Sports

Ukraine mired in controversy over Paralympics ruling

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PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The National Sports Committee of Disabled People of Ukraine has come under attack on social media by Malaysian citizens after a controversial ruling stripped Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli of Malaysia of his gold medal in the F20 shot put for a technical violation of Zolkefli being three minutes late to pre-competition first call room at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Zolkefli’s throw of 17.94 meters was disqualified after the conclusion of the investigation by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Ukraine

In White House meeting, Biden assures Zelenskyy of U.S. support against ‘Russian aggression’

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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden assured his Ukrainian counterpart Volody­myr Zelenskyy that the United States stands behind Kyiv against “Russian aggression” in a widely anticipated meeting at the White House. “The United States remains firmly committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression and our support for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” Mr. Biden told the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office on September 1. “The partnership between our nations grows stronger, and it’s going to even become stronger than it has been,” he added. Mr. Zelenskyy arrived at the White House saying he had a “very big agenda” to discuss, with a focus on security and Ukraine’s ambitions to join the NATO alliance. “I would like to discuss with President Biden his vision, his government’s vision of Ukraine’s chances to join NATO and the timeframe,” he said.

Ukraine

U.S. announces fresh military aid to Ukraine as Zelenskyy visits Washington

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Washington promised Kyiv up to $60 million in military aid before U.S. President Joe Biden and his visiting Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met in the White House on September 1.

The Biden Administration said in a notification to Congress cited by the AP news agency on August 31 that the aid package for Ukraine was necessary because of a “major increase in Russian military activity along its border” and because of mortar attacks, cease-fire violations and other provocations.

Ukraine

‘Biggest’ recent collection of Soviet-era mass graves discovered in Black Sea city of Odesa
Site includes 29 mass graves dating to Stalin’s Great Terror

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KYIV – Four days before Ukraine celebrated its 30th anniversary of renewed independence, a local historian in the Black Sea port city of Odesa reported finding 29 mass graves where victims of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s Great Terror of 1937-1938 were buried.

Oleksandr Babich’s Facebook post on August 20 slowly gained traction as he joined a team of researchers to measure the metes and bounds of the discovery situated southwest of the city where metal garages were slated to be relocated amid an expansion of the airport on the outskirts of the city.

Ukraine

In a bold and dangerous military operation, Ukrainian troops evacuated Canada-bound Afghani translators from Kabul

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LVIV – Members of the Ukrainian military stationed at the airport in the Afghan capital of Kabul conducted a bold operation in the early morning hours of August 27 to evacuate Afghani translators working with the Canadian army and a Canadian newspaper.

The operation to rescue the translators took place a day after the last Canadian plane took off from Afghanistan and hours after a terrorist attack took place at the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport. After the attack, the United States said it would allow only foreign nationals to enter the airport, but not Afghans with visas.

Analysis

Zelenskyy returns to Kyiv to continue the political struggle at home

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As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returns home after a successful working visit to the United States, his attention will now have to switch to pressing domestic issues. The Ukrainian parliament is shortly due to reconvene after its summer recess, and the political battles over critical issues will be reconvened with vigor.

In light of this, and bearing in mind that Ukraine has just celebrated the 30th anniversary of it’s breaking free from the Soviet empire, it is worth recalling what the main current political conflicts are and seeing what the mood of the country is three decades after it affirmed its renewed independence.

Newsbriefs

NEWSBRIEFS

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Zelenskyy and Biden summit ‘productive’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his meeting on September 1 with U.S. President Joseph Biden took place in a productive and constructive atmosphere, and that both parties are interested in a fruitful dialogue. “I don’t know if there was ‘chemistry,’ but the fact that the meeting lasted two hours instead of an hour shows that the parties are interested in the dialogue and the outcome of this dialogue. I believe that the meeting was held in a normal, productive, not in a constantly sunny atmosphere, but in a direct conversation,” Mr. Zelenskyy said during a conversation with the media in Washington after the talks with Mr. Biden. Mr. Zelenskyy said Mr. Biden gave him a positive assessment of the reforms being implemented in Ukraine.

Editorials

Zelenskyy visits Washington

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on September 1. As soon as that meeting ended, Ukrainians around the world wanted to know whether Mr. Zelenskyy had done enough to convince Mr. Biden that the United States should do more to help Ukraine gain entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, fend off the looming threat of further Russian aggression by providing more concrete military aid and stop construction of the Nord Stream 2 by punishing the pipeline’s builders with strong sanctions.  Speaking the day before his meeting with Mr. Biden, Mr. Zelenskyy was clear in what he hoped to achieve during his visit.

Turning the pages back...

Sept. 11, 1996

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Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 1996, two Ukrainian naval vessels – the Hetman Sahaidachny (a frigate) and the Kostiantyn Olshansky (a landing ship) – arrived at the U.S. Naval Base in Norfolk, Va., making it the first time that Ukrainian naval vessels (representing an independent Ukraine, flying Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow banner) visited a U.S. port. The weeklong visit included joint naval landing exercises, shore excursions for the sailors, a weekend open house for American visitors and an evening concert by the military band aboard the Sahaidachny.