Tanks Headed Towards Kiev

====================================================== "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" An International Newsletter In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary "The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion, Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World" U.S. REJECTS ANNOUNCED RESULTS IN ELECTION The United States yesterday rejected the announced results of Ukraine's disputed presidential election and warned the government of the former Soviet republic to uphold democracy or face consequences in its relationships with the United States and Europe. [article one] "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 04, Number 230 The Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC), Washington, D.C. Ukrainian Federation of America (UFA), Huntingdon Valley, PA morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net (ARTUIS) Washington, D.C., Kyiv, Ukraine, THURSDAY, November 25, 2004 -----INDEX OF ARTICLES----- "Major International News Headlines and Articles" 1. U.S. REJECTS TALLY, WARNS UKRAINE By William Branigin, Washington Post Staff Writer The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. Thursday, November 25, 2004; Page A36 2. BRIEFING BY SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL Secretary Colin L. Powell, U.S. Department of State Washington, DC, Wed, November 24, 2004 (1:00 p.m. EST) 3. PRO-RUSSIAN CANDIDATE DECLARED UKRAINE WINNER Opposition Leader Vows to Fight Results, Calls for Nationwide Strike By Peter Finn, Washington Post Foreign Service The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. Thursday, November 25, 2004; Page A01 4. "IN KIEV, A SEA OF PEOPLE SAY VOTE ISN'T OVER YET" 'Finally awake,' Ukrainians gripped by political fervor - A polemical presidential race has fueled interest in civic affairs By Peter Finn, Washington Post Foreign Service The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. Thursday, November 25, 2004; Page A38 5. STATEMENT BY U.S. CONGRESSIONAL UKRAINIAN CAUCUS Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, U.S. Congress Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2004 6. LETTER TO U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH FROM THE UKRAINIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION Ukrainian Historical Association Kent, Ohio, Tue, November 23, 2004 7. UKRAINIAN-AMERICANS IN CHICAGO PROTEST FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC'S ELECTION By Alex P. Kellogg, Chicago Tribune Chicago, Illinois, Wed, Nov 24, 2004 8. "WHILE WE LOOKED AWAY, CZAR PUTIN STOLE UKRAINE" COMMENTARY: By Dick Morris, The Hill Washington, D.C., Wed, November 24, 2004 9.UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS'S POSITION ON THE ELECTIONS UWC, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, November 22, 2004 10. UKRAINE OPPOSITION LEADER PROPOSES NEW ELECTION By Yuri Kulikov, Reuters, Kiev, Ukraine, Wed, Nov. 24, 2004 11.YUSHCHENKO PROBES CHINKS IN ARMOUR OF KUCHMA REGIME By Stefan Wagstyl and Tom Warner Financial Times, London, UK, Wed, November 24 2004 12. GOVERNMENT OF WARSAW SYMBOLICALLY RECOGNIZES YUSHCHENKO AS PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thu, November 25, 2004 13. EX-PRESIDENT OF POLAND LECH WALESA TO VISIT UKRAINE ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thu, November 25, 2004 14. JULYIA TYMOSHENKO ACCUSES KUCHMA, YANUKOVYCH, MEDVEDCUK, BILOKON, AND PG VASYLIEV AND 11 OF THE 15 MEMBERS OF CEC OF CARRYING OUT COUP E'TAT Provider: Ukrainian News Agency, Wed, November 24, 2004 (21:40) 15. EUROVISION WINNER RUSLANA DECLARES HUNGER STRIKE IN PROTEST AGAINST DECISION OF CEC TO RECOGNIZE YANUKOVYCH AS PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 24, 2004 (20:53) 16. IS ALL THIS IN THE INTEREST OF UKRAINE? LETTER TO THE EDITOR, The Action Ukraine Report >From Luca Brusati, Chair of Management, Udine State University Gorizia, Italy, Thurday, Nov 25, 2004, 3:54 AM ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER ONE ======================================================== 1. U.S. REJECTS TALLY, WARNS UKRAINE By William Branigin, Washington Post Staff Writer The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. Thursday, November 25, 2004; Page A36 The United States yesterday rejected the announced results of Ukraine's disputed presidential election and warned the government of the former Soviet republic to uphold democracy or face consequences in its relationships with the United States and Europe. In a news briefing at the State Department, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell delivered a sharp rebuke to the Ukrainian authorities who yesterday declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych the winner of a runoff election Sunday that Ukrainian protesters and foreign observers said was marred by fraud. "We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse," Powell said. His comments came shortly after Ukraine's Central Election Commission announced that Yanukovych, whose candidacy was backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, won the runoff with 49.46 percent of the vote, defeating pro-Western opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko, who was said to have received 46.61 percent. Exit polls on election day had put Yushchenko well ahead, and U.S. and European observers said there were widespread irregularities. Powell's remarks were more forceful than those the administration made Tuesday when President Bush issued a statement saying the United States was "deeply disturbed" by "indications of fraud" in the elections. Yesterday, Powell called for "a full review of the conduct of the election" and tallying of results. "It is time for Ukrainian leaders to decide whether they are on the side of democracy or not, whether they respect the will of the people or not. "If the Ukrainian government does not act immediately and responsibly, there will be consequences for our relationship, for Ukraine's hopes for a Euro-Atlantic integration, and for individuals responsible for perpetrating fraud," he said. Powell said he has discussed the situation with Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's outgoing president and a Kremlin ally who backed Yanukovych, and with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, among other officials. In his conversation with Lavrov, Powell said, "I underscored our strong support for a fair investigation of the election and the absolute importance that no violence is used against the Ukrainian people." Powell said the United States and Russia want to find a solution to the problem based on legal procedures. "We're not looking for a contest with the Russians over this," he said. "We're looking for a way to make sure that the will of the Ukrainian people is respected. . . ." He declined to specify the consequences he said could flow from Ukraine's failure to ensure a fair election outcome. "At the moment, we're not taking any actions," he said. "We want to see what the ultimate results are. So I would not get into any specifics." Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said Ukraine's leaders should "immediately invalidate the election results, invite an independent commission to investigate the numerous reports of fraud and protect all peaceful demonstrators." Germany has also criticized the election and expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine, which declared independence from Moscow 13 years ago. "There has been massive electoral fraud," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told the country's legislature. Another country expressing similar criticism was Canada, which echoed Powell's statement by announcing that it cannot accept the election results. -30- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10212-2004Nov24.html?nav=hcmo dule [past link together] ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.230: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO ======================================================== 2. BRIEFING BY SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL Secretary Colin L. Powell, U.S. Department of State Washington, DC, Wed, November 24, 2004 (1:00 p.m. EST) SECRETARY POWELL: Good morning, everyone. A dozen years ago, Ukrainians chose freedom and independence, setting their country on a path of democracy and prosperity. The United States has been a consistent partner with Ukraine in this journey. Similarly, today the United States stands with the people of Ukraine and their effort to ensure their democratic choice. Indeed, this is a critical moment. It is time for Ukrainian leaders to decide whether they are on the side of democracy or not, whether they respect the will of the people or not. If the Ukrainian Government does not act immediately and responsibly, there will be consequences for our relationship for Ukraine's hopes for Euro-Atlantic integration and for individuals responsible for perpetrating fraud. The Central Election Commission has just announced official results and declared the current prime minister the winner. We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse. We have been following developments very closely and are deeply disturbed by the extensive and credible reports of fraud in the election. We call for a full review of the conduct of the election and the tallying of election results. During the election campaign, the Ukrainian authorities at the highest level repeatedly sent a message about the importance of free and fair elections. We deeply regret that they did not take the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to democracy and to be a model for the region and the world. It is still not too late for Ukrainian authorities to find a solution that respects the will of the Ukrainian people. Countries around the world are watching the actions of Ukrainian leaders. We urge them to seize the moment. Both Mr. Yushenko and Mr. Yanukovych have suggested today that there may be a way to resolve this. Hopefully, this will give us a opening to find a solution. I have spoken this morning with President Kuchma to press him to take advantage of these kinds of openings and also to caution him against the use of any kind of force against the demonstrators, and also encouraged him to use the legitimate means available to him to examine these election results and these allegations of fraud and abuse. Also this morning I have spoken with EU Commission Chairman Barosso and with High Representative Javier Solana about the situation in Ukraine, and I can assure you that we share a common goal and perspective of the situation. We have also been in touch with the Polish Government and support the offer of President Kwasniewski to mediate. I have also spoken this morning to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov about the situation. I underscored our strong support for a fair investigation of the election and the absolute importance that no violence is used against the Ukrainian people. Tomorrow is the EU-Russian summit in Europe, and I am confident this will be a subject of discussion between the EU leadership and the Russians. We call on all sides to work to achieve a fair and just outcome without the use of force. We remind the Ukrainian authorities that they bear a special responsibility not to use or incite violence. Thank you. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, given the Russian role in the election process, do you see any negative consequences for U.S.-Russian relations in view of the fact that they have overtly support Yanukovych? SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I had a good conversation with Minister Lavrov. What we are both interested in right now is finding a solution to this problem, a solution that is based on the law and using legal procedures to resolve these allegations of fraud, well-substantiated allegations from Senator Lugar and OSCE monitors and other monitors, and what we are trying to do now is to use diplomacy and use political actions to resolve this. We're not looking for a contest with the Russians over this. We're looking for a way to make sure that the will of the Ukrainian people is respected and when we get an outcome that will truly reflect the desires of the Iranian* people for who their next leader should be. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, when you talk about a solution, do you think that the election was so tainted, the results so compromised, that there should be a new vote? And when you talk about consequences to the bilateral relationship, are you talking about reducing some of the about $150 million that the United States gives Ukraine each year? SECRETARY POWELL: At the moment, we're not taking any actions. We want to see what the ultimate results are so we're not getting into any specifics. One suggestion that has been made is another election but there are other suggestions out there. This is the time for all alternatives to be examined, to be examined carefully, to be examined in light of the law, and hopefully, the parties acting reasonably and doing everything to avoid any use of force can find a way forward. They'll get a lot of assistance from the European community, from the United States, from President Kwasniewski of Poland, who is playing an important role. And right now, we are looking at a way to move forward, not a way to punish or to do anything else but move forward peacefully to get a result that reflects the will of the Ukrainian people in a free and fair manner so that it can be accepted by the Ukrainian people and by the international community. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you've -- this Department has talked in the past about the importance of allowing nations to conduct elections without outside interference. My question is, does the Ukrainian election represent an example that goes against that principle, specifically Russian interference in the process? SECRETARY POWELL: What we stand for is free, fair, open elections, and we do not believe we have seen that in this instance, and what I would rather do is concentrate on how we get out of, and how the Ukrainians get out of the difficult situation they find themselves in. At a later time, one can talk about how we got into this situation, but right now we want to focus on how we get out of it. -30- [Action Ukraine Monitoring Service] ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.230: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE ======================================================== 3. PRO-RUSSIAN CANDIDATE DECLARED UKRAINE WINNER Opposition Leader Vows to Fight Results, Calls for Nationwide Strike By Peter Finn, Washington Post Foreign Service The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. Thursday, November 25, 2004; Page A01 KIEV, Ukraine, Nov. 24 -- Ukraine's Central Elections Commission declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych the winner of the country's bitterly disputed presidential vote Wednesday, defying strong pressure from the United States and other Western countries. In response, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko called for a national strike starting Thursday. Following the commission's ruling that Yanukovych won 49.46 percent of the vote to 46.61 percent for Yushchenko, rhetoric from both camps escalated, with each accusing the other of planning a coup. Hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters remained in the streets, pressing their claim that Yanukovych stole the election. Smaller numbers of Yanukovych supporters also arrived in the city. Speaking after the election commission issued its official finding, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell told reporters in Washington, "We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse. "If the Ukrainian government does not act immediately and responsibly," Powell said, "there will be consequences for our relationship, for Ukraine's hopes for Euro-Atlantic integration, and for individuals responsible for perpetrating fraud." The 25-country European Union and Canada, which has a large Ukrainian population, issued similar statements. International response to the vote in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic where democracy has faltered since independence in 1991, has split along Cold War lines. Moscow has supported Yanukovych, who favors closer ties with Russia; Western governments have been sympathetic to claims of fraud from Yushchenko, who has campaigned for closer relations with the E.U. and the NATO alliance. Several thousand Yushchenko supporters massed Wednesday night outside the offices of incumbent President Leonid Kuchma, who supports Yanukovych. The offices were guarded by riot police, and the standoff remained peaceful. In a speech to throngs of supporters who continued Wednesday to maintain a vigil in the capital's Independence Square, despite intense cold, Yushchenko declared that government leaders "want to bring us to our knees." The commission's vote tally, he said, "has put Ukraine on the verge of a political coup." Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz, one of Yushchenko's key strategists, said the opposition was "organizing citizens, stopping lessons at schools and universities, stopping work at enterprises, stopping transport . . . and, thus, we'll force the authorities to think about what they are doing." President Kuchma said that Yushchenko's supporters were trying to "carry out . a coup d'etat," according to the Interfax News Agency. He told foreign governments to "refrain from interference in Ukraine's affairs." The lower house of the Russian parliament adopted a statement condemning the opposition. Deputies "express deep concern over the illegal actions of Ukraine's radical opposition forces, which may lead to dramatic consequences for the brotherly people," the statement said. The day had begun with signs of compromise. Speaking to supporters, Yushchenko declared his willingness for a second staging of the run-off election that was held Sunday, "provided we have an honest Central Election Commission." Yanukovych, meanwhile, said he was not interested in a "fictitious" victory and that "no position of authority, no matter how important, is worth a single human life." But late in the afternoon, commission chairman Sergei Kivalov began to read the official election results in the commission chamber, over the din of Yushchenko supporters in the room who cried "shame, shame." Yanukovych supporters applauded their man's victory. Two of the commission's 13 members refused to sign the official results. Outside the commission, several hundred Yanukovych supporters who have arrived in the capital from the prime minister's stronghold in the eastern part of the country milled around log fires burning on the ice as they listened to loudspeakers broadcasting old Soviet songs interspersed at one point with an instrumental version of the Eagles's "Hotel California." A handful of Yushchenko supporters engaged some of them in debate about the election. "We are here to support our president," said Roman Bagayev, a 27-year-old factory worker from Donetsk, the city where Yanukovych was once governor and where Yushchenko and Western monitors said fraud was most prevalent. "There is a danger of revolution and we are here to protect our country." Despite Yanukovych's conciliatory statement earlier in the day, his campaign released a statement that seemed to rule out further review of the elections. The commission "gave serious consideration to election observers' reports of campaign and ballot counting irregularities," said campaign chairman Sergei Tyhypko in the statement. "However, with mounting public confrontation, the duly empowered authorities of the Ukrainian government felt further unwarranted delay would only increase the prospect of violence and civil strife. . . . To the extent there were irregularities and abuses in the campaign and the election, there is no reason to think that they were of sufficient magnitude to affect the outcome." In the statement, which referred to Yanukovych as the president-elect, Tyhypko called on "Yushchenko and his supporters to meet with his transition team to assist in taking early steps to heal the passions that have bitterly divided Ukraine and to restore national unity." Mykola Tomenko, a member of parliament and Yushchenko supporter, said the only discussion would be about "the peaceful handing over of power to Yushchenko by Kuchma." -30- [Action Ukraine Monitoring Service] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9396-2004Nov24.html?nav=hcmod ule [paste link together] ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.230: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR ======================================================== 4. "IN KIEV, A SEA OF PEOPLE SAY VOTE ISN'T OVER YET" 'Finally awake,' Ukrainians gripped by political fervor - A polemical presidential race has fueled interest in civic affairs By Peter Finn, Washington Post Foreign Service The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. Thursday, November 25, 2004; Page A38 KIEV, Ukraine, Nov. 24 -- From the cosmetics company where Alexander Kmet works, the employees come in shifts with the blessing of their boss, as many as 25 at a time. And so Kmet, 30, finds himself shuttling between work and Independence Square up to three times a day to join tens of thousands of supporters of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko who have gathered here in biting cold for the last three days. "I don't realize I'm freezing and exhausted until I get home every night and collapse," said Kmet, his hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders hunched and shuddering as he spoke. "But this is an inspiring moment in the history of our country. We have to be here." "The truth makes us warm," Ala Babich, 38, a management student, said before breaking into the protest song "We Shall Overcome" in English. A presidential election that the opposition and Western monitors say was marred by serious fraud has made instant political activists of large numbers of citizens in this country of 48 million people, which lies between Russia and the European Union. Outside the offices of the Central Elections Commission, several hundred men gather to show support for Viktor Yanukovych, the government-backed candidate who was officially declared the winner Wednesday. At night, they retire to tents pitched in a nearby park. Their turnout is dwarfed by the scene each day in Independence Square. The vast plaza, overlooked by the 14-story Hotel Ukraine, becomes a sea of cold, determined people, their clothing often soaked by melting snow. "At first we watched it on television, because we're not so young anymore and we live on the edge of the city," said Galina Kiyashko, 68, a retired engineer who came to the square with her husband, Grigory, a children's book writer. "But our hearts called us out." Wednesday afternoon, the Kiyashkos found themselves physically lifted off their feet by the surging crowd as they stood by the stage waiting for Yushchenko to speak. "Look at how strong we are," said Grigory Kiyashko, marveling at the throng as he searched for his footing. "Other people are probably jealous of this unity. I've never seen the country so happy and together." This isn't the first dubious election since Ukraine became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But it has been among the most competitive. Yushchenko was largely shut out of state television programming and barnstormed across the country holding old-fashioned rallies. In the square, the swell of protest since the vote surprises many people. "Our nation is finally awake," said Yurig Shekurko, 28, a priest in the country's Greek Catholic Church, who traveled to the capital from Staryy Sambir on the Polish border. "Before, we talked and complained, but now we're actually doing something." Shekurko said he had come with 10 other men, among thousands who have poured into Kiev from the western provinces where support for Yushchenko is strong. They have bunked down with friends in Kiev, grabbing something to eat from volunteers who are providing hot food around the square. "It's hard," said Shekurko, "but freedom is never easy." A hard core of several hundred opposition partisans maintains a presence through the night in the square, often chanting, "Yushchenko, Yushchenko." In the morning, crowds begin to filter back after sleeping at home or friends' houses. During the day, politicians, athletes, singers, poets and other celebrities address the crowd, their images displayed on huge video screens. The candidate himself, looking increasingly tired, steps onto the speaker's platform once or twice a day, his imminent appearance generating an excitement that is never quite matched by his somewhat flat oratory. "Because you are together, you are warm," he said Wednesday, as falling snow swirled around him. Yushchenko's speeches are constantly interrupted by chants of his name that rise in volume to the level of a boom, carrying into nearby streets like the distant sounds of fans at a football game. "We are not going home until we get our freedom," said Sasha Zobas, 20, an engineering student at the National Aviation University. "The authorities think they can wait us out, but they won't." -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11187-2004Nov24.html ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.230: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE ======================================================== 5. STATEMENT BY U.S. CONGRESSIONAL UKRAINIAN CAUCUS >From The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus U.S. Congress, Washington, D.C., Wed, Nov. 24, 2004 The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, led by Representative Curt Weldon (Republican of Pennsylvania) and Representative Marcy Kaptur (Democrat of Ohio) issued the following statement this morning about the political crisis in Ukraine: Congress of the United States U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 November 24, 2004 The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus (CUC) joins the European Union in urging a full and fair counting of the results of Ukraine's presidential election. The number of abuses reported during the pre-election campaign and on Election Day indicates that the officially declared results may not be accurate. As Members of the U.S. Congress, we call on our colleagues in Ukraine and urge them to keep the interests of their people in mind. The government is created for the people and their will is the law to civil servants. We urge you to investigate fully all claims of election fraud. We stand with the people of Ukraine and will provide all the support in our power to help them defend their civic rights. As representatives of the American people we send our greetings to the people of Ukraine and remain humbled by their strength and unity in these difficult and critical times. On behalf of our nation, we would like to express extreme pleasure in seeing that the civic community of Ukraine is very active and that the people of Ukraine conduct their protest in a calm and civilized manner and do not resort to violence. The American people side with the people of Ukraine and support their demands for protection of the basic right to elect leadership in a free and fair manner. You have shown the world that you are a truly democratic nation. Signed, CURT WELDON MARCY KAPTUR Member of Congress Member of Congress ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.230: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX Your comments about the Report are always welcome ======================================================== 6. LETTER TO U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH FROM THE UKRAINIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION UKRAINIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION SOCIÉTÉ HISTORIQUE UKRAINIENNE UKRAINIS HE HISTORISCHE GESELLSCHAFT P.O. Box 312, Kent, Ohio 44240, USA Tel.: (330) 297-1390. e-mail: ukrhist@aol.com Fax: (330) 297-1327 November 23, 2004 George W. Bush, President United States of America Dear Mr. President: On November 21, the Ukrainian people went to the polls to elect their president. As with the first round, on October 31, there was an exceptionally high voter turnout, signaling the desire of the Ukrainian people to be actively involved in the democratic process. It is now evident that this second round is as marred by serious election violations and voter fraud as was the first. Documented violations used by the authorities to sway the election to the state supported candidate, Mr. Victor Yanukovich, were serious and pervasive, designed to rob the people of a fair and honest election. In spite of these massive administration efforts to suppress the vote for the opposition candidate, Victor Yushchenko, credible exit polls showed that the Ukrainian people elected him by a 7 to 11% margin over the state supported Yanukovich, well above the margin of error. Contrary to these exit polls favoring Mr. Yushchenko, the state controlled Central Electoral Commission gave Victor Yanukovych a 3% lead, through manipulating the outcome by deliberately increasing the reported turnout, specifically in Donetsk and Luhansk. The international election observer commission of the OSCE, the European Parliament, NATO and other monitoring bodies released their verdicts: the election process failed to meet the required democratic standards and the election was "not free and was not fair". Senator Richard Lugar concluded that "a concerted and forceful program of election day fraud and abuse was enacted with either the leadership or cooperation of government authorities". We are calling upon you, Mr. President, to continue to strongly condemn the election fraud perpetuated upon the Ukrainian people, to continue urging the Ukrainian authorities not to certify these illegitimate results, and to express your full support to the hundreds of thousands of brave Ukrainians now demonstrating in the defense of their democratic rights and the upholding of their nation's constitution by refusing to accept the fraudulent results from an authority which has broken their own state's election laws. Your unwavering support of the Ukrainian people in their fight for honest elections will demonstrate your commitment to spreading freedom to various parts of this world. Respectfully, Lubomyr Wynar, Ph.D.. President, Ukrainian Historical Association ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.230: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN Your comments about the Report are always welcome ======================================================== 7. UKRAINIAN-AMERICANS IN CHICAGO PROTEST FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC'S ELECTION By Alex P. Kellogg, Chicago Tribune Chicago, Illinois, Wed, Nov 24, 2004 CHICAGO - (KRT) - Hundreds of Ukrainian-Americans carrying protest signs and wearing orange, the color of Ukraine's opposition campaign, marched Tuesday in downtown Chicago to condemn Sunday's presidential election in the former Soviet republic. Marchers said they were showing support for the tens of thousands of people who have packed the streets of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to protest the declared victory of Kremlin-backed candidate Viktor Yanukovych, currently the prime minister. "We are against the fraudulent election that has taken place in the Ukraine," said Bohdanna Czerniak, 18, a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "We want a democracy like the United States has. Ukrainians don't want to be under communism." Czerniak was wearing an orange sweatshirt to show her support of Viktor Yushchenko, the opposition leader who is seen as a more liberal, Western-minded reformer. Because of his association with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yanukovych's detractors regard him as pro-communist. There were similar protests Tuesday in front of the Russian and Ukrainian consulates in New York and protests in Toronto and Washington are planned for Wednesday. "We're here to remind the U.S. that it is all about democracy," said Roxana Pylypczak, 46. "You have three generations of people all fighting for the same thing - to keep their language and their culture and to be free to speak their minds without being jailed." Pylypczak, a pharmacist who also directs a local Ukrainian dance company, said the U.S. should intervene in Ukraine as it did in Iraq. Protesters marched downtown from the Dirksen Federal Building to Pioneer Square, about a 16-block walk. They waved the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag and carried signs with messages that read "Russian Troops Out of Ukraine" and "Do Not Recognize Fraudulent Elections." The Illinois division of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America organized the three-hour rally. Sonia Hrynewycz of Bloomingdale came to the protest with two friends, Valerie Chryniwsky and Iranka Karawan. She said it was important to show solidarity with people in her homeland. "This is a moment we have to seize," Hrynewycz said. "They are entitled to have the president they picked, not the one they falsified." Her friends agreed. "The election was false and fraudulent, and that is why we have to protest," Karawan said. -30- ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.230: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT Your comments about the Report are always welcome ========================================================= 8. "WHILE WE LOOKED AWAY, CZAR PUTIN STOLE UKRAINE" COMMENTARY: By Dick Morris, The Hill Washington, D.C., Wed, November 24, 2004 While we looked away, Czar Putin stole Ukraine Would-be czar Vladimir Putin has taken a giant step toward reasserting the regional hegemony of the former Soviet Union by stealing the election in Ukraine right under our noses. As an unpaid, volunteer adviser to Viktor Yushchenko, the democratic candidate for president, I have seen, firsthand, how Viktor Yanukovich, the Putin candidate backed by a coalition of the Russian Mafia, oil barons, former KGB officials and communists stole the election and thwarted the obvious will of the voters. While the former Soviet Union was composed of many smaller nations, now independent, the key was the combination of Russia and Ukraine. Russia’s 145 million people and Ukraine’s 45 million are the core of what was the Soviet empire. Reuniting them has to be the primary goal of any aspiring Russian czar. But the Ukrainian people don’t want Russian domination. The election contest pitted Yushchenko, who got the virtually solid support of the 60 percent of the population that is Ukrainian by ethnicity, against Yanukovich, who won equally united backing from the 40 percent that is ethnically Russian. The result was obvious: Exit polls (more accurate in Ukraine than when our own TV networks do them) showed Yushchenko winning by more than 10 points. But the final results, announced by the government, which supported Yanukovich, showed a small margin in favor of the Russian-backed candidate. Putin regarded the contest as so important that he personally visited Ukraine in the weeks before the election to campaign for his candidate, a clear violation of the most elementary standards of independence and protocol. His former KGB henchmen — and once and future communists — combined with Russian organized-crime figures and oil barons to pump money into the race and to intimidate voters on the ground. Yushchenko, a pro-Western former prime minister, survived two assassination attempts to make the race. At the start of the contest, he was run off the road while driving in Ukraine. When he walked away from the wreck, the opposition poisoned him. Hospitalized in Vienna, his doctors diagnosed the poison, which mimicked a stroke in its symptoms, and nursed him to recovery. If they couldn’t commit murder, Putin’s boys decided to commit larceny and did all they could to stack the election. Their totally controlled print and television media — all the information outlets in the nation — refused to give any favorable coverage to Yushchenko and biased all their news toward Yanukovich. We couldn’t even buy advertising space in any mass-media outlet. But, undaunted, Yushchenko’s supporters got their message out by hand, distributing leaflets and fliers to every single household in the nation several times each week. When, finally, the forces of freedom won the election, Putin’s operatives rigged the count and released totally phony results showing their stooge to be the winner. The stakes could not be higher. If Ukraine and Russia combine, as Putin clearly wants, the old Soviet Union will be back on the road to regional domination and the old ambitions of global power will return. And 45 million people will be cheated of the right to determine their own future. We, in the West, are at best distracted and at worst willing to cede to Putin regional control in return for his assistance in the war on terror. This is a mistake of the same order of magnitude as the allies made in the 1930s in dealing with Hitler. The theft of the Ukrainian election is parallel to Germany’s decision to march into the Rhineland. And our refusal to notice or act is akin to the French and British policy of turning the other way. Freedom may be on the march in the Middle East, but it is in full retreat in Eastern Europe. So, again the echo of the Nixonian question about China: Who lost Ukraine? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morris is the author of Rewriting History, a rebuttal of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) memoir, Living History. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LINK: http://www.thehill.com/morris/112404.aspx ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.228: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE Suggested articles for publication in the Report are always welcome ========================================================= 9. UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS'S POSITION ON THE ELECTIONS UWC, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, November 22, 2004 KYIV - The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), irrespective of the final results as currently reported by the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine, does not believe the results of the November 21st election to accurately reflect the real political will of the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainian Diaspora, whose activities are coordinated by the UWC, recognizes Victor Yushchenko as the winner of this election - and offers support as required or requested by the Ukrainian people - to ensure an independent democratic Ukraine. The UWC (with member organizations in 30 countries representing over 20 million Ukrainian Diaspora) actively monitored the pre-election period, October 31st election and November 21st election. The conclusions noted below are drawn from the direct observation of over 250 accredited international monitors. Widespread violations and abuses, as documented and reported both through the pre-election and election periods, have directly benefited the candidacy of presidential candidate Victor Yanukovych. Should Victor Yanukovych be declared president by the CEC, he cannot be deemed to have been elected through a fair and free expression of the political will of the Ukrainian voters. Should Victor Yushchenko be declared President by the CEC, he will have earned that position despite systemic administrative obstructionism, voter manipulation, state controlled media bias and innumerable electoral violations. Documented violations include but are not limited to: * fraudulent proxy voting * multiple voting * ballot box stuffing by administrative officials and electoral commission members * bribery * administrative resource mobilization * threats and intimidations * voter list manipulation * and ballot box destruction and vandalism All such documented violations are in clear contravention of Ukrainian electoral law. Askold Lozynskyj, President UWC Victor Pedenko, Secretary General UWC Michael Sawkiw, President UCCA Ostap Skrypnyk, Executive Director UCC FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Ostap Skrypnyk, Executive Director Ukrainian Canadian Congress Tel: (204) 942-4627, Kyiv: (380) 44-228-4580 Fax: (204) 947-3882, ostap.skrypnyk@ucc.ca, www.ucc.ca ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN Letters to the editor are always welcome ========================================================= 10. UKRAINE OPPOSITION LEADER PROPOSES NEW ELECTION By Yuri Kulikov, Reuters, Kiev, Ukraine, Wed, Nov. 24, 2004 KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's opposition leader said on Wednesday he was ready to take part in a new "honest" election for president, offering authorities a way out of a crisis that has triggered mass protests across the country. Liberal challenger Viktor Yushchenko made his offer as election authorities were poised to announce official results of Sunday's disputed poll that were certain to show Moscow-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich was the winner. Shortly after his rival's offer, Yanukovich also hinted at compromise by saying that he was not interested in a "fictitious" victory and that "no position of authority, no matter how important, is worth a single human life." Yushchenko's comments provided outgoing President Leonid Kuchma with a way to defuse a crisis that has convulsed the ex-Soviet state of 47 million after it became obvious early on Monday that Yanukovich would be declared the winner. "We are ready to have a repeat of the second round vote provided we have an honest Central Election Commission," Yushchenko told tens of thousands of supporters massed in Kiev's main square. Yushchenko, a former prime minister who narrowly won the first round and was put well ahead of Yanukovich in an exit poll, says he was robbed of victory by mass cheating. His allegations have sparked mass unrest in Kiev and in other Yushchenko strongholds in western Ukraine, bringing tens of thousands out onto the streets, paralyzing normal life. The United States and the European Union have all condemned the election as a fraudulent exercise. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who backed Yanukovich's election from the start, has already congratulated the premier. But the Kremlin said later on Wednesday that Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed Ukraine should solve its crisis through legal means. There was no immediate reaction from Kuchma. Late on Tuesday, Kuchma called for talks with all parties to solve the election row. But he dismissed the opposition protests as a "political farce." He has not been seen since the eve of the poll and Yushchenko supporters have made much of his public absence. TIGHTER RULES Yushchenko stressed that any new election would have to be run under tighter electoral rules, particularly regarding absentee ballots, which is seen as an area open to most abuse. Repeating his warning of civil conflict, he told his cheering supporters: "This was not provoked by you or by the opposition. It was done by the authorities. "But to find a resolution of the conflict does not mean accepting falsified elections. We will never agree to that." The central electoral commission had still to declare its final results on Wednesday evening. It originally said it would announce them at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT), though Yanukovich suggested later he could wait. "I need no fictitious victory, a result which could lead to violence and victims. No position of authority, no matter how important, is worth a single human life," he said in a statement. The United States and the EU both urged Ukraine not to certify the election result until claims of fraud are investigated. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Ukraine was at a crossroads over the results and could turn violent. The two rivals stand for different images for the future of Ukraine, where the average worker makes do on $60 a month. Yanukovich sees future prosperity in closer ties with Russia. Yushchenko favors gradual integration with Western Europe, but recognizes Russia as a strategic partner. The crisis has raised tensions between the United States and Russia, battling for influence over the ex-Soviet state. Yushchenko supporters roamed Kiev for a third day, marching past buildings housing the presidency, government and parliament and chanting: "Yushchenko! Yushchenko!" Nationalist western Ukraine has taken a strong pro-Yushchenko line. But the mood of near-revolution seen in Kiev was markedly different from that in Russian-speaking regions that heavily back Yanukovich. In Donetsk, a big coal-mining center, slogans were pinned to fences denouncing Yushchenko as a traitor. Protests supporting Yanukovich were being held in pits and factories. Miners were trying to get to Kiev to counter opposition rallies. About 1,500 pro-Yanukovich supporters set up a rival protest near the capital's Dynamo Kiev soccer stadium, with banners deriding Yushchenko and saying "Don't sell Ukraine to America!" Defense Minister Oleksander Kuzmuk said there would be no movement of troops. But the interior ministry, responsible for internal order with various special forces units, was silent. The crisis threatens to damage economic growth in Ukraine, outstripped by Western neighbors after years of mismanagement. -30- ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN Letters to the editor are always welcome ========================================================= 11.YUSHCHENKO PROBES CHINKS IN ARMOUR OF KUCHMA REGIME By Stefan Wagstyl and Tom Warner Financial Times, London, UK, Wed, Nov 24 2004 KIEV - Despite huge crowds of supporters in the streets of Kiev, people power alone is unlikely to secure victory for Viktor Yushchenko, the Ukrainian opposition leader, in the disputed presidential election. Yesterday he tried and failed to secure parliamentary support. But his time was not wasted. While attempting to involve the Ukrainian parliament, he was probing the defences of the incumbent president, Leonid Kuchma. Although Mr Kuchma has spent a decade building an authoritarian regime, he has not established complete control - unlike President Vladimir Putin in Russia - and it is unclear whether he can assure victory for his prime minister, Viktor Yanukovich. In particular, he does not control parliament or the Supreme Court, both of which could play a vital role in determining the victor. The core of Mr Kuchma's power is his dominance of the bureaucracy, law- enforcement and state security structures inherited from communist times. Even before Mr Putin made similar moves in Russia, Mr Kuchma had established presidential control over regional governments and placed allies to oversee the news on the main state and private television channels. By distributing state-owned assets to favoured businessmen, Mr Kuchma has also built up a powerful coterie of business oligarchs. Chief among them are Viktor Pinchuk, Mr Kuchma's son-in-law, and Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man, who dominates the steel industry in the Donetsk region, Mr Yanukovich's heartland. But within the business and political elite, tensions remain. Yulia Tymoshenko, now one of the leaders of Mr Yushchenko's movement, made a fortune in the state-dominated gas market in the mid-1990s and later became a minister. She was pushed out and accused of corruption but rejected the claims as political attacks. Mr Kuchma's own godson, Andrey Derkach, whose father headed the SBU secret police force until 2001, switched sides during the presidential campaign. Critically, the president has failed to establish a reliable majority among parliament's 450 members. Recently, Volodymyr Lytvyn, the speaker, and more than 30 deputies deserted the pro-presidential bloc, creating a stalemate in which neither Mr Yushchenko nor Mr Kuchma has a majority. Mr Kuchma cannot take the support of domestic institutions for granted, especially the Supreme Court, where judges enjoy independence thanks to lifetime appointments. Before the polls, the court acted in Mr Yushchenko's favour by ordering the central election commission to exclude 41 extra polling stations in Russia for the numerous Ukrainian citizens there amid concerns that they might be used for ballot fraud. After the first round, the court ordered the commission to reverse a decision to exclude votes from a pro-Yushchenko district. As the widespread allegations of second-round fraud show, the government has attempted another challenge to institutions Mr Kuchma does not fully control. The authorities successfully ordered and bullied civil servants to co-operate in ballot-stuffing operations - ranging from university professors who applied unfair pressure on students to police officers who were paid to tour polling stations and vote more than once. But the machine did its job too well. The sheer scale of fraud required to swing the official results in Mr Yanukovich's favour has provoked huge protests and international criticism. Mr Yushchenko has already started legal actions challenging the second- round results, which are likely to reach the Supreme Court within a week. The city councils of Kiev, Lviv and other western cities have backed Mr Yushchenko's challenge. While these decisions have no constitutional significance, they show that Mr Yushchenko's followers include people with influence in their communities. Among the crowds in the streets are many business people and professionals, as well as students. Yesterday, Mr Yushchenko went to parliament to seek backing. As Mr Yanukovich's supporters and the Communists stayed away, no votes were held. But Mr Yushchenko has not given up hope of winning over the Communists another day. Mr Lytvyn, the speaker, said before the session he would be willing to mediate. The SBU urged political leaders to talk and compromise. Mr Lytvyn said in parliament: "To pretend that nothing special is happening in Ukraine, to try to keep silent and hope everything disappears is amoral and criminal." These statements do not endorse Mr Yushchenko, but they do reveal a few chinks in the regime's armour. The institutions surrounding Mr Kuchma are strong, but they are not impenetrable. -30- ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE Letters to the editor are always welcome ========================================================= 12. GOVERNMENT OF WARSAW SYMBOLICALLY RECOGNIZES YUSHCHENKO AS PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thu, November 25, 2004 KYIV - The government of the Polish capital of Warsaw passed the decision symbolically recognizing Our Ukraine coalition leader Viktor Yuschenko winner of the November 21 run-off presidential election in Ukraine. Polish Sejm Deputy Bronislaw Komarowski said this on the air on TV company Channel 5. "This fact (recognition of Yuschenko the President) took place," Komarowski said. In his words, it was a symbolic move in support of the Ukrainian people. "Warsaw is thus willing to express solidarity with Ukraine," Komarowski said. [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service] ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN Letters to the editor are always welcome ========================================================= 13. EX-PRESIDENT OF POLAND LECH WALESA TO VISIT UKRAINE ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thu, November 25, 2004 KYIV - Ex-President of Poland Lech Walesa is going to visit Ukraine on November 25 at the invitation of Our Ukraine Coalition leader Viktor Yuschenko. Ukrainian News learned this from Yaroslav Rybak, the head of the press and information office of the Polish Embassy in Ukraine. As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Walesa is ready to back up Yuschenko. His referent Jaroslaw Walesa said that the first president of Poland would arrive in Ukraine to support Yuschenko if the situation in Ukraine gets worse. The Central Election Commission declared Yanukovych the winner in the presidential election on November 24. President Leonid Kuchma said a civil war is possible in Ukraine. -30- ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN Letters to the editor are always welcome ========================================================= 14. JULYIA TYMOSHENKO ACCUSES KUCHMA, YANUKOVYCH, MEDVEDCUK, BILOKON, AND PG VASYLIEV AND 11 OF THE 15 MEMBERS OF CEC OF CARRYING OUT COUP E'TAT Provider: Ukrainian News Agency, November 24, 2004 (21:40) KYIV - Verkhovna Rada deputy Yulia Tymoshenko, who heads the coalition of political parties that bears her name, has accused President Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, Presidential Administration Head Viktor Medvedchuk, Internal Affairs Minister Mykola Bilokon, Prosecutor General Hennadii Vasyliev and 11 of the 15 members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of carrying out a coup d'etat. She made the statement while speaking at a rally on the Independence Square in Kyiv. "All of us...consider that a coup d'etat took place," stated Tymoshenko. She said that the people should know the names of those that carried out this coup. "This is foremost of all Kuchma...who did not make use of his minimum right to put order in the CEC," said Tymoshenko. She also name Yanukovych, Medvedchuk, Bilokon and Vasyliev. Besides, Tymoshenko accused CEC Chairman Serhii Kivalov of involvement in the coup d'etat. "The chairman of the CEC is a corrupt, reliant and irresponsible person," said Tymoshenko. She also listed the names of the CEC members, which voted for recognizing Yanukovych's election victory. After this, the participants of the rally began to chant: "Shame!" Shame!" Tymoshenko however noted that not all members of the CEC voted for this and she specifically named CEC members Yaroslav Davydovych, Andrii Mahera, Ruslan Kniazevych and Oleksandr Chupakhin. In response, participants of the rally began to chant "Well done!" Tymoshenko stated that CEC members, who voted for recognition of Yanukovych as President, were bribed. "I want you to know. These people, which betrayed us in the CEC...They did not do this free of charge. These are people, who sold the history of Ukraine," she stated. -30- ========================================================= ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER FIFTEEN Letters to the editor are always welcome ========================================================= 15. EUROVISION WINNER RUSLANA DECLARES HUNGER STRIKE IN PROTEST AGAINST DECISION OF CEC TO RECOGNIZE YANUKOVYCH AS PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 24, 2004 KYIV - Ukrainian singer Ruslana Lyzhychko, who won the Eurovision competition, has declared a hunger strike as a sign of protest against the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to recognize Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko as President. The official website of the singer disclosed this. "In connection with the decision of the CEC of Ukraine to recognize the victory of V. Yanukovych in the presidential election of Ukraine, Ruslana announces a hunger strike as a sign of protest and is putting on the head a symbolic ribbon," it is mentioned in the statement, which was placed on Ruslana's website. Ruslana has made a request to the governments of European countries and the world to influence the situation in Ukraine in a democratic way. "[They] are trying to trample our word underfoot...My hunger strike will continue until the restoration of justice and cancellation of the illegal decision of the CEC," said Ruslana. As Ukrainian News earlier reported, CEC Chairman Serhii Kivalov closed the meeting of the commission, at which the final results of the presidential election were announced. At the meeting, the CEC declared Yanukovych President. . The Eurovision competition, at which Ruslana represented Ukraine [and won first place for the first time ever for Ukraine], was held in Istanbul and ended May 15 to 16th. -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service] ======================================================== ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 230: ARTICLE NUMBER SIXTEEN Letters to the editor are always welcome ======================================================== 16. IS ALL THIS IN THE INTEREST OF UKRAINE? LETTER TO THE EDITOR ----- Original Message ----- From: "Luca Brusati" To: "Action Ukraine Report" Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 3:54 AM Subject: Is all this in the interest of Ukraine? I really cannot see the point in supporting Mr. Yuschenko. First, as a former Prime Minister appointed by Mr. Kuchma, I find it difficult to assume he is outside the same kind of coterie; it seems more plausible to assume he is betting now his own fortunes on the US (which most certainly are financing your own destabilization work as well). Secondly, if he were to be declared President, what would happen? A lot of lip service from the West, some more handouts, i vse (I assume you still speak some Russian - or is all this engineered in Delaware or South Carolina???). In the next twenty years the EU will NEVER admit Ukraine (assuming the EU will survive the recent and upcoming waves of enlargement). The US have been SYSTEMATICALLY favouring the weakening of Ukraine's economic ties with Russia since 1992. Is this in Ukraine's best interest, or does it just serve the geopolitical interest of the US in weakening Russia??? Prof. Luca G. Brusati, Ph.D. Chair of Management, Udine State University Via Diaz 5 - 34170 Gorizia, Italy Director for International Relations Public, Nonprofit and Healthcare Management Department Bocconi University School of Management Via Bocconi 8 - 20136 Milano, Italy ======================================================== ARTICLES ARE FOR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC USE ONLY Articles are Distributed For Information, Research, Education Discussion and Personal Purposes Only ======================================================== Ukraine Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com ======================================================== "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" A Publication Supported Financially By Its Readers Please add your name to our list of financial contributors! "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"-04, is an in-depth news and analysis international newsletter, produced by the www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS) and The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service (TAURMS). The report is now distributed to several thousand persons worldwide FREE of charge using the e-mail address: ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net. This is the 226th Report issued so far this year, out of the more than 240 to be issued in 2004. "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" is supported through The Action Ukraine Program Fund. Financial support from readers is essential to the future of this Report. You can become a financial sponsor of The Action Ukraine Program Fund. Individuals, corporations, non-profit organizations and other groups can provide support for the expanding Action Ukraine Program by sending in contributions.

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