LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (07/14/02)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

On airing Ukraine's negatives in public

Dear Editor:

I would like to comment on the efficacy of airing Ukraine's present-day negatives in the American media and government fora, submitted for public discussion recently in The Ukrainian Weekly by Roman Kupchinsky (June 23) and Orest Deychakiwsky (July 7).

Mr. Deychakiwsky suggests that a difference in opinion on this matter is generational and that his position is supported by most Ukrainian Americans. Mr. Deychakiwsky has been in Washington much too long. Mr. Kupchinsky, on the other hand, at least does not purport to speak for the community. Still, when making suggestions to that community, he should disclose his U.S. government relationship.

Firstly, Ukraine's negatives are relative, given its long-term Russian and Soviet legacy. I would suggest a comparison with the other 11 former Soviet republics except the Baltic states, which were annexed to the USSR only in 1940. Let's compare President Leonid Kuchma with all his shortcomings (and there are plenty) to Presidents Vladimir Putin, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Islam Karimov, Saparmurat Niyazov and others. By the way, President Karimov of Uzbekistan, who was re-elected with more than 90 percent of the vote and is suspected of having his political opponents murdered, is one of the United States, most important allies. On the other hand, assuming irrefutable authenticity, the Melnychenko tapes, in essence, convict President Kuchma only of foul language.

This type of lack of relative perspective was the major incongruity in the U.S. Congressional resolutions, on the March elections in Ukraine. The resolutions were unprecedented. Only the Lukashenka election in Belarus received similar treatment. Further, the resolutions misquoted from a recent report of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The OSCE report, essentially, praised Ukraine's election law. In any event, given only 10 years of independence and little opportunity to build a lasting democracy, Ukraine has held its fair share of quasi-democratic elections. Not so long ago in the city of New York, municipal employees, e.g. police officers and building inspectors, were earning the bulk of their salaries on the streets. Even today widespread corruption exists in this country, except that we have come to accept it as patronage. The recent mayoral election in Newark was marred by glaring misuse of incumbency and administrative resources.

Secondly, both Mr. Kupchinsky's and Mr. Deychakiwsky's positions misrepresent (disingenuously, since both are on U.S. government payroll directly or indirectly) that U.S. foreign policy is predicated on some moral ideology or commitment to a democratic and independent Ukraine. U.S. foreign policy is based on perceived national interest, political expediency and electoral influence. Thus, leaders like Messrs. Karimov and Putin, Pervez Musharraf, Ariel Sharon and others become our friends. The most striking characteristic of many elected officials in this country is that foreign policy issues are for them truly "foreign" President George W. Bush is a good case in point.

Finally, what is the efficacy of "Ukraine bashing" on Capitol Hill or in the media by Ukrainian Americans. I recall the ranting of House foreign operations Subcommittee Chairman Sonny Callahan: "Not a nickel for Ukraine until it gets its act together." So, foreign aid for Ukraine (a misnomer, since most of it goes into American pockets anyway) has dwindled. Ukrainians in Ukraine have come to realize that former President George Bush's exhortation in 1991 against "suicidal" nationalism was not an aberration and that the United States is not a real friend of Ukraine. As a result, anti-American feelings are intensifying in Ukrainian society.

If the U.S. has sought to cultivate a friendship and alliance with the Ukrainian people, it has gone about it in a bizarre manner.

Askold S. Lozynskyj
New York

The letter writer is president of the Ukrainian World Congress.

FIFA and Ukraine: where's the fairness?

Dear Editor:

Just before the World Cup, several soccer publications hit the newsstands in Australia. They had a two-page preview of each of the 32 teams participating in the tournament.

I was surprised that each of them predicted Russia would win and move through to the second round. I say surprised because I was aware, as are most people who follow soccer, that Russia had not won any World Cup qualifying games. In fact, during the Moscow Cup held in May the results were: Belarus, two wins; Ukraine, one; Yugoslavia, one; and Russia, zero.

But what was even more surprising to me was that each one of the publications in their summary listed Russia as representing the Soviet Union before 1991 (the year of the break-up of the USSR). I always thought the Soviet Union represented Russia and not the other way round.

What made this table even more incorrect is that the bulk of the USSR team was regularly made up of Ukrainians. In 1986-1990 between 15 and 16 Ukrainians, mostly Dynamo Kyiv players, represented the Soviet team. In addition, the manager was the late Valerii Lobanovskyi of Ukraine.

When I rang the editors and asked who supplied their information they replied that FIFA had released it.

If you are disappointed with FIFA, then join the club. Because when Ukraine chose the date for its referendum of Independence (December 1, 1991) FIFA went ahead and made the draw for the 1994 World Cup one day earlier on November 30, thus automatically excluding Ukraine from the qualifiers.

When Ukraine applied for registration immediately after December 1, 1991, FIFA made it provisional only. This, of course, allowed Russia to draft six top Ukrainians and qualify. Among them was Oleh Salenko from Dynamo Kyiv who scored a record five goals in one match.

When FIFA was asked why Russia was chosen to replace the Soviet Union and why there were no play-offs among the former republics, there was no response.

I believe it is the responsibility of every Ukrainian to contact FIFA, make it clear they are changing history, being completely unfair, totally incorrect and reintroducing Russification.

FIFA's address is: Federation Internationale de Football Association, P.O. Box 85, Hitziweg 11, CH-8030 Zurich, Switzerland.

Nestor Jaworsky
Australia

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