On the fence with Olha Kharlan

Personal philosophies, words of wisdom, deep reflections and opinions matter, especially when they emanate from an established competitive spirit who has repeatedly proven herself on the international stage. Young and old can always benefit from an injection of a winning formula when espoused by someone with character, passion and a superior work ethic, in many ways a role model.

NEWSBRIEFS

Ukraine disappointed over NATO progress
Ukraine has decried the lack of progress in NATO’s “open-door” policy to Ukrainian membership and said it could not comprehend why it wasn’t invited to the bloc’s summit next month. NATO meets on June 14 in Brussels in a push to improve transatlantic ties under U.S. President Joe Biden amid growing tensions with Russia. “We understand the desire of the allies to hold a closed summit …

Latest Cabinet turnover sees two ministers forced to resign, health minister fired

Rada names new ministers of health and economic development

 

KYIV – In the latest shakeup of the government here, the Verkhovna Rada on May 18 fired Ukraine’s Minister of Health Mak­sym Stepanov, while two other ministers were forced to resign. Parliament voted to approve each of the moves, with more than 280 deputies voting in favor of the reshuffling out of 226 needed. Mr. Stepanov visited the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 14, where he was given the option of writing his own resignation letter. Before he did, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal asked parliament that same day to fire Mr. Stepanov. The Rada took up Mr. Shmyhal’s request and voted 292-1 to fire the health minister on May 18.

Finally, the primacy of Ukraine’s oligarchs is in question

To the surprise of the sceptics, panic of those targeted and a cautious thumbs up from those who domestically and externally had called for such developments, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his determination to end the oligarchic set-up in Ukraine that has dominated economic and political life for so long.

Outreach to Putin, crackdown on Medvedchuk: a hard stretch for Zelenskyy

Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have detained Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the pro-Russia parliamentary opposition, to prosecute him on treason charges (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, May 13). President Volodymyr Zelens­kyy has publicly hailed (President.gov.ua, May 14) the move against this personal protégé of Russian President Vladi­mir Putin;

Nord Stream 2 and European energy security

Today, the Department of State submitted a report to Congress pursuant to the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act (PEESA), as amended, listing four vessels, five entities, and one individual involved in construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, including Nord Stream 2 AG and the company’s CEO Matthias Warnig. Persons identified in the report are subject to sanctions pursuant to PEESA unless waived.

UCCA urges continued U.S. sanctions against Nord Stream 2 pipeline

Following the 2020 U.S. elections, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the nation’s largest representative body of Americans of Ukrainian descent, issued a statement expressing to newly elected officials that Ukrainian Americans are united in their belief that a democratic and independent Ukraine is in the national security interests of the United States.

UCCA commemorates the victims of the Crimean Tatar genocide of 1944

This May 18, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the representative organization of nearly 2 million Americans of Ukrainian descent, joins with the Ukrainian World Congress, the worldwide assembly of Ukrainian organizations representing over 20 million people; the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people; and the government of Ukraine; to pause in a moment of remembrance for the innocent victims of the crime of genocide committed against the Crimean Tatar people by Josef Stalin’s soviet henchmen in 1944.