www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: l Mariupol a high-value target for Russia – page 2 l UCCA organizing election observing mission – page 10 l UOC-U.S.A. reaches out to wounded soldiers – page 11 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXII No. 37 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 $2.00 Mariupol says no Ceasefire trouble prompts to Novorossiya consideration of martial law by Zenon Zawada there’s no alternative” to martial law, Mr. Yatsenyuk told the 1+1 television network in an interview broadcast on KYIV – With the second ceasefire in Ukraine’s east on September 7. “The main advantage is it means the entire tenuous ground, top Ukrainian authorities, including Prime country shifts onto a military track exclusively, beginning Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, have raised the possibility of with civilian defense and ending with the military command imposing martial law and engaging in war as the only via- gaining the full government authority on Ukrainian territo- ble option left to deal with the escalating Russian occupa- ry.” (See sidebar “Martial law in Ukraine?” on page 3.) tion of Ukraine. The biggest disadvantage, Mr. Yatsenyuk said, is that The latest ceasefire was reached on September 5 in Ukraine’s Western partners will criticize his government Minsk between former President Leonid Kuchma, repre- for closing the channels for negotiations toward a peace senting the Ukrainian government, and the self-proclaimed plan and resolving the conflict without the military. Official Website of Ukraine’s President leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics. Mr. Yatsenyuk’s statement was the first time he indicat- President Petro Poroshenko, during a visit to Among its 12 points were ceasing warfare, exchanging hos- ed that he’d consider martial law. Until then, he had been Mariupol on September 8, is seen with Metinvest company employees. He assured residents of tages and withdrawing Russian soldiers and hardware. (See toeing the line set by Ukrainian President Petro Mariupol that their city “is and will be Ukrainian.” sidebar “About the Minsk ceasefire protocol” on page 3.) Poroshenko, who has consistently favored diplomatic Since then, the Russians have nonetheless continued methods over military options, including martial law. by Vladimir Socor their offensive, reportedly shelling the outskirts of Mariupol Mr. Poroshenko said in late July that he opposes martial Eurasia Daily Monitor (population 458,500) with mortar fire, shooting up the law because he’d risk losing desperately needed financing Donetsk airport under Ukrainian control and evacuating a from Western governments and institutions, particularly Mariupol illustrates the failure of Russia’s village outside of Debaltseve (population 25,500) in the the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has offered Novorossiya project to attract popular support in Donetsk region in preparation for an attack on the town. southeastern Ukraine. That project might have been “If the ceasefire ends as all the previous ceasefires, (Continued on page 8) expected to meet with success in many large cities, including Mariupol. This city of 500,000 (the second- largest in the Donetsk province) is thoroughly Russified linguistically, closely linked economically with Russia, and under a municipal administration New EU sanctions against Russia to take effect fully controlled by the Party of Regions, notwithstand- ing the regime change in Kyiv. Although ethnic RFE/RL that it has sent Russian soldiers and weapons to reinforce separatists who are fighting government forces in eastern Ukrainians slightly outnumber ethnic Russians in BRUSSELS – European Council President Herman Van Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Mariupol (49 percent to 44 percent), 89 percent of the Rompuy has said the European Union’s new sanctions will A top NATO official in late August said that Russia had city’s population speaks Russian as the everyday lan- go into effect on September 12 against Russia for its role in sent more than 1,000 of its soldiers into Ukrainian territo- guage, according to the latest census, which was held Ukraine’s conflict, but held out the prospect the sanctions ry along with tanks, armored personnel carriers, and in 2001. Such imbalances stem from linguistic could be scaled back or repealed. Russification of Ukrainians in tsarist and Soviet times, Mr. Van Rompuy said the EU would monitor the peace (Continued on page 16) and would continue under recent “federalization” pro- process in eastern Ukraine to determine before the end of posals. September if changes are merited. Russia’s paramilitary proxies undertook several The fresh sanctions tighten restrictions on weapons attempts from mid-April to mid-May to capture deals with Russian defense firms. They also include a ban Speaker Boehner says Mariupol. The local police was wavering while govern- on financing from EU countries to Russian energy firms ment forces were far away. Amid the power vacuum, like Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft. he’ll invite Poroshenko Metinvest steel company management loyal to It also add the names of 24 Russian citizens and pro- Ukraine provided unarmed worker patrols to restore Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine to the existing sanc- to address Congress order in Mariupol, undoubtedly on instructions from tions list, targeting them with travel bans and freezing Metinvest’s main owner, Rinat Akhmetov (see article their assets in the EU. WASHINGTON – House Speaker John Boehner on page 2). This resulted in a temporary situation of Meanwhile, the Russian ruble fell to a new record low of (R-Ohio) on September 10 announced that he will dual power in Mariupol, under an informal agreement 37.57 to the dollar. invite President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine to between loyalist and secessionist forces. Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on September 11 address a joint meeting of both houses of Congress Mr. Akhmetov publicly opposed the holding of the called the sanctions an “unfriendly act” and warned on Thursday, September 18. May 11 secessionist referendum. This fell flat in Moscow’s retaliation would be “absolutely proportionate.” “Having President Poroshenko address Congress is Mariupol. Conversely, the May 25 presidential election Andrei Belousov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir another signal of our steadfast commitment to the was held in an orderly manner in this city, albeit with Putin, said Russia has already compiled a list of consumer aspirations of his people,” Rep. Boehner said. “It will a low turnout. Petro Poroshenko took first place, and goods that it will ban from being imported into Russia in be an honor and a privilege to welcome him to the the municipal authorities (affiliated with the Party of response to the EU’s sanctions. United States Capitol.” Regions) announced their support for the president- The measures were agreed by EU leaders on the side- Mr. Poroshenko is the fifth president of Ukraine, elect (marsovet.org.ua, May 25, 27). Ukrainian lines of a NATO summit on September 5 and formally and will be the second to address the United States National Guard units entered Mariupol on June 13; on approved in Brussels on September 8. Congress. President Viktor Yushchenko addressed a But publication of the decision was delayed to allow time that date the Kyiv-appointed state administration of joint meeting on April 6, 2005. to assess the implementation of a ceasefire agreement in the Donetsk Oblast under Governor Serhiy Taruta Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman eastern Ukraine between Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists. relocated from the secessionist-controlled Donetsk Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Bob The EU previously has said that sanctions could be sus- city to the safe Mariupol. The governor’s own back- Corker (R.-Tenn.) had sent a letter to Rep. Boehner pended if Moscow honors the conditions of the ceasefire asking him to invite President Poroshenko, as did (Continued on page 17) and pulls its troops out of Ukrainian territory. members of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. Russia denies accusations by the EU, Kyiv and NATO 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 No. 37 ANALYSIS Mariupol: A high-value target Poroshenko: Ukraine will remain united and increasing amounts of heavy weapons supplied by Moscow. Russia denies that it is KYIV – Ukrainian President Petro deploying soldiers or sending weapons in Russia’s war against Ukraine Poroshenko says he will submit a bill to across their shared border. Ratification of Parliament next week to grant “special sta- Russia’s short-term political objective is the sanctions would have been automatic if by Vladimir Socor tus” to areas in eastern Ukraine but that the no EU member state objected, but at least to create a Donetsk-Luhansk (Donbas) pro- Eurasia Daily Monitor country will remain united. Mr. Poroshenko one EU country appeared to oppose the tim- tectorate, entailing de facto its secession told a televised government meeting on ing of the plan. Reports suggested the objec- Russia opened its second front against from Ukraine. The Kremlin also holds the September 10 that a peace accord signed tor was Finland, but that was not immedi- Ukraine in late August on the Azov Sea “federalization” project in play, entailing with pro-Russian separatists on September ately confirmed. EU diplomats said that the coast, threatening to capture the port city privileged economic relations between 5 preserves the concept of Ukraine as a sov- proposed new sanctions included a ban on of Mariupol (Donetsk region’s outlet to the Ukraine’s eastern provinces and Russia. ereign, united country within its current loans and financing from EU countries to sea) and potentially to link up with Crimea. The more ambitious Novorossiya is also a borders. “We will not make any concessions major Russian energy firms – including The opening of this second front, coordi- working hypothesis. Any of these possible to anybody on the issue of the sovereign Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft.