THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIII No. 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015 $2.00 Protesters rally for arms for Ukraine in front of White House by Matthew Dubas WASHINGTON – More than 300 people gathered on the plaza in front of the White House on March 26 to demand that the Obama administration send lethal defensive weap- ons to Ukraine. The protest attracted not only Ukrainians, but representatives of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, Poland, Georgia, Armenia, as well as Circassians. Representing the Ukrainian community clergy, Bishop John Bura of the Ukrainian Catholic Church was in attendance. First to the podium was Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), a member of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, who spoke of the bipartisan support in Congress with the Ukraine Freedom Support Act (UFSA) that was unanimously passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in December. The world is awaiting President Obama to fulfill the terms of the UFSA, which he signed into law following its passage, Rep. Pascrell said. Janusz Bugajski, senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), offered his words of sup- port for arming Ukraine. Matthew Dubas Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst noted Ukrainians are joined in front of the White House by Georgians, Latvians, Estonians, Lithuanians, Circassians and Poles with calls for the U.S. to arm Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continuation of Russian aggression toward Ukraine and Europe. “The White House Atlantic Council, added that a new policy needs to be put in Vidutis informed protesters about the organization Blue- does not understand the situation, that the Kremlin’s place, as the Atlantic Council recommended $1 billion of Yellow.lt, which has been working toward aiding Ukraine aggression must have a cost – more than sanctions. military aid over the next three years. and highlighting its humanitarian needs, as well as coun- Ukraine’s military is under-armed and needs the autho- Danele (Diana) Vidutis, president of the District of tering the disinformation coming from Moscow. rized defensive lethal weapons.” Ambassador Herbst, who Columbia Lithuanian American Community, said that the is director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Lithuanian people are 100 percent behind Ukraine. Ms. (Continued on page 12) Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ukraine Today news channel aims urges additional assistance for Ukraine to reach English-speaking world WASHINGTON – In a letter to President by Yaro Bihun Barack Obama, the chairman and ranking member of the House Appropriations WASHINGTON – Ukraine Today, an Subcommittee on Defense have urged that Internet television news channel in the the administration increase assistance to English language, was formally introduced the government of Ukraine immediately. here March 27 during a special presenta- Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) tion at the Embassy of Ukraine. and Ranking Member Peter Visclosky The independent channel was launched (D-Ind.) wrote: “First, you should designate in August 2014 with the primary intent of Ukraine as a Major Non-NATO Ally. Second, informing the worldwide English-speaking the Consolidated Appropriations Act for audience about Ukraine and the dire situa- Fiscal Year 2015 contains $175 million with- tion it has been forced into over the past in the European Reassurance Initiative Fund year. specifically to provide aid to Ukraine and the Introducing Ukraine Today’s director of Baltic states. We request that a substantial strategic communications, Dr. Lada amount of funding be reprogrammed to Roslycky, Ambassador Olexander Motsyk that fund thereby increasing the amount of said the channel was created to provide the funding available for assistance.” world with objective information about Reps. Frelinghuysen and Visclosky, along president.gov.ua what is happening in Ukraine. And that is Yaro Bihun with six other members of the Defense Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), especially important today, he said, when it Dr. Lada Roslycky describes the work of Subcommittee, Kay Granger (R-Texas), Ken chairman of the House Appropriations is forced to resist not only military aggres- Ukraine Today, the recently created 24-hour English-language web-based Calvert (R-Calif.), John Carter (R- Texas), Subcommittee on Defense, in Kyiv. sion and economic pressure from Russia, Ukrainian news channel. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Steve Israel Delegation members told President but its unprecedented worldwide informa- (D-N.Y.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), recently Obama that the situation in Ukraine is tional war as well. that Ukraine Today is Ukraine’s first returned from a bipartisan fact-finding trip “alarming.” Dr. Roslycky, a Canadian of Ukrainian English-language international news and to Kyiv, where they met with President “As you are aware, President Putin is descent, is known as a soft-power security analysis channel to take on this challenge. Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy using Ukraine as a test bed for a new type expert with 15 years of experience in such The channel’s mission, she said, is to Yatsenyuk and Defense Minister Stepan of warfare by using state-sponsored insur- fields as international security, Euro- cover events in Ukraine, Russia, Eastern Poltorak to discuss ongoing Russian Atlantic integration and democracy-build- aggression against Ukraine. (Continued on page 22) ing. She pointed out in her presentation (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015 No. 14 ANALYSIS Russian factory ownership hurts Merkel: Minsk-2 not fully implemented of involvement in a series of explosions in the southeastern city of Odesa. SBU spokes- BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela woman Olena Hitlyanska told reporters in Merkel says fighting in eastern Ukraine has Ukraine’s President Poroshenko Kyiv on April 1 that the three – who report- been reduced in recent weeks but that the edly identified themselves as Communist of Independent States (CIS) markets, Minsk ceasefire plan has not yet been fully by Maksym Bugriy activists – had confessed to committing “at including back to Ukraine. implemented. Ms. Merkel and Ukrainian and Tetiana Tretiak least nine acts of terrorism in Odesa” The Russian news outlet Kommersant Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said after Eurasia Daily Monitor between December and March. Ms. noted that last year the Lipetsk factory talks in Berlin on April 1 that Russian- Hitlyanska said a shotgun, chemicals, President Petro Poroshenko’s continued incurred its first loss in six years, even backed separatists in eastern Ukraine were mobile-phone parts and timers similar to ownership of a confectionary manufactur- though, at the end of 2013, the facility was still involved in fighting along the front line. ing facility in Lipetsk, Russia, has become expecting to increase its revenues by 50 A ceasefire agreement agreed to in Minsk in ones used to detonate handmade explosive such a political burden for the Ukrainian percent. While the 2014 results could be February has ended much of the fighting devices in Odesa, were found on the sus- leader that he specifically addressed the partially explained by a wider fall in and led to some heavy weapons being pects. A series of bomb blasts have hit issue of its sale in an exclusive TV interview demand for candy caused by the economic pulled back. But the German chancellor said Odesa and another eastern Ukrainian city, in mid-March (TSN, March 13). Ukraine’s slowdown in Russia, political reasons also all of the heavy weapons held by Ukrainian Kharkiv, in recent months. Ukrainian president – who has yet to sell off his key affected the drop in sales. Roshen was forces and rebel fighters must be removed authorities blamed those blasts – many of business asset, the candy and chocolate involved in a legal dispute with several from the front line before the next stage of which seemed to target organizations with producer Roshen Group – is under fire local confectionary makers over the use of the peace plan can be implemented. Prime ties to soldiers fighting in eastern Ukraine – domestically for owning a factory in the one of its trademarks, which resulted in a Minister Yatsenyuk said 75 Ukrainian sol- on Russia and the rebels who hold parts of adversary’s country. At the same time, forced suspension of its business in May diers had been killed and many injured the eastern regions of Donetsk and operations of Roshen’s factory in Lipetsk 2014. Additionally, production was twice since the ceasefire began on February 15. Luhansk. Both cities are under the are being disrupted in Russia as well. halted because Russian retailers refused to Ms. Merkel also said the details for a 500 Ukrainian government’s control but are The Lipetsk facility produces around 7 buy Roshen’s products. In one instance, million euro ($550 million U.S.) German seen as prizes coveted by the Russian- percent of the candy and chocolate sold on management complained of administrative loan to be granted to Ukraine had not yet backed rebels. (RFE/RL, based on report- the Russian market (Moskovsky pressure from Russian regional administra- been finalized, and she praised Mr. ing by UNIAN and Interfax) Komsomolets, October 7, 2014). Its share tions. In November 2014, Lipetsk manage- Yatsenyuk’s government for making “con- Ukraine rejects extradition request in the overall sales of Roshen Group is not ment reported plans to lay off some 400 siderable progress” on reforms. (RFE/RL, exactly known. Roshen’s largest factories personnel, citing the fall in demand for its based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax) KYIV – Ukraine has rejected Georgia’s are located in the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv products (Kommersant, March 13). request for the extradition of former Senators urge no World Cup in Russia and Vinnytsia, but the corporation’s prod- The worsening political situation led to President Mikheil Saakashvili, saying it was ucts are also manufactured in the European losses in 2014 for the Lipetsk Roshen facto- WASHIINGTON – Thirteen U.S.