Month: January 24, 2020 3:06 pm

Unusual. That’s certainly a word that can be used to describe 2019 in terms of U.S.-Ukraine relations, as Ukraine unwittingly found itself in the middle of the U.S. impeachment process. At the same time, Ukraine continued to enjoy the support of the United States, especially in the U.S. Congress, where the support was strong and bipartisan.
At the beginning of the year, on January 15, Rep. Mike Quigley (D- Ill.) was appointed to serve as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, joining fellow Co-Chairs Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). Rep. Quigley said on January 15: “Through several visits to Ukraine, my position on the House Intelligence and Appropriations Committees, and my representation of a prominent and active Ukrainian American community, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of a strong U.S.-Ukraine relationship. I look forward to working with fellow Co-Chairs Kaptur, Harris and Fitzpatrick in our shared mission to fortify Ukrainian sovereignty and democracy.”

“We are now faced with accusations from numerous sources that our president attempted to pressure a foreign government to investigate one of his rivals in the next presidential election. In other words, the president of the United States is attempting to fix the election. I think these accusations should be addressed with all of the tools at Congress’s disposal, including articles of impeachment. …The fact that our president is trying to induce a foreign power to threaten our elections – I think that’s a huge national security risk. The fact that a president is withholding support from a security partner that is trying to fight off Russia, which has presented multiple national security threats over the past several years. …– I just think it’s so incredibly offensive to put that kind of support and that kind of fight that they have going on in jeopardy and in peril. …”

“…Trump seems to have the idea that Ukraine was part of some scheme against his presidential campaign and is correspondingly demanding that the country actively participate in his efforts to attack one of his opponents. As domestic politics this is disgraceful; as foreign policy it is profoundly dangerous. …The scandal effectively presents the Kremlin with a huge gift. It could well turn out that Trump’s ill-advised pressure on the Ukrainian president will finally give Moscow what it has so far failed to achieve. If the mess continues, the only things the world will be hearing about Ukraine are corruption, dubious schemes and bizarre manipulations – a public relations disaster that might end up damaging the country far more than Russian battalions have so far managed to do. Ties between the United States and Ukraine will steadily weaken, giving Moscow additional opportunities to exert pressure. …”

For Canada, 2019 began with a change in leadership at the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, when Alexandra Chyczij began her first year as national president, succeeding Paul Grod, who served in that capacity from 2007 to 2018, and went on to lead the Ukrainian World Congress.
As the new UCC head, Ms. Chyczij wasted little time in calling on Canada and the international community to increase pressure on Russia to secure the release of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured during a Russian naval attack on Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea on November 25, 2018. The sailors held captive by Russia are prisoners of war and protected by the Geneva Convention, and their incarceration is a “grave violation of international law,” said Ms. Chyczij in a January 17 statement that also called for the release of “over 70 Ukrainian political prisoners taken hostage and imprisoned by the Kremlin.”

The year started on a joyful note, when in early January the Tomos of autocephaly was granted to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) all expressed greetings and congratulations to all Ukrainians of faith upon this historic achievement. “The Tomos, received from the Mother Church of Constantinople, returns Ukrainian Orthodoxy to its historic roots, restores historical justice and strengthens the dignity of all faithful in Ukraine,” stated UWC President Paul Grod. “We join the appeal of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to all leaders of autocephalous Orthodox Churches to recognize the newly created Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian Youth Association is a voluntary, non-profit youth organization that exists in Ukraine, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Germany and the United States. It was founded in 1917 by Mykola Pavlushkov, who was devoted to waging war against the 1917 October Russian Revolution. The Ukrainian American Youth Association (UAYA) has been a vital entity in the life of Ukrainian American communities for nearly 70 years. Among the objectives of the UAYA is to offer Ukrainian youth opportunities for social interpersonal contact and mutual support; and, to stimulate their spiritual, intellectual, social, cultural, educational and physical development. Each of the 28 branches in the United States and those in other countries, have guided Ukrainian youth toward becoming knowledgeable and active members of their Ukrainian and local communities.

CHICAGO – The “Building Our Faith Together, in Unity and with Gratitude” capital campaign of the St. Nicholas Eparchy began on May 12, 2019. It was undertaken to sustain the long-term viability of the eparchy and to restore the 112-year-old cathedral in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, particularly the cupolas and roof.  Funds from the campaign are also designated to seed an endowment fund to better support all parishes and missions within the eparchy, and to further develop eparchial resources and the continuing education of priests, deacons and laity.
We are pleased to announce that, at the completion of the first phase of the campaign, the fund has surpassed $2 million. The financial goal of the campaign is $3.65 million.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Bishop Andriy Rabiy posed with the Rev. Volodymyr Klanichka, pastor, and the parishioners of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on January 19 after the Sunday liturgy. Afterwards, the faithful had a traditional “Prosfora” luncheon in the parish hall. In the past few months, St. Nicholas parish has been honored to be visited by Archbishop-Metropolitan Borys Gudziak as well as Bishop emeritus Basil Losten and recently retired Bishop John Bura.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – On Sunday, December 29, 2019, the School of Ukrainian Studies (Ridna Shkola) at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church invited children, young and old, to its annual St. Nicholas pageant. Many parishioners and friends came to the festive gathering to greet St. Nicholas. The pageant was a way to enjoy each other’s company and to meet the teachers at an open house.

KYIV – On January 13, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law on state recognition of the Plast movement. Almost a month earlier, on December 17, Ukraine’s Parliament passed the law with 316 votes (with at least 226 required) in the second affirmative vote on this legislation.
Considering that the earlier version of the law had been rejected by the president and then amended to take into account his comments, there were very few doubts that the president would sign and finally enact the legislation. The 215 votes for the bill from the presidential faction, Servant of the People, only strengthened confidence that Mr. Zelenskyy would sign the law. The main question was: When?

KYIV – The downing of a Ukrainian International Airlines airliner in Iran on January 8 with the loss of 176 lives has continued to dominate domestic and international headlines.
On January 16, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne chaired a gathering in London of a newly formed international coordination and response group that includes four other countries that lost citizens in the downing of UIA Flight 752: Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and Britain. The group of grieving nations has drafted a framework for working with Iran on the disaster.
Apart from Iranian nationals, the largest group of foreigners on the doomed plane were Canadian citizens. Also killed were 11 Ukrainians, including nine crew members. Kyiv and Ottawa have been working very closely in the aftermath to develop the appropriate responses.

WASHINGTON – Ukraine’s new ambassador to the United States, Volodymyr Yelchenko, and recently appointed Honorary Consul Iryna Mazur on January 11 took part in a ceremony at Ukraine’s Embassy during which an agreement about the creation of an Honorary Consulate in Philadelphia was signed.
“Providing closer ties w/ Ukrainian Americans is one of our major priorities,” the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States wrote on Twitter on January 11.
On December 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Mr. Yelchenko as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States. He presented his credentials to President Donald Trump on January 6.