 20 inauguration. A natural show- ern region of Ukraine, rescue the 24 “First, we need to understand man, he did not disappoint in terms of style. Ukrainian sailors detained and recover the (Continued on page 3) whether such a meeting has any pros- pects, and second, we need to under- stand what kind of new format is being offered,” Mr. Peskov said. President Zelenskyy’s video state- Zelenskyy praises Canada, outlines his agenda ment comes amid concerns voiced by Ukrainian politicians and activists in first public overseas addresses since taking office regarding the television “bridge” pro- selves,” said the 41-year-old Ukrainian attain the impossible.” posed by Russia’s state-owned Rossia-1 by Christopher Guly Special to The Ukrainian Weekly head of state. The former actor-turned-politician reit- channel and Ukraine’s NewsOne televi- “We do not have any global ambitions. erated the message he delivered in his May sion network, which is associated with OTTAWA – In his first public address on But we are ready to surprise the world in a 20 inaugural address, when he urged Viktor Medvedchuk, the head of his first overseas visit, Ukrainian President pleasant way.” Ukrainian expatriates to return and “build a Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin Opposition Volodymyr Zelenskyy told delegates Mr. Zelenskyy referred to the Toronto new state – a state that would focus on its Platform – For Life party. attending the Ukraine Reform Conference Raptors recently becoming the first non- citizens, which is what brought me into pol- On July 7, a Russian state TV pre- in Toronto on July 2 that the host country U.S. team to win the National Basketball itics. I wanted to live in a country like this.” senter known for his fiery anti-West- for the third annual gathering is a model Association (NBA) championship. To amplify his point, Mr. Zelenskyy again ern diatribes, Dmitry Kiselyov, for Ukraine. “Look at me – you wouldn’t be surprised turned to the world of professional sports announced that the direct Russian- “Canada sets an example of the kind of if I told you that basketball is not exactly and paraphrased a quote from National Ukrainian TV link called “We Need To country we’d like to become – a country of my game,” said the 5-foot-6 president. But Hockey League (NHL) legend Wayne Talk” would be held on July 12. prosperous and happy people who live in the Raptors’ win, he said, is a “great exam- Gretzky, a Canadian who is of Ukrainian (Continued on page 2) harmony with the outside world, in harmo- ple that reflects the task facing Ukraine. To ny with the environment and with them- win when you’re an underdog, to unite and (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2019 No. 28 ANALYSIS A China-Europe rail link circumventing Russia Zelenskyy: ‘No expensive military parade’ an interview with RFE/RL on July 7, Mr. Herbst said Kyiv would likely order more Ukrainian President Volodymyr Javelin missiles as the tanks continue to be Zelenskyy has announced that the country could have major geopolitical consequences a key problem for Ukrainian forces. will not hold an “expensive” military However he said the country doesn’t have because of economic difficulties in Ukraine parade as it has in years past on the coun- by Paul Goble billions to spend on U.S. weapons. The pur- and Georgia, if not in Azerbaijan. But now try’s Independence Day, August 24. Instead, Eurasia Daily Monitor chase request comes as Ukrainian that has changed. On May 31, the Asia the president said in a video address post- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to To buttress the country’s flagging econo- Development Bank (ADB) announced a ed to Facebook on July 9, the 300 million make his first official visit to the United my, Moscow has counted on the Russian major loan program to develop rail lines in hrv ($11.7 million U.S.) typically used to States. The trip, which could take place in Federation being the primary transit route Central Asia, something that will make the showcase the country’s firepower and the coming weeks, would be the first meet- for Chinese goods being shipped to Europe. Azerbaijan-Georgia-Ukraine corridor far armed forces will be allocated to service- ing between President Donald Trump and However, Beijing’s commitment to becom- more likely to be developed – and complet- men as bonuses. “It’s so pompous and defi- Mr. Zelenskyy, who won in a landslide in ing the dominant player on the Northern ed sooner than most had assumed nitely not cheap,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in his April. A military sale to Ukraine could cap Sea Route (The Barents Observer, June 7), as (Russian.news.cn, May 31).