INSIDE: l Reactions to election and protests in Belarus – pages 3 and 6 l Zelenskyy calls for tolerance, open dialogue in Belarus – page 4 l Book notes: short stories, poetry, a children’s book – page 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 33 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2020 $2.00 U.S. Justice Department seeks to seize NEWS ANALYSIS assets of Ukraine oligarch partners As Belarus is reborn, Ukraine holds its breath Moguls accused of laundering over $70 million in U.S. LB.ua Hromadske International svaboda.org (RFE/RL) Gennadiy Boholiubov Ihor Kolomoisky Hundreds of women dressed in white and bearing flowers unite in a chain of solidari- ty on August 12 to protest police brutality after the disputed results of the Belarusian by Mark Raczkiewycz The U.S. Department of Justice, in a com- presidential elected were announced. plaint filed on August 6, alleged that long- CHICAGO – The long arm of the U.S. jus- time Ukrainian business partners Ihor by Bohdan Nahaylo So, what does this mean, at least for now, tice system once again has fixated on the Kolomoisky and Gennadiy Boholiubov had for Ukraine, Belarus’s southern neighbor? upper echelons of Ukraine’s oligarchic concealed at least $70 million of misappro- KYIV – Belarus is in revolt and a new What was the state of bilateral relations class. Two moguls last week were accused priated funds in the United States by pur- Belarusian political nation has been born before and after the critical presidential of stealing billions of dollars from a chasing “5 million square feet of commer- before our very eyes. The implications are election of August 9, which tens of thou- Ukrainian bank they previously owned and cial real estate in Ohio, steel plants in far-reaching. Not only for the Belarusians sands of Belarusians throughout their laundering some of the proceeds by amass- themselves, but their diverse neighbors, ing assets in six states. (Continued on page 11) Europe generally and even beyond. (Continued on page 4) Ukraine prepares for second wave Efforts continue to advance of COVID-19 amid dramatic spread Holodomor awareness in the U.S. by Roman Tymotsko In the yellow zone, visits to nursing U.S. Holodomor Committee tunity to bring domestic and international homes for the elderly are not allowed, experts together on Holodomor-related KYIV – As of August 12, there were except for those that provide services in WASHINGTON – For nearly fifteen years, issues. It featured workshops delving into 84,548 officially confirmed COVID-19 cases critical situations. Restrictions of the green the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian practical topics of advancing Holodomor in Ukraine. Last week, the number of those zone also apply. Holodomor-Genocide Awareness (U.S. curriculum in the United States; political infected set records four days in a row. Additional prohibitions in the orange Holodomor Committee) has worked dili- recognition of the Holodomor as genocide; Officially, the adaptive quarantine in zone do not allow the operation of estab- gently to raise the awareness of the social and mass media awareness cam- Ukraine has been extended until August 31, lishments providing accommodations, such American public about one of the least paigns about the Holodomor; and efforts to however, the government does not plan to as hostels and tourist bases (hotels are known tragedies in the world – the 1932- rescind The New York Times correspon- lift restrictions anytime soon. allowed to function), and the nighttime 1933 Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, or dent Walter Duranty’s Pulitzer Prize for his The Cabinet of Ministers has developed operation of entertainment facilities and Holodomor. The quintessential accomplish- articles, which were wrought with Soviet a new system that classifies the country’s restaurants. Public events are restricted to ment was the dedication of the Holodomor propaganda, including denial of the Famine regions by zones – green, yellow, orange one person per 20 square meters and no Memorial in Washington on November 7, taking place in Ukraine. and red – based on the level of risk for more than 100 people total. 2015, attended by Ukraine’s First Lady The momentum of the Holodomor coronavirus spread. Going from green to The red zone has the most restrictions. Maryna Poroshenko, hierarchs of the Forum has furthered the advancement of red, each zone has progressively higher The operation of public transport, visiting Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Holodomor awareness in the United States. quarantine restrictions. educational institutions and the business Churches, members of Congress, and thou- Currently, the U.S. Holodomor Committee is The green zone is the safest and has the activities of shopping malls, cafes and res- sands of community activists from concentrating its efforts on recognition of least restrictions. It envisages only the taurants are prohibited. throughout the country. the Holodomor as a genocide in all 50 U.S. obligatory wearing of face masks in public This epidemiological zoning depends on Since that historic event in Ukrainian states. To date, 21 U.S. states and five major buildings and limits the number of passen- several indicators, first of all, the occupancy American community’s history, the U.S. U.S. cities have officially approved such rec- gers on public transport to the seating rate of beds in facilities designated for the Holodomor Committee continued its ognition, the majority of them in 2018, dur- capacity. Mass events are allowed, but with hospitalization of COVID-19 patients. To important work by holding the first-of-its- ing the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor. no more than one person per five square remain in the green zone, a region should kind Holodomor Forum in the United Additional projects include disseminat- meters. Cinemas are permitted to work at States in October 2019 in Philadelphia. The 50 percent occupancy. (Continued on page 12) three-day forum was designed as an oppor- (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2020 No. 33 ANALYSIS Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine Shmyhal on Medvedchuk’s trip to Crimea Crimean Tatar community and others who have spoken out against Russia’s military Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys occupation and illegal annexation of the inaugurate the Lublin Triangle Shmyhal said the stay in Russian-occupied region. In its annual report on religious September 2017). The setting up of the Crimea by the head of the political council freedom worldwide, released in April 2019, by Jakub Bornio of the Opposition Platform – For Life party, Eurasia Daily Monitor Lublin Triangle clearly suggests that the the U.S. Commission on International new opening in Kyiv-Warsaw relations – National Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk, is an Religious Freedom said Russian-installed The ministers of foreign affairs of both Ukrainian President Volodymyr “unacceptable step.” In an interview with authorities in the occupied region “contin- Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine held a trilat- Zelenskyy and Foreign Affairs Minister Radio Liberty on August 10, Mr. Shmyhal ued to kidnap, torture and imprison eral meeting in the southeastern Polish city Dmytro Kuleba visited Poland within six said: “I have a negative attitude. This is a Crimean Tatar Muslims at will.” (RFE/RL’s of Lublin on July 28 to discuss regional months of taking their positions – will con- very unacceptable step on the part of a Ukrainian Service) cooperation (Gov.pl, July 28). To pursue tinue. Ukrainian politician, whoever he may be, such future development, the officials nota- The trilateral declaration emphasizes whoever he is. Therefore, I have a critical Denisova: prisoners’ families must be protected bly established the Lublin Triangle, a new that the Lublin Triangle’s objective is to negative attitude to this.” Earlier in the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for political platform invoking the integration- bring Ukraine closer not only to the week, Mr. Medvedchuk’s press secretary Human Rights Lyudmyla Denisova ist heritage of the 1569 Union of Lublin. European Union and the North Atlantic Oleh Babanin confirmed to a correspon- The recently established format is noth- Treaty Organization (NATO) but also to dent of the Krym.Realii project that he had appealed to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ing unusual for Central/Eastern Europe; “other regional formats.” Indeed, Ukraine gone to annexed Crimea. “Viktor Medved- to do everything possible to release many similar multilateral platforms involv- used to more regularly cooperate with the chuk is on vacation as a member of Ukrainian political prisoners and instruct ing regional states already exist, including Visegrad Four (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Parliament and is resting with his family in the government to provide their families the Visegrad Four (V4), Bucharest Nine, Hungary), for instance. In 2016, Ukrainian Crimea,” he said. (Interfax-Ukraine) with adequate social protection. “I appeal to Three Seas Initiative (3SI), Nordic-Baltic soldiers joined the EU V4 Battlegroup. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy Eight and the Weimar Triangle. However, In the Lublin declaration, however, spe- Ombudswoman: Russia holds 133 Ukrainians with a request to do everything possible to since these groupings are rarely institution- cial attention was paid to the Three Seas release Ukrainian political prisoners and Ukrainian Ombudswoman Lyudmyla alized, their establishment and intensity of Initiative (Mfa.gov.ua, July 28). Ukraine is instruct the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine meetings telegraph the changing political already engaged in the development of a Denisova says Russia is currently holding to provide their families with adequate priorities of the included countries and the branch of the Via Carpatia highway – one of 133 Ukrainian citizens on politically moti- social protection. I ask First Lady of general condition of their relations. The the flagship projects of the 3SI. Even vated charges, including 97 Crimean Tatars. Ukraine Olena Zelenska to take each such Lublin Triangle – as emphasized in the joint though Kyiv has openly declared its willing- In an August 10 post on Telegram, Ms.