Ukraine

Unprecedented quarantine measures enacted to fight coronavirus in Ukraine

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KYIV – As Ukraine enters the second month of its coronavirus quarantine, new restrictions were enacted on April 6. With 1,668 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 8, Ukraine remains one of Europe’s least affected countries (per capita). However, the paucity of virus testing leaves observers to suspect that the real number of those taken ill is highly undercounted.

New quarantine measures are forcing Ukrainians to stay home both for fear of infection and a huge fine for non-compliance with the rules. For a violation of quarantine rules, a penalty of between 17,000 hrv ($623 U.S.) and 34,000 hrv ($1,246) is envisaged. Moreover, for violating sanitary laws and regulations for the prevention of infectious diseases, a person faces criminal prosecution.

Obituaries

Retired Metropolitan-Archbishop Stephen Sulyk dies of COVID-19

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PHILADELPHIA – Metropolitan-Arch­bishop emeritus Stephen Sulyk, who headed the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States in 1981-2000, died on April 6 at the age of 95. A day earlier, he had been hospitalized with symptoms of the coronavirus.

Archbishop-Metropolitan Borys Gudziak wrote on Facebook on April 5: “A few hours ago, Archbishop Stephen was hospitalized. He is presenting the symptoms of COVID-19, and his vital signs are weak. The Archbishop is receiving comfort care. Everything is in the Lord’s hands.”

Metropolitan Borys provided the following biography of the deceased hierarch.

US

Transatlantic Task Force reviews Ukraine’s reform efforts amid COVID-19 crisis

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WASHINGTON – In the aftermath of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government shake-up on March 4 that brought to power a number of ministers with questionable reform credentials, observers were concerned that Ukraine would be backtracking on the progress that had been made by the previous Cabinet of Ministers.

Unexpectedly, the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing global economic crisis have forced Ukraine to demonstrably recommit to reform efforts in order to access major loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which have again become critical to the country’s stability. That funding comes with strings attached – conditionalities requiring that Ukraine stay on track with reforms, particularly through the passage of a banking legislation banning the return of nationalized banks to previous owners and a land market law that allows for the sale of farmland.

Analysis

Legalization of Ukrainian PMCs: Challenges and opportunities

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On February 3, the deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Maj. Gen. Serhiy Kryvonos, suggested the necessity to legalize private military companies (PMC) in Ukraine. According to the national security official, many Ukrainian soldiers – especially those coming from the frontlines in the Donbas – are unable find decent jobs upon their demobilization (UNIAN, February 3). The following day, National Deputy Olha Vasylevska-Smahliuk (representing the majority Servant of the People party), officially introduced a bill “On Military-Consultancy Activities,” de facto proposing to legalize national PMCs. The bill regulates terms and conditions under which Ukrainian PMCs are to operate (Rada.gov.ua, February 4).

The issue of legalizing PMCs in Ukraine became more pressing after 2014 (Russia’s annexation of Crimea and war in the Donbas). On April 3, 2015, the then-leader of the Right Sector organization, Dmytro Yarosh, working with members of Privat­Bank (at the time, controlled by Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky), tried to prepare legislation (unsuccessfully) to create legal status for national PMCs (Ipress.ua, April 4, 2015).

Newsbriefs

NEWSBRIEFS

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Agreement on pre-Easter prisoner swap

Ukraine and Russian-backed militants in the east of the country have agreed to another prisoner swap ahead of Julian calendar Easter. The Russian and Ukrainian sides in the so-called Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) made the announcement late on April 8 following a video conference. The talks led to “fundamental agreements on the lists for the mutual release of detained persons” no later than Orthodox Easter on April 19, according to a statement on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s website. Russia’s envoy to the TCG, Boris Gryzlov, said Kyiv and “separatists” in the Donbas region had “principally coordinated the lists of detained persons for exchange.” It was not immediately clear how many prisoners the two sides would exchange. The last prisoner swap in December 2019 involved 200 people. During the video conference, held in keeping with recommendations against in-person gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic, the sides also discussed demining and negotiations on the disengagement of troops in the Donbas region.

Analysis

Ukraine turns to business leaders to support anti-coronavirus efforts

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Ukraine’s top businessmen are answering President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call to assist and even lead the country’s efforts to deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Zelenskyy had summoned Ukraine’s wealthiest businessmen for an emergency meeting on March 16 in the presidential building to consider a coordinated response to the crisis. They responded with alacrity, and the effort is unfolding based on ideas exchanged at that meeting.

Three guiding ideas are clearly discernible. First, the oligarchs seem ready to help finance the state’s effort, in addition to undertaking their own initiatives, which could be more extensive than the state’s. Mr. Zelenskyy has asked for 12 billion-13 billion hrv (some $440 million-$470 million U.S.), it being understood that this would be a first-stage, short-term response to the pandemic. Second, Mr. Zelenskyy has assigned certain geographical areas of responsibility to the top business leaders, namely where their major business assets, company headquarters and social networks are based, and where their businesses are the main employers.

Analysis

EU lawmakers say Russia using coronavirus crisis for political benefit

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BRUSSELS – A group of European Union lawmakers is accusing Moscow of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to try to get sanctions imposed over Russia’s actions in Ukraine lifted, according to a letter seen by RFE/RL.

The letter, dated April 3, says Russian aid provided in support for European countries to tackle the health emergency caused by coronavirus is part of “public relation campaigns” aimed at having the EU sanctions reviewed or lifted.

The letter was signed by 19 members of the European Parliament and addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell.

Editorials

Hope is not cancelled

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We’re all in this together. That’s the main message we hear these days in the United States while the novel coronavirus is taking its deathly toll on our country. Just like you, we at The Ukrainian Weekly are doing our part to stop the spread of COVID-19. We’ve been working from our homes for nearly four weeks now – we can’t say it’s been easy, but our paper has been coming out without fail.

While we’re all physically separate, we must underscore that the social distancing we’re all practicing does not need to be social disengagement. Indeed, it has been noted by many professionals that it’s critically important to our emotional and physical health that we maintain contacts with our family, friends and colleagues. Thankfully, we have multiple social media to help us do so.

Turning the pages back...

April 15, 1990

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Thirty years ago, on April 15, 1990, Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholics in Ukraine celebrated Easter, marking major milestones in their respective Church histories.

Thousands of Ukrainian Catholics gathered in front of St. George Cathedral in Lviv to celebrate Easter divine liturgy, as the church itself was closed by order of the Soviet authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church refused to vacate the premises despite an order from the Lviv City Council. Additional services were held at the Church of the Transfiguration, St. Onufriy Church and two houses of worship at Shevchenkivskyi Hai. The Easter services attracted nearly 20,000 to 30,000 during the weekend.

Community Chronicle

Let us grasp anew what it means to be a Christian

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Pastoral letter from his Beatitude Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church.

Most Reverend Archbishops and Bishops, Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers, Venerable Brothers and Sisters in Monastic and Religious Life, Dearly Beloved Laity in Christ of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church:

Christ is Risen!

When those bound by chains
        in the realm of Hades
Saw Your boundless mercy,
They hastened to the light with joy, O Christ,
Praising the eternal Pascha.

Ode 5, Paschal Canon

Reflections

Anniversaries and profiles in art and politics

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Fifty years ago, a film was produced in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic titled “White Bird with a Black Insignia.” There is at least one other English translation, “White Bird Marked With Black,” which I believe misses the point that both screenwriters were making. They used the term “oznaka” in Ukrainian, which connotes designation, when they could have used “pliama” to denote a black mark if their intent was to denigrate.

The film was produced by the even then world-famous Film Studio of Oleksander Dovzhenko in Kyiv. Its screenwriters were also well-known, at least in the USSR, Yuriy Ilyenko and Ivan Mykolaichuk, the latter more so for his work as an actor in the internationally acclaimed film “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” (1964). Ilyenko was the director of “White Bird with Black Insignia.” Additional major credits belonged to the well-known actress Larissa Kadochnykova and the cinematographer later to become world recognized, Vilen Kalyuta, who was born 90 years ago.

Columnists

Quarantined?

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COVID-19, the severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the coronavirus, does not have a particularly high mortality rate. But it is highly contagious. Thus, while the mortality among those infected with the virus has been estimated at around 2 to 3 percent, the absolute number is growing fast. Of course, no one can predict the course of this pandemic. By the time this column goes to print, it may be receding. Or not.

The spread of the coronavirus is replete with ironies. In an age of globalization, it is a global disease. In the midst of a communications revolution, this is a most communicable disease. In a time when society has begun to question hyper-individualism and seeks to reassert communitarian values, the coronavirus sends us back into isolation.

US

CARES act provides economic relief for small businesses and individuals

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Kristina Rak Brown is a corporate lawyer with over 20 years of experience. She is currently practicing as senior counsel at the law firm of Brown, Moskowitz & Kallen, P.C. in Summit, N.J. As part of her practice on behalf of the firm, since the COVID-19 outbreak she has been tracking and writing about the federal funding programs and advising clients on how to navigate the programs and application process.

We publish this information as a public service to our readers and our community.

On March 27, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) went into effect in the United States. The CARES Act offers several loan and grant programs for qualifying small businesses, independent contractors and self-employed individuals who are suffering the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak disaster. The two largest programs are the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, each of which is administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Both the PPP and the EIDL Program have limited funding and applicants are served on a first-come, first-served basis.

Community Chronicle

A Holodomor curriculum success story

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MEDWAY, Mass. – After much effort, the study of the “Forced famine genocide of the Ukrainian people, known as the Holodomor” has been included in the Massachusetts framework. Activist Maria Walzer (center) is seen above meeting with Dr. Armand Pires, superintendent of Medway High School, who was very receptive of including the Holodomor in history courses, and Gabrielle Adams, assistant to the superintendent. The purpose of the meeting was to promote teaching about the Holodomor in the school system. Ms. Walzer underscored: “It is incumbent on all of us to contact school districts to make sure the Holodomor is taught.”

Sports

Ukrainian pro sports update: tennis

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Lopatetska is next tennis prodigy

The Ukrainian presence on the WTA Tour was alive and well in 2019. Elina Svitolina has found her rightful place in the top-10 and Lesia Tsurenko elevated herself thanks to her best career finish – the final at the 2019 Brisbane International. The success continues with teenage sensation Dayana Yastremska’s rise of over 100 places in the WTA rankings and her first title win, while another teenager, Marta Kostyuk, made waves by becoming the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam third round in over a decade.