Viewers share their take on Ukraine’s Euro 2020 group stage performance

The Ukrainian Weekly’s Matthew Dubas asked viewers on June 17 during the Euro 2020 match between Ukraine and North Macedonia shown at the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey in Whippany, N.J., questions related to the team’s strengths and weaknesses, and the decision by UEFA to pull the second part of the slogan “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!” that was featured on Ukraine’s match uniforms for the tournament. Their responses were edited and are summarized below.

Mitigating the impact of Nord Stream 2 on Ukraine

Two weeks after the Biden administration waived congressionally mandated sanctions on Nord Stream AG, the company behind the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the first link of the subsea line is completed and ready for testing (Vesti.ru, June 4). But the Russian president knows it is too early for a victory dance. Amidst a flurry of sharp reactions to the sanctions’ waivers from the U.S. Congress and most Central-East European states, and the ongoing U.S.-German talks on mitigating the potential negative impact of the pipeline completion on Ukraine, the future of the pipeline remains uncertain.

Ukrainian government relaxes pandemic restrictions

LVIV – Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers lowered the country’s COVID-19 danger level to green, the lowest designation, and eased certain pandemic measures, particularly those requiring self-isolation and requirements for mass events and social distancing. It did, however, extend an emergency COVID-19 lockdown categorization until August 31, the country’s prime minister said on June 17.

Putin greeted in Geneva by Ukrainians with #StopRussianAggression protest

GENEVA – The presidents of the United States and Russia were met in Geneva on June 16 by a rally calling for an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Organized by the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland, the demonstration was part of a global campaign by the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) aimed at raising awareness of Russia’s ongoing military and economic aggression against Ukraine. Activists held signs that read “Crimea is Ukraine” and others held a sign that included the hashtag #StopRussianAggression.

The Russian “red line”

On June 16, U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first summit in Geneva. It came five months into Mr. Biden’s term and 21 years after Mr. Putin was first elected president. Most reports from the summit saw only modest outcomes, as the two presidents discussed nuclear arms and diplomatic relations between the two historic adversaries.

June 23, 1991

Thirty years ago, on June 23, 1991, thousands of protesters, who were undaunted by thundershowers, marched down Kyiv’s main thoroughfare, the Khreshchatyk, to protest Ukraine’s intent to sign the union treaty with Moscow that summer.

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Ukraine’s struggle to finally separate from Russia continues even as multiple other events and issues compete for the world’s attention. This is understandable but worrisome for Ukraine as it works to maintain international support for this effort. We, the Ukrainian diaspora, search for ways to contribute to Ukraine’s fight for security.