Week of 1/7-1/14

• Protecting Ukraine, Prodding Putin: Democrats and Republicans both want to rebuff Russia's aggression towards Ukraine but are divided on the best course of action. Republican Senator Ted Cruz recently introduced a bill that would impose immediate sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline operators (chiefly Russian and German officials). Lead Democrat and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Bob Menendez unveiled a different bill that would impose the sanctions only if Russia invaded Ukraine. The pipeline is scheduled to begin operations sometime in March of this year.

  • Behind the Scenes: Biden’s State Department officials lobbied against Congress against Senator Cruz’s bill. Meanwhile government-relations firm Yorktown Solutions, a common consultant for Ukrainian businesses, worked to get the bill passed. This shows the various parties invested in how America responds to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, further complicating a unified US response.
  • Democrats Win for Now: On Thursday the Senate brought Senator Cruz’s bill to the floor where it failed to receive enough votes for passage.

• Russia’s Point of View: Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov cited the expansion of NATO as their top foreign policy concern after discussions with NATO on Wednesday. The deputy stated that Russian officials would be satisfied if Ukraine agreed to implement the 2015 Minsk Agreements, which includes removing all foreign military presence and recognizing Donetsk and Luhansk as autonomous regions. Ideally, Russia wants a written agreement that Ukraine can never join NATO. Ryabkov said during his conference, “For us, it it’s absolutely mandatory to make sure that Ukraine never, never, ever becomes a member of NATO.”
  • Note to our readers: While we normally would not cite Russia Today, we think it is important to try and move beyond an American- and euro-centric point of view to show differing opinions.

• Pushing Back Against Putin: While Russian troops continue to loom on Ukraine’s eastern border, demonstrators in Kyiv and Kharkiv came out in droves on Sunday to show support for protestors in Kazakhstan. Angry Kazakh citizens took the streets over a week ago in response to skyrocketing fuel costs and complaints about the iron-fisted regime. Kazakhstan’s government has killed hundreds of protestors and arrested thousands more. In response to the upheaval, Russia sent in over 2,0000 troops to stop the protests and return government control in key cites. Protestors in Ukraine see it as a move towards occupation, with one protestor saying that Putin “wants to rebuild the USSR by force.”

• Ukraine celebrated the birthday of prominent folk artist Maria Prymachenko this week. Her colorful paintings captured the animal and floral parts of life in rural Ukraine. Prymachenko’s art toured around the world, including Paris where Pablo Picasso said, “I bow down before the artistic miracle of this brilliant Ukrainian” while labeling her an “artistic miracle.”

  • See it for Yourself: A collection of her work is on permanent display at the Ukrainian Folk Art Museum Kyiv.
  • Walmart Pickup: While original pieces have sold at auctions for nearly $25k you can order a reprint of her art directly from Walmart for $49.99.  

• Olympic-sized Aspirations: Ukraine is positioning itself to make a bid to host the winter Olympics within the next 15 years. Russia became the first country within the post-Soviet bloc to host the winter Olympics when the International Olympic Committee chose Sochi to host it in 2014. While Zelensky highlighted the potential economic benefits of hosting the Olympics, academics and policy experts were quick to point out that costs usually run over budget and can handicap weaker economies.
  • Improving Infrastructure: The goal of hosting the Olympics coincides with Zelensky’s new infrastructure project. The Zelensky administration has already initiated a program to upgrade thousands of miles of roads which are notorious for their potholes. The current administration believes that the upgraded infrastructure will be able to handle the logistical nightmare that comes with the winter Olympics.

• Happy Old New Year! As you may remember from last week, the Russian Empire and then the nascent Bolshevik Regime used the Julian calendar up until February 1st, 1918. In January of 1918, the Bolsheviks announced that on February 1st the country would adopt the Gregorian calendar forcing a jump to February 14th. Therefore, January 14th is considered old New Year! Many countries in the post-Soviet bloc still informally observe the holiday. Families will still gather on January 13th or 14th to feast on traditional pork-based dishes and celebrate the end of the winter holiday season.