INSIDE: Alexander Motyl wins Antonovych Foundation award – page 3 Mark von Hagen, advocate of Ukrainian studies, dies – page 4 Book review: Atlas of Ukrainians in the United States – page 7 THEHEPublished U by theKRAINIANK UkrainianR NationalAIN Association,IAN Inc., celebrating W its 125th anniversaryEEKLYEEKLY Vol. LXXXVII No. 39 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 $2.00 U.S. diaspora organizations celebrate NEWS ANALYSIS 125 years with conference, banquet Zelenskyy’s trip to New York employs Ukrainian National Association in the spotlight diplomacy as damage containment by Matthew Dubas better future for the community and suc- cessive waves of immigration. Mr. Kaczaraj NEW YORK – Ukrainian diaspora organi- underscored: “We did it! Nas ne podolaty!” zations in the United States were recog- (We shall not be divided). “And after over- nized and celebrated for having flourished coming the struggles from 125 years ago for more than 125 years with a conference we are still here, as the diaspora organiza- and banquet at the Princeton Club in New tions prepare for the challenges of the next York on September 21. 125 years,” he said. The event, attended by more than 100 In the first panel discussion, “Found- participants, was sponsored by the Center ation Stones of the Ukrainian American for U.S.-Ukrainian Relations (CUSUR) and the Community,” Roma Lisovich, chief financial Ukrainian Congress Committee of America officer/treasurer of the UNA, underscored (UCCA), as well as the Ukrainian National the UNA’s 125th anniversary and provided Association (UNA), which this year cele- a brief overview of the organization’s histo- brates its 125th anniversary of its founding. ry from its founding in the coal mining Officially titled “Ukrainian Historical town of Shamokin, Pa., and the surrounding Encounters Series Special Event: Celebrating towns with growing Ukrainian immigrant the 125th Anniversary of the Organized populations. Ukrainian American Community,” the confer- She underscored that the UNA and the community at that time were one and the ence comprised six panel discussions that Presidential Office of Ukraine same. were coordinated by Prof. Walter Zaryckyj, Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at their joint press briefing on president of CUSUR, covering topics such Ukrainian immigrants to the U.S. under- went an identity affirmation, she noted, from September 25. as the foundation stones of the community, at first identifying as Rusyns, Ruthenians, religious life, cultural life, youth organiza- President Trump had applied on Ukraine to Austro-Hungarians, Polish and others prior by Bohdan Nahaylo tions, academia, and financial institutions support his political aims in a recent tele- to the World War II, and then identifying as and charitable foundations. KYIV – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s phone conversation with President Ukrainians beginning about 1912. Opening remarks were delivered by trip to New York on September 24-26 for Zelenskyy on July 25. Ms. Lisovich noted the lasting impact of UNA President/CEO Stefan Kaczaraj and the 74th session of the United Nations With the launch by the Democrats on Ukrainian immigration that can be seen in Ambassador of Ukraine to the United General Assembly and events surrounding September 24 of impeachment proceed- street names and town names, such as in it witnessed a whirlwind of activity and a ings against President Trump, the latter Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko. North Dakota, where there are towns called barrage of commentary. The question in broke with all previous diplomatic protocol Mr. Kaczaraj noted the UNA’s historical Kief (Kyiv) and Ukraina, among others. Kyiv is how has Mr. Zelenskyy emerged and norms and, in order to defend himself, beginnings and how it paid homage to the The majority of the early waves of immi- from this diplomatic baptism of fire and instructed that a record of the closed tele- new American homeland of Ukrainian gration were working men, who were what it bodes for Ukraine. phone conversation be published. He immigrants, as the founding date of the sponsored or promised work in the It was a very difficult time for the decided to do this notwithstanding the pos- UNA was chosen to coincide with George coalmines or the farming industry. With Ukrainian leader to go to the U.S. and the sible embarrassment it might cause the Washington’s birthday, February 22. this influx of male workers came the neces- Struggles were overcome, he said, and the stakes remain high. Given the intensifica- Ukrainian president even as he was in the organization continued its work to build a (Continued on page 16) tion of the political infighting between the U.S. Democrats and the Republicans in the U.S., That same day President Trump was controversy around the Trump-Zelenskyy among the first to address the U.N. General connection overshadowed everything else. Assembly. He had plenty to say about China, Understandably, perhaps, but there was Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, but also more to it all than this. did not mention Russia, Vladimir Putin or For Ukraine’s new president, it was a Ukraine. The takeaway for the Ukrainian major test for him personally, for his team delegation was not an encouraging one. and, in a certain sense, for Ukraine itself. Against this background, President Could the novice on the international scene Zelenskyy had to put on a brave face and rise to the occasion and make proper use of move on with business at hand. As it was his appearance on the world’s main stage, too late to engage in damage prevention, and in side meetings with President Trump the working visit became an exercise in and other international leaders, to promote damage control. Ukraine’s interests and sustain, or even On his arrival in New York, the Ukrainian augment, support for his country? president had meetings with representatives Flying into New York, Mr. Zelenskyy was of the Ukrainian diaspora in the U.S., and sev- effectively a proverbial Daniel going into eral foreign leaders, including German the lions’ den. The Democratic Party has Chancellor Angela Merkel and NATO renewed its offensive against the Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, all of Republican president, once again using which were reported to have gone well. Matthew Dubas Trump’s dealings, direct or indirect, with That same evening, Mr. Zelenskyy had Stefan Kaczaraj, CEO/president of the Ukrainian National Association, Roma Lisovich, Ukraine as the basis for their latest assault. two other significant unforeseen meetings chief financial officer/treasurer of the UNA, and Prof. Walter Zarycky, program coor- Previously, it was the notorious Manafort dinator of the conference and director of the Center for U.S.-Ukrainian Relations. case; now it is the alleged pressure that (Continued on page 16) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 No. 39 ANALYSIS Putin overplays hand with Normandy summit, Zelenskyy warns about Russia’s war Sentsov: focus on fighting Putin regime Ukrainian President Volodymyr Oleh Sentsov, the Ukrainian film director inadvertently rescues Zelenskyy from the brink Zelenskyy on September 25 kicked off the who was held in Russian prisons for more second day of speeches at this year’s United than five years, has accused Russian PART I Ushakov named several “prerequisites” to holding the summit, the main condition Nations General Assembly by warning authorities of wanting to “enslave” Ukraine, by Vladimir Socor being the Normandy leaders’ acceptance of world leaders that they won’t feel safe as and he called on all Ukrainians to work to Eurasia Daily Monitor the “Steinmeier formula” for the implemen- long as Russia is waging war “in the center end the ongoing war in the eastern part of tation of the Minsk agreements. Mr. of Europe.” In a globalized world “there is the country. Speaking just 16 days after his The Kremlin has derailed the summit of Ushakov demanded a “written codification no such thing as someone else’s war,” Mr. return to Ukraine, Mr. Sentsov also told the Normandy group’s (Russia, Germany, of the Steinmeier formula” at the leaders’ Zelenskyy said in his first address before RFE/RL in an interview that for him the France, Ukraine) leaders, which was sup- summit, as well as finalization of the sum- the world body. “Every leader shares fight was not against Russia or Russians posed to be held on September 16, in Paris. mit’s concluding document ahead of the responsibility for the destiny not only of themselves, but against what he called Apparently, Russian President Vladimir event itself, with implementation guaran- their country but of the whole world.” President Vladimir Putin’s regime. “[When Putin determined at the last moment that teed by an “iron agreement” (Interfax, Moscow continues to back separatists in I say] fight, as I said, it means, in general, to his far-reaching objectives for this summit September 13). eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed work and struggle to counteract Putin’s could not be fully achieved at this point. Authored in 2015-2016 by Germany’s more than 13,000 people and displaced regime that wants, in the first place, to The Normandy group had not held a sum- then–minister of foreign affairs, Frank- almost 2 million people since April 2014. enslave Ukraine,” he said in the September mit in the last three years. The derailed Walter Steinmeier (head of state since Russia also took over Ukraine’s Crimean heads-of-state/government gathering is 23 interview. “This means an end to the 2017), the Steinmeier formula enjoys offi- peninsula in March 2014 in a move that has still expected to be held in Paris, but with- war in the Donbas, the return of our pris- cial support in Berlin and Paris, as well as been condemned by most countries.