INSIDE: l Testimony at U.S. ambassador-designate’s hearing – page 4 l The story behind Agnieszka Holland’s “Mr. Jones” – page 5 l Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea faces threat – page 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 32 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020 $2.00 Verkhovna Rada replaces 490 raions Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds with 136 new districts nationwide hearing on ambassador-designate to Ukraine Ukrainian National Information Service WASHINGTON – On August 5, several months after President Donald Trump nominated him as the next U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Keith Dayton appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) for his nomi- nation hearing. The hearing was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and included a panel of nominees, among them the ambas- sador-designate for Belarus. Members of the SFRC engaged with the prospective nominees via computer screens. Opening statements were followed by a question- and-answer period. Presidential Office SFRC Chairman Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) At the Verkhovna Rada, which voted to change the raion zoning in Ukraine, decreas- opened the hearing and thanked the panel Screenshot of Lt. Gen. (ret.) Keith Dayton ing the number of such districts from 490 to 136. for their patience in the nomination pro- testifying on August 5 before the Senate cess. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), rank- Foreign Relations Committee. This massive change comes only three by Roman Tymotsko ing member of the Senate Foreign Relations months before local elections, when depu- Committee, began with an opening state- Dignity and the Russian invasion of eastern KYIV – On July 17 a big step in decentral- ties and heads of raion councils will be cho- ment about U.S. relations: “On this commit- Ukraine and illegal occupation and annexa- ization was taken by the Ukrainian sen. tee, you have stalwart champions of tion of the Crimean peninsula. Parliament: for the first time since the “The previous raions of Ukraine were Ukraine.” In his opening remarks, Lt. Gen. Dayton Soviet era, the borders and centers of formed during Soviet times, in the first half In reference to the Russian invasion of related his experience and knowledge of administrative units across the country of the last century, and do not meet modern Ukraine, Sen. Menendez also mentioned Ukraine-related matters, as “Ukraine has were changed. Those units are called standards on several criteria,” Prime that Ukrainian forces are “constantly chal- been a part of my life for 40 years.” The “raions,” and only a few weeks ago, Ukraine Minister Denys Shmyhal noted on June 12. lenged” holding back the Russian military. nominee offered his opinion on the need to had 490 of them incorporated into 24 For the last century, many things have “It is important to speak in one voice on “counter Russian malign influence” and oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of changed in the raions: the population, the advance “our shared goal of Ukraine joining Crimea. Now those oblasts and Crimea economic situation, the ratio between rural Ukraine.” The senator was referring to the robust bipartisan support that Ukraine has the Euro-Atlantic community as a full and have only 136 raions (districts) encom- and urban communities. However, raion free member.” passing different territories, populations received since its independence in 1991, and administrative centers. (Continued on page 14) but most recently since the Revolution of (Continued on page 12) NEWS ANALYSIS: How quiet on the eastern front? by Bohdan Nahaylo There has been considerable discussion December. But, as on previous occasions, Ukrainian Parliament fixed October 25 as on whether the crafty political veteran will the ceasefire was not implemented. the date for local elections only on the ter- KYIV – There have been several notable make a difference, or, if in view of his The lack of progress in following up on ritory under the control of Kyiv. developments recently connected with the advanced age, will simply serve as a sym- the agreements reached in Paris meant The Verkhovna Rada thereby affirmed long-standing efforts to find a peaceful res- bolic figurehead maintaining the high level that the next Normandy Four summit, that, under the present conditions, demo- olution to the Russian war in Ukraine’s of Ukraine’s representation in the TCG. which was supposed to have been held in cratic elections in accordance with eastern Donbas. While Mr. Kravchuk’s appointment by the spring, did not happen. Firing and Ukrainian law and international norms are Although it is still early to predict their President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to this shelling continued, resulting in more casu- not possible in the self-proclaimed “peo- impact, the cumulative initial effect has position is certainly intriguing, it should alties, suffering and destruction. ple’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk. been to provide new impetus to a problem- not overshadow other related develop- From the outset, Russia has officially This setback appears to have caused atic process that often appears stalled or ments affecting the context, especially the maintained the pretense that it is not a some disarray in Moscow. And mixed sig- even moribund. And on this occasion, Kyiv critical agreement on a general ceasefire party to the conflict in the Donbas and is nals have been emerging from it. has publicly assumed the initiative and and its implementation. merely a moderator in the TCG. It insists Surprisingly, on July 21 a TCG meeting thrown the ball back in Moscow’s court. More than 13,000 people have been that Ukraine deal directly with its proxies held by video conferencing, produced what The changing of the guard at the end of killed since fighting broke out in 2014, in the occupied areas around Donetsk and the Presidential Office of Ukraine called a July in the Ukrainian delegation to the despite the peace accords signed in Minsk Luhansk. Both under President Petro “breakthrough.” The representatives of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), consisting late 2014 and 2015 on which the TCG Poroshenko and his successor, Mr. OSCE, Ukraine and Russia, with the latter of the Organization for Security and bases itself. Zelenskyy, Kyiv has refused to do so. unofficially including representatives of the Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russia and The need for a general ceasefire as a pre- Russia has also pressured Ukraine to breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s Ukraine and based in Minsk – with former requisite for other peace-building measures recognize a special status for the occupied republics” under its wing, agreed on a “full, President Leonid Kravchuk, age 86, replac- was acknowledged and agreed to by the lead- areas and agree to local elections being comprehensive ceasefire” effective July 27. ing another former president, Leonid ers of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine held there. But on July 15, Moscow’s strate- Kuchma, 82 – has received most attention. at their Normandy Four summit in Paris last gy was dealt a severe blow when the (Continued on page 14) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020 No. 32 ANALYSIS Russian Wagner mercenaries arrested Kravchuk now presidential envoy to TCG nical nuances.” He added, “At this point the amount of the compensation remains in Belarus in run-up to presidential election Ukraine’s first President Leonid unclear. The amount cannot be established Kravchuk has agreed to take the post of right away as all involved factors must be presidential envoy in the Trilateral Contact prevent an escalation” of street protests considered when establishing it,” noting by Pavel Felgenhauer Group (TCG) on resolving the armed con- into a coup. that if it becomes apparent that Iran is Eurasia Daily Monitor flict in the country’s east. The 86-year-old The Wagner ChVK was created by veter- delaying the negotiation process, Kyiv will Mr. Kravchuk announced his decision on On July 29, the Belarusian KGB and ans of the Crimea and Donbas campaigns, be ready for an “alternative scenario to July 31, two days after another former OMON special police forces arrested 32 in which armed Moscow-sponsored activ- ensure the payment of compensation by Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, quit Russians residing at a countryside resort, ists spearheaded so-called “hybrid” wars or other possible means.” He did not elabo- the post. Mr. Kravchuk was president of Belorusochka, just outside of Minsk. The insurrections. At least some of the ChVK rate. Iran has admitted that its forces Ukraine in 1991-1994 and was one of three Belarusian authorities have accused the privateers arrested in Belarus have such downed the Ukraine International Airlines Soviet leaders who signed the document on Russians of being members of the notori- firsthand experience (RBC, July 30). (UIA) passenger jet on January 8, saying dissolution of the Soviet Union in ous private military company (Chastnaya According to Mr. Ravkov, a number of the they mistook it for a missile amid height- December 1991. Mr. Kuchma, who ran the Voennaya Companiya – ChVK) Wagner arrested operatives are experienced snip- ened tensions with the United States. All country between 1994 and 2005, served as Group, which has reportedly been deploy- ers or experts in explosives and/or cyber 176 people on board, including 57 Ukraine’s presidential envoy in the TCG, ing fighters and organizing combat opera- warfare. A meeting of the Belarusian Canadians, were killed. Data extraction tions in eastern Ukraine as well as Syria, Security Council chaired by Mr. Lukashenka consisting of representatives of Ukraine, from the jet’s black boxes is being carried Libya, Sudan and other African or Middle decided to boost border security and to Russia and the Organization for Security out in Paris.