World in Ukraine: Journalists rate Ukraine’s best friends in Brussels - Mar. 27, 2015

Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Post asked three Ukrainian journalists based in Brussels, Belgium, the administrative capital of the European Union, to name non-Ukrainians based in Brussels who they think are the nation’s best and most influential supporters. Here are their responses. The journalists who participated are Andrii Lavreniuk, Ukrinform’s staff correspondent in Belgium; Sergei Voropayev, an independent journalist; and Zhanna Bezpiatchuk of Radio Svoboda.

Four people made the list of all three Brussels-based Ukrainian journalists when asked to name Ukraine’s best friends in Brussels. They are:

Donald Tusk

The European Council president and former prime minister of Poland is seen as playing a pivotal role in drumming up support within the European Union for Ukraine and keeping the Western alliance united in sanctions against Russia. However, Lavreniuk said that Tusk’s public stance in support of Ukraine has weakened in his new job. “Nonetheless, Tusk tries to consolidate support for Ukraine, criticizes Russian aggression and insists on continuing and strengthening sanctions against Russia,” Lavreniuk said.

Rebecca Harms

Rebecca Harms is a European Parliament member and a leader of the European Greens movement. “The German politician is influential and an old friend of Ukraine as well as a strong opponent of Russia’s (President) Vladimir Putin,” Lavreniuk said.

Bezpiatchuk agreed: “Her political capital is reinforced by the very fact that she is the leader of one of the political groups with very clear messages and a good reputation in Brussels. She has come to Ukraine on all occasions, both tragic and happy. I know of cases when she literally helped solve problems of Ukrainians related to visas, for example. Rebecca used to attend anti-Ukrainian propagandistic events that occurred in Brussels quite regularly to counter propaganda and outright lies.”

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski is a member of the liberal-democratic majority in the European Parliament. “Few have been as active or as strong in support of Ukraine,” said Lavreniuk. He is “an old and dedicated friend of Ukraine in all possible terms,” Bezpiatchuk added.

Andrej Plenkovic

Andrej Plenkovic is a Croatian politician serving his first term as an elected member of the European Parliament, Lavreniuk said, and chairs the delegation to the European Union-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

“He understands quite well the situation in Ukraine, can compare it with the Balkan experience and is trying to maintain strong contacts between Ukraine and the EU,” Voropayev said.

“He has good diplomatic skills,” added Bezpiatchuk.

Twelve others made the lists of at least one of the journalists. They are listed in alphabetical order:

Petras Austrevicius

Petras Austrevicius, a member of the European Parliament, is the initiator and the chairman of the informal group “Friends of European Ukraine,” according to Lavreniuk. “He sincerely supports Ukraine, organizes and promotes different actions,” Lavreniuk said.

Elmar Brok

Elmar Brok, the European Parliament heavyweight and German representative, chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee. “He has been backing Ukraine and criticizing Russia for years,” Lavreniuk said.

Mark Demesmaeker

Mark Demesmaeker is a European Parliament member from Belgium with the European Conservative and Reformists group.

“He is the only MEP and European politician in general who went to the very core of the conflict zone in the east,” said Bezpiatchuk. “He was nearby Debaltseve at the moment of the ongoing Russian and separatists’ offensive and massive retreat of the Ukrainian army. It’s one thing when a Polish or Lithuanian politician supports Ukraine actively and wholeheartedly. But it’s slightly different when it’s done by a Belgian politician with European reach. Demesmaeker is doing a great job by going on the air and giving interviews to the Belgian press, countering Russian propaganda with his eyewitness accounts. He has hired a Ukrainian assistant.”

Valdis Dombrovskis

Valdis Dombrovskis is a Latvian who serves as commissioner for the euro zone and social dialogue on the European Commission. “He is one of those directly involved in working out sanctions on Russia. He has a very professional, realistic and strong position on sanctions. His office and assistants do everything they can to help Ukrainians,” Bezpiatchuk said.

Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson is an experienced analyst who cooperates with the European Policy Center in Brussels, Lavreniuk said, and “presents the situation in Ukraine objectively in his research, blogs and commentary amid Russia’s aggressive policy.”

Johannes Hahn

Johannes Hahn took over for Stefan Fuele as the EU’s top person for neighborhood policy and enlargement. While the Austrian politician “is no Stefan Fuele,” Lavreniuk said, “he supports Ukraine, tries to get unity behind action and urges Ukraine to reform.”

Sandra Kalniete

Sandra Kalniete, the ex-minister of foreign affairs of Latvia and current European Parliament member, “became persona non grata in Russia because of her strong stance against Crimea’s annexation, Russia’s hybrid war and active support for Ukraine,” Bezpiatchuk said.

Gabrielius Landsbergis

Gabrielius Landsbergis, a European Parliament member from Lithuania, has been involved in the most recent $1.8 billion euro assistance package for Ukraine, Voropayev said.

“One of the youngest MEPs who goes frequently to Ukraine,” Bezpiatchuk said. “He got one of the most difficult and responsible assignments at this European Parliament – to prepare the report on EU-Russia relations that will be taken as a basis for a resolution on these relations. This resolution will be voted in June before the European Council that will decide on sanctions. He also lobbies for more macro-financial support for Ukraine.”

Marju Lauristin

Marju Lauristin is a member of the European Parliament from Estonia.

“Having the experience of Soviet dissident, Marju has a very deep understanding of Putin’s regime that makes her speeches, proposals and Comments on EU-Russia relations and support for Ukraine concrete, very straightforward and clear cut,” Bezpiatchuk said. “She offered to consider seriously switching Russia off SWIFT, for example. She tries to cooperate with Ukrainian journalists in terms of what information sources are reliable, what she has to read, etc. She is a member of the parliament’s delegation to Ukraine.”

Federica Mogherini

Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, “is on the list because she has the capability to do much for Ukraine, but she has not been a very sympathetic voice thus far,” Lavreniuk said.

Amanda Paul

Amanda Paul, the European Policy Center analyst, “supports Ukraine’s European integration and actively promotes her views,” Lavreniuk said.

Charles Tannock

Charles Tannock is a British member of the European Parliament with the European Conservative and Reformists group. “He is personally lobbying for the United Kingdom’s supply of weapons to Ukraine, using his connections in the British government. He is an old and dedicated friend of Ukraine,” Bezpiatchuk said.

Kyiv Post chief editor Brian Bonner can be reached at [email protected]