The Ukrainian Weekly (https://www.ukrweekly.com/uwwp/author/admin/page/23/)
MUNICH, Germany – The official unveiling of a bronze memorial plaque commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Youth Association (known by its Ukrainian acronym CYM) in the diaspora was held on April 25 in Munich.
World Bank approves $90 million loan
The World Bank has approved a $90 million project to help Ukraine’s health sector respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The international financial institution announced the loan on May 11, saying the project will help Ukraine buy COVID-19 vaccines and improve infrastructure for vaccine storage and logistics.
PHILADELPHIA – On May 6, Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District, held a virtual meeting with members of the Ukrainian Human Rights Committee. The subject of the meeting was the critical situation in Ukraine.
KYIV – Ukraine’s government appointed Yuriy Vitrenko as the new CEO of state-owned giant Naftogaz on April 28, replacing Andriy Kobolyev, who had led the enterprise since 2014. The move, which occurred the day after the national oil and gas company reported a loss in 2020 of $684 million, was taken by Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, which used a legal loophole to rid themselves of Mr. Kobolyev.
“We should not let Mr. Zelenskyy and his team off the hook, but let them twist [wriggle, squirm] there,” Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov recently told reporters (RIA Novosti, April 28). This is Mr. Lavrov’s own style of signaling to Ukraine that Russia holds the commanding position to set the agenda of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s ardently sought meeting with his Kremlin counterpart, President Vladimir Putin.
WASHINGTON – The Steering Committee of Ukrainian Americans for Biden and representatives of Ukrainian American organizations received a briefing on April 26 from Chris Smith, director for Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Caucasus at the National Security Council. The briefing, held via Zoom, was a comprehensive 75-minute overview of topics that included plans to battle Russian disinformation, sanctions against Russia, Nord Stream 2, Russia’s increasingly threatening activity in the Black Sea, human rights violations in occupied Ukrainian territory, visa and travel restrictions and a recent $50 million allocation to Ukraine for COVID relief.
WASHINGTON – With the announcement of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Ukraine in early May, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) penned a letter to the secretary of state requesting that the United States reaffirm its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence. The letter accentuated the strategic partnership which exists between the two countries, while also highlighting key issues of continued support for Ukraine as Kyiv fends off Russian aggression and malign influence.
WASHINGTON – In response to increased Russian aggression against Ukraine, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.) and Commissioner Rep. Richard Hudson (N.C.) initiated an exceptional bilateral meeting with members of the Ukrainian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) on April 30.
WASHINGTON – Members of Ukrainian diaspora communities in Australia, Canada, the United States, France and Germany held protests on April 30 in front of German embassies and consulates in order to voice their opposition on completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The first week of May was an important one for Ukraine in the diplomatic sphere. It produced several significant results, paving the way forward not only for Kyiv, but for Eastern Europe as a whole.