INSIDE: l UNWLA Branch 56 decorates local public libraries with Ukrainian crafts – page 8 l Ukrainian American Archives and Museum of Detroit plans new exhibits – page 9 l Ukrainian pro hockey update – page 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXIX No. 16 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2021 $2.00 Top U.S. official calls on Ukraine to crack Russia continues amassing troops near Ukraine’s down on oligarchs, including gas billionaire border as Biden proposes summit with Putin by Todd Prince wealth trading Russian natural gas in the Moscow refuses dialogue with Ukraine to defuse tension RFE/RL 1990s, as an example of Ukraine’s flawed justice system. A senior U.S. State Department official Mr. Firtash became the official partner of has said it is time for Ukraine to tackle cor­ Russian state­controlled gas giant Gazprom ruption and weak institutions, including in the trading firm RosUkrEnergo, the going after Dmytro Firtash, whose natural­ monopoly importer of natural gas to gas holdings have made him one of the Ukraine during the late 2000s. He made country’s most notorious, and powerful, hundreds of millions of dollars during the oligarchs. short lifespan of RosUkrEnergo, which ana­ The April 8 comments by George Kent, lysts called an unnecessary middleman. the deputy U.S. assistant secretary of state U.S. officials have also alleged that Mr. who oversees Ukraine, come as President Firtash has ties to Russian organized crime. Joe Biden makes Kyiv’s progress on “Everyone knows that he started out as reforms a greater priority in the bilateral the front for Russian gas interests,” Mr. Kent relationship. said. Speaking at a meeting of the U.S.­Ukraine In March 2014, U.S. prosecutors unsealed Business Council, Mr. Kent said graft and a an indictment charging Mr. Firtash with cor­ weak judiciary made up an “internal ruption in connection with an Indian titani­ threat” in Ukraine, and he compared it with um project that the U.S. aerospace giant the external threat Kyiv faced from Russia. Boeing was studying. Russia has amassed a substantial num­ U.S. officials have sought Mr. Firtash’s ber of forces on its border with Ukraine, and extradition from Vienna since then. He has Office of the President of Ukraine moved others into the occupied peninsula denied the charges, saying they are politi­ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a working visit to the war zone of of Crimea. That has raised alarms among cally motivated. Donbas on April 8. Western observers who fear an escalation Ukraine has never charged Mr. Firtash of the seven­year conflict in eastern Ukraine. with a crime. He continues to make mil­ by Mark Raczkiewycz country’s border less than a week after the Mr. Kent said that seven years after lions of dollars a year in the country’s graft­ Ukrainian president visited Istanbul for Ukrainian citizens drove from power the ridden energy industry through his control KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr talks on the security situation with Turkish corrupt administration of President Viktor of gas­distribution companies. Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Yanukovych, the judiciary system remained “Why is it that it is the U.S. who indicts French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Both presidents signed a 20­point decla­ “flawed,” while oligarchs continue to call and goes after corrupt Ukrainians?” Mr. Paris on April 16 to discuss Russia’s mas­ ration, which included calls to end the “ille­ the shots. Kent said. sive troop buildup on Ukraine’s state bor­ gal, illegitimate annexation of Crimea, a for­ “The time has now come...to start mak­ “It’s time for the Ukrainian leadership ders. mer Ottoman dominion that is home to the ing the tough decisions to rein in the influ­ and the justice system – rather than not The official visit comes just days after Muslim Tatars, by the Russian Federation” ence of oligarchs and the systemic corrup­ making decisions against corrupt oligarchs Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran and the “de­occupation” of the Donbas tion,” Mr. Kent said. – to use Ukrainian institutions to go after announced that Russia will by April 20 where forces Russia commands, controls, In his speech, Mr. Kent highlighted Mr. have 110,000 soldiers deployed near the supplies and fights besides, has waged a Firtash, a tycoon who made his initial (Continued on page 4) war since April 2014. More than 14,000 people have been killed in the war, with the latest mortal casualty taking place on April 13, when Plast celebrates 109th anniversary with events 40­year­old Oleksiy Mamchiy of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade was killed near in parliament and throughout Ukraine the town of Mayorsk in the Donetsk region. Russia for weeks has amassed signifi­ by Roman Tymotsko cant ground, air and maritime forces to KYIV – For the second year in a row, Ukraine’s south in Crimea, as well as in the the Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organizat­ east and north. An additional force of ion marked the anniversary of its found­ 35,000 military personnel is estimated in ing on April 12 online due to pandemic the occupied parts of the easternmost restrictions. While many of the com­ Luhansk and Donetsk regions and 40,000 memorations took place virtually, mem­ in the Crimean Peninsula. bers of the Ukrainian parliament from Ukraine’s military intelligence said air the inter­factional caucus “Plast” gath­ support for the deployed troops is provid­ ered in the Verkhovna Rada to congratu­ ed by about 350 aircraft and up to 250 heli­ late the organization on its 109th anni­ copters. From sea, a fleet of 40 warships, versary during a plenary session the fol­ boats and two submarines provide addi­ lowing day. tional support. “Today, together with the people’s dep­ Turkey has in addition supported Kyiv’s uties, we want to greet you with the scout­ ambitions to join NATO, of which Ankara is ing call S.K.O.B. – strong, beautiful, careful, Verkhovna Rada a member. Ukraine produces engines for Members of the inter-factional parliamentary caucus Plast congratulate the orga- the Turkey’s armed Bayraktar TB2 drones. (Continued on page 11) nization on its 109th anniversary. (Continued on page 12) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2021 No. 16 ANALYSIS Penned in on multiple international issues, Kyiv extends COVID lockdown of Ukraine and international law,” Mr. Erdogan said. Turkey and Ukraine, both of Putin strives to show resolve on Ukraine The Ukrainian capital Kyiv will remain which border on the Black Sea, maintain on lockdown until April 30 as the daily close relations, and Turkey has previously number of new coronavirus cases and tion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and condemned the Russian annexation of the by Pavel K. Baev coronavirus­related deaths continues to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin are Crimean Peninsula in 2014. “As Turkey, we Eurasia Daily Monitor climb. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko intent on consolidating this transatlantic have strongly defended the integrity and announced the decision in a televised brief­ Putting military pressure on Ukraine solidarity by traveling again to Brussels sovereignty of Ukraine. We have once more ing on April 14, saying there was “no other could have seemed to the Russian leader­ this week (RBC, April 10). confirmed our decision not to recognize the choice, otherwise the medical system ship to be the most practical way to assert In late April, Mr. Putin will deliver his occupation of Crimea,” Mr. Erdogan said at would not be able to cope with a further Moscow’s central role in international annual address to the Federal Assembly the press conference. During their meeting rise in the number of patients, otherwise affairs. The standard working assumption (upper chamber of the Russian parlia­ the presidents also discussed expanding there will be even more deaths.” Last in the Kremlin is that facing a risk of violent ment), but he will hardly be able to retread defense cooperation between their coun­ month, city authorities closed schools and conflict, the disunited West would become the topic from 2018, when his presentation tries. Mr. Zelenskyy said the stepped­up kindergartens, theaters, and shopping cen­ attentive to Russian grievances and revolved around “wonder missiles” cooperation would apply especially to ters, while cafes and restaurants were only demands and opt for a compromise. This (Kommersant, April 10; see EDM, March 8, weaponry and the construction of fighter allowed to provide takeaway food. Kyiv crisis­manipulation ploy – if that is what is, 12, 2018). This year, he needs to focus on jets. Mr. Zelenskyy said Kyiv and Ankara public transport is now operating on spe­ indeed, happening – has not worked this urgent economic and social problems but share the same view on threats in the Black cial passenger passes for those working for time, and Moscow now finds itself in a self­ remains reluctant to disburse the accumu­ Sea region and the response to those critical infrastructure enterprises. Mr. made trap (Moscow Echo, April 9). lated financial reserves either for a solid threats. Mr. Zelenskyy, who visited troops Klitschko recommended that companies Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stimulus package or for generous social in the Donbas region two days ago, said he keep employees working remotely, or have whom Mr. Putin’s court considers an inde­ support programs (Znak.com, April 9). The had briefed Mr. Erdogan on the situation in them take vacation. “No time to be frivo­ cisive waverer, has taken a firm stance in Russian president is also wary about the detail. Major movements of Russian armed lous.