The year in review

2014: Ukrainian Churches: challenges and hope

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Ukrainian Churches faced new challenges during 2014, but new hope too, in the face of Moscow-orchestrated aggression toward the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC). Patriarch Sviatoslav of the UGCC told reporters on January 13 of a letter from Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture on the termination of its registration based on its involvement in the Euro-Maidan protests. The ministry said the UGCC had violated the law on freedom of conscience and religious organizations for holding religious activities on Independence Square. Patriarch Sviatoslav said that the Church was not taking part in political events, but that it could “not stay apart when the faithful ask for spiritual care.”

Patriarch Filaret of the UOC-KP on January 21 called on President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition to start direct talks. “…The Church calls on the head of state and the opposition to immediately start direct and, most importantly, fruitful negotiations to achieve a way out of the crisis.”  The patriarch reminded both sides of their responsibility for the use of force.

The year in review

2014: Canada and Ukraine: a strong partnership

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The events that overshadowed all others for the Ukrainian-Canadian community in Canada took place in Ukraine: the Maidan in Kyiv, the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the invasion of eastern Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk – by Russian forces. Because the prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, chose to play a leading role in opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s aggression against Ukraine, Mr. Harper involved all of Canada in standing up for Ukraine. When, at the beginning of the year, violence erupted on the Maidan and the Verkhovna Rada passed draconian anti-protest laws, an emergency debate on a motion tabled by Member of Parliament (MP) James Bezan in the Canadian House of Commons on January 27 resulted in a motion calling on the Ukrainian government to bring those responsible to justice and on other nations to consider sanctions. The motion concluded by stating that “this House stands united with the Ukrainian people, who believe in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

The debate was followed by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announcing to the Ukrainian ambassador that Canada was concerned with the conduct of the Ukrainian government which was not addressing the fundamental demands of the Ukrainian people. Two days later, Prime Minister Harper met with a delegation of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

The year in review

2014: U.S.-Ukraine relations: more important than ever

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Starting off 2014 in the realm of U.S.-Ukraine relations, was news that leaders representing more than a dozen Ukrainian American organizations met at the White House with President Barack Obama’s senior national security staff to discuss the crisis in Ukraine. They urged the Obama administration to take strong action in support of democracy in Ukraine and to send a firm message of support to those gathered throughout Ukraine in opposition to government corruption and violence against its citizens. The non-partisan meeting held on January 3 was initiated by the co-chairs of Ukrainian-Americans for Obama, Julian Kulas, Andrew Fedynsky and Ulana Mazurkevich, as well Alexandra Chalupa, co-convener of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Committee. The Obama administration was represented by Karen Donfried, special assistant to the president and senior director of European affairs at the National Security Council (NSC), and Lyn Debevoise, director for Central and Eastern European Affairs at the NSC. Although several participants were unable to attend due to a severe snow storm that hit parts of the Midwest and the Northeast, among the groups invited to represent Ukrainian Americans were the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Ukrainian National Information Service, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Ukrainian Human Rights Committee, Ukrainian National Association, Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, Ukrainian American Bar Association, Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America and the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.

The year in review

2014: Worldwide diaspora focused on Ukraine

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Diaspora Ukrainians around the globe mobilized in 2014 to support Ukraine in myriad ways – from protesting in front of government buildings, to sending medical supplies to Ukrainian troops and participating in roundtable discussions on the conflict in Ukraine. It was a busy year to be Ukrainian. In early February, the Munich Security Conference took place with Ukrainian opposition leaders Vitali Klitschko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk in attendance and meeting with Western leaders. About 500 Ukrainians and their supporters from various cities in Germany gathered on February 1 in support of Ukraine’s Maidan movement at the Sendlinger Tor (Gate) in downtown Munich. This was one of many demonstrations held that winter across Ukrainian diaspora communities.