Letter to the President of the European Parliament (ENG)

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Категорія: Українська громада у світі
Створено: 18 грудня 2012 Дата публікації Перегляди: 2405
The Honorable Martin Schulz
President of the European Parliament
Rue Wiertz 60
1047 Bruxelles, Belgique
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Dear Mr. President:

The International Conference in Support of Ukraine is a global coordinating body of Ukrainian patriotic non-governmental organizations working in support of the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian people. Inasmuch as our purpose is to be of assistance to the Ukrainian nation, our ideology is nationalistic, similar to that of George Washington of America, Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, Charles de Gaulle of France and many others, to name only a few.

Our purpose in this missive is to address one objectionable paragraph in your recent (13 December 2012) resolution on Ukraine. We are in accord generally with the thrust of your document, save for some hyperbolic language regarding the recent elections in Ukraine. For example, in paragraph I of the conclusive portion, you express regret regarding the recent elections, relying on the OSCE reports, yet your language is not substantiated and, in fact, contradicted by those reports. You should note that the European Parliament's findings were one with the OSCE. Nonetheless, correcting that error is not the aim of our letter.
We are troubled by paragraph 9 of the conclusive portion of the resolution regarding Ukrainian nationalism and the “Svoboda” party. While the opposition in Ukraine has chosen to pay little or no attention to this paragraph (opinion expressed by Arsenij Yatseniuk), we feel that the sentiment expressed in this paragraph is highly offensive to the Ukrainian people and may not be dismissed as simply the handiwork of a Bulgarian “progressive”. Bulgaria has a curious history of collaboration with the Ottoman Empire, the Third Reich and the Soviet killing machine. The last was termed “progressive” as well.

Our concern was further exacerbated by press comments from a Polish MEP, who voiced gratuitous disparaging remarks about Ukrainian nationalism. You may be interested to learn that Poland has a history of three invasions of Ukrainian territory, was responsible for the bloody oppression of the Ukrainian people in the first half of the 20th century on Ukrainian territory which Poland termed “pacification” and undertook nefarious schemes of “ethnic cleansing” of Ukrainians in Poland in the 1940's termed “repatriation and “relocation.”
Ukrainians as a nation have never been xenophobic or chauvinistic. This stems partly from the historical fact that they have been oppressed and subjugated in essence from 1240 to 1991. Fortunately, they have been nationalistic at times. The current “Svoboda” Party is an example of such a nationalistic approach at a time when Ukraine is independent, yet deeply flawed in its national identity because of years of foreign oppression, most notoriously in terms of brutality and duration by Russia in various forms and Poland.

Certainly, there are members of “Svoboda” who are racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic just as there are such within the ranks of the Republican Party in the U.S. or any other major political party “Svoboda” in its ideology or platform does not espouse such views. “Svoboda” is driven by concern for the welfare of the Ukrainian nation without attacking or disparaging any other nation unless that nation acts against the better interests of Ukrainians.

The EP would be better served to choose its words and sentiments more carefully, lest they offend a nation that is an integral and important part of the European community “de facto” and has a historical record which is beyond reproach. Ukraine wants to be a working component of that community “de iure”. We suspect that the EP wants Ukrainian participation in Europe as much. However, leveling unsubstantiated accusations, ironically initiated by representatives of countries with less than unblemished histories is not only unproductive, but, more importantly, immoral.

Mr. President, we respectfully request that you revisit the ill-advised portion of your resolution on Ukraine. We do so not for the benefit of the Ukrainian people most of whom have a clear conscience, but for the sake of fairness and the betterment of EP/EU Ukrainian relations.
Respectfully,


Askold S. Lozynskyj
Chairman

cc: The Honorable Kristian Vigenin
The Honorable Pawel Zalewski


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