The Ukrainian Weekly (https://www.ukrweekly.com/uwwp/author/admin/page/26/)
Dear Editor:
I need to respond to the letter of Jaroslaw Sawka (March 21) regarding the question “Who lost Crimea.” He has taken upon himself to lecture me to be “more careful, cautious, and informed.”
Last year, on April 21, 2020, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine marked his one-year anniversary of being elected president of Ukraine in a landslide victory that was seen by observers as an expression of the people’s voice for change from the old order and its ways.
Seven years ago, Russia invaded eastern Ukraine and since then has ruthlessly and overtly destroyed, with total disdain, people and property alike.
The statistics are dreadful, and they only get worse as time goes by.
Owing to Russia’s incessant military aggression against Ukraine, since 2014 over 13,000 individuals have been killed and over 33,000 injured in Donbas (including civilians and military), and there are currently over 1.5 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine.
Currently there is a serious threat of a Russian strike on Ukraine.
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a challenge not only for Ukraine but for the international community. The bigger the footprint in Ukraine, the more dangerous the situation for Europe and internationally.
The Ukrainian diaspora is one of the more tireless diasporas. Richard Nixon once complemented Ukrainians in the United States by comparing the effectiveness of the Ukrainians to Jews in America. That may have been a stretch, but there is little doubt that Ukrainians are dedicated and hardworking. At the same time, this diaspora is also quite disorganized, at least on issues, if not on ideology or structure.
NORTH PORT, Fla. – Members of Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America stepped forward this Easter to decorate the libraries of the Sarasota County Public Libraries in southwest Florida with traditional Ukrainian crafts, artifacts and art forms. The project was organized by Jaroslawa (Slava) Stefanyshyn, the branch’s cultural and museum coordinator. The president of Branch 56 of is Alexandra Popel.
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Dedication has always been at the forefront for the board members, staff and volunteers of the Ukrainian American Archives and Museum of Detroit (UAAM). This didn’t change when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the museum to close its doors to the public for a time. Instead, an array of projects were gathered up to be completed within the confines of various homes.
Kyiv extends COVID lockdown
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv will remain on lockdown until April 30 as the daily number of new coronavirus cases and coronavirus-related deaths continues to climb. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced the decision in a televised briefing on April 14, saying there was “no other choice, otherwise the medical system would not be able to cope with a further rise in the number of patients, otherwise there will be even more deaths.”
OMAHA, Neb. – The parish community of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Omaha, Neb., led by the Rev. Taras Mylyan, on March 14 celebrated the birthdays of Taras Shevchenko (March 9, 1814) and Lina Kostenko (March 19, 1930).
KYIV – With 13,276 new cases reported on April 5, Ukraine topped the list of European countries with the highest COVID-19 infection rate, according to the statistics portal Worldometer. The following day, Ukraine also saw record numbers of hospitalizations and fatalities since the pandemic began more than a year ago, with 5,587 people hospitalized and 481 dead on April 6.