Open Letter to President Bush

Open Letter to the President of the United States of America George W. Bush

The Honorable George W. Bush
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We, a group of American and Ukrainian scholars, civic activists and students are writing to urge you to support the Ukrainian people in their determination to defend their rights and freedoms, endangered by the country's current regime. We hope that your Administration will make it clear to President Leonid Kuchma and other top Ukrainian officials that there can be no progress in U.S.-Ukrainian relations, or in Ukraine's relations with NATO, unless they allow freedom and democracy to flourish in their country. Ukraine can contribute to peace and stability on the European continent only if its government respects basic democratic values. Therefore, actively promoting the emergence of a truly democratic Ukraine is in U.S. vital national interests.

Today, on September 16, 2002, Ukraine commemorates two years since the disappearance of the independent journalist Georgiy Gongadze. He vanished without a trace after a series of his articles had exposed far-reaching corruption at the highest levels of Ukrainian leadership. Several months later, a former presidential security officer provided the recordings, which implicate President Kuchma and other top officials in planning the journalist's murder. The government's investigation of the crime instantly turned into a farce, since the primary suspects were also the ones overseeing the investigation.

Gongadze's brutal murder and its aftermath touched every Ukrainian in the same profound way that the terrorist attacks of September 11 affected Americans. However, while the organizers of last year's terror against the U.S. were uncovered and relentlessly pursued, the assault on the rights of freethinking Ukrainians remains unpunished. After two years of empty promises, cover-up attempts and pure inaction by the Ukrainian authorities, we come to only one conclusion – the perpetrators of Gongadze's murder, as well as of numerous other "accidental" deaths of opposition journalists and politicians, will never be found as long as Ukraine is ruled by a few unaccountable individuals bent on keeping power at all costs. The regime, which denies the people of the second largest country in Europe basic rights and human dignity, is incapable of providing justice. Therefore, we call on you to insist on its fundamental transformation, which would give way to the genuine representatives of the people’s choice.

Mr. President, in your speech in Warsaw last year you pledged to reward Ukraine's aspiration to become a European nation. The Ukrainian people all share this goal and resolutely strive to achieve it. However, they still remain separated from the rest of Europe by a wall of brutal, unchecked power exercised for the benefit of the privileged few. This wall of oppression is certainly doomed to fall for, as President Ronald Reagan affirmed while speaking at the Brandenburg Gate, “it cannot withstand faith, it cannot withstand truth, and it cannot withstand freedom.” Now is the time for America to act decisively and extend its hand to the people of Ukraine so that we together can tear down this wall!

Sincerely,

Anders Aslund	Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Harley Balzer	Associate Professor, Department of Government, Georgetown University
David Clinton	Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Tulane University
Keith Darden	Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Yale University
Steven Fish	Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
Yoshiko Herrera	Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University
Fiona Hill	Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, Brookings Institution, USA
Robert De Lossa	Research Affiliate, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
Francis Fukuyama	Professor of International Political Economy, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
James Goldgeier	Associate Professor, Director of the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Paul Kubicek	Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Oakland University
Andrew Kuchins	Director, Russian and Eurasian program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
George Liber	Professor of History, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Michael McFaul	Associate Professor, Stanford University
Sarah E. Mendelson	Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA
Alexandra Hrycak	Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Reed College, USA
Alexander Motyl	Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Rutgers University
Bruce Parrott	Professor and Director of Russian and Eurasian Studies program, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Rodger Potocki	Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University
Dr. Stan Radchenko	Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
Peter Reddaway	Professor, George Washington University
David Satter	Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
Pavlo Sheremeta	Dean, Kyiv Mohyla Business School (Ukraine) Alumnus, Goizueta Business School, Emory University (USA)
Ronald Grigor Suny	Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Chicago
Andrjei Sulima Kaminski	Georgetown University, USA
George Weigel	Senior Fellow, Chair in Religion and American Democracy, Ethics and Public Policy Center
Dr. Tymish Ohulchanskyy	State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Dr. Olena K. Vatamaniuk	University of Pennsylvania, USA

Mykhaylo Borodii	Associate Professor, National Technical University of Ukraine
Sergey Kostrikov	Associate Professor of Geography, Kharkiv National University
Konstantin Abramov	"NERIS Kayaking Club," Kyiv, Ukraine
Valeriy Afanasyev	Bentley Graduate School of Business, USA
Yelena Amirseyidova	Wisconsin International University, Ukraine
Yulia Anderson	Johns Hopkins University Alumnus, USA
Andriy Andreikiv	Designer, The Netherlands
Igor Andrusenko	Programmer, Percombank, Kyiv, Ukraine
Eric Asquith	Fairfield University, USA
Marko Bachmaha	Baker & McKenzie, Kyiv, Ukraine
Denys Bakhnyuk.	Odesa, Ukraine
Andrij Baumketner	University of California at Santa Barbara, USA
Zoreslav Baydyuk	Voice of America, USA
Svitlana Belushkina	FSA FLEX alumnus` 97 Program manager, Counterpart Creative Center, Ukraine
Yurii Berezin	National Technical University of Ukraine
Natalia Biletska	World Bank, USA
Inna Birchenko	Purdue University, USA
V. Bogomaz	Donetsk, Ukraine
Mykola Bohonok	Pittsburgh, USA
Nadiya Boiko	University of Pennsylvania, USA
Natalia Bokalo	Northwood University, USA
Natalka Bonakorsa	Art Institute of Portland, USA
Sergij Brun	independent journalist, Ukraine
Yevhen Bulavka	journalist, Kyiv, Ukraine
Denys Chernov	Olin School of Business, Washington University, USA
Stepan Chernyakov	civic movement "Za Pravdu", Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine
Lena Chervonik-Bearden	Kyiv National Linguistic University, Ukraine
Lubomyr Chubko	Pittsburgh, USA
Lesya Covert	Johns Hopkins University, USA
Dr. Anatoli Deleniv	project leader, Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden
Rostyslav Demchuk	Journalist, Belgium
Yurii Demkovych	American University Alumnus, Ukraine
Oleksandr Demyanets	Georgetown University, USA
Tom Deters	AHWCS-ETD Program Manager, USA
Yurii Deychakiwsky	North Potomac, Maryland
Ruslan Deynychenko	Duquesne University, USA
Petro Dmytrenko, MBA	University of Toledo, USA
Yuri Dorofeyev	Assiduo Solutions Inc., Toronto, Canada
Mark Dorosh	Freelance journalist, UK
Roman Doshchak	IT Engineer, Malta
Sergiy Dvoryak, MD, PhD	Johns Hopkins University Alumnus, Ukraine
Tetyana Dytyna	James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Ivan Dyvnyi	Ukrainian Biographical Center for Necropology Studies, Kyiv, Ukraine
Monica Eppinger	Yale Law School, USA
Nataliya Felyshtyn	Catholic University Eichstaett Ingolstadt, student, Germany
Maksym Ferenets	Ivan Franko National University, Lviv, Ukraine
Kateryna Fonkych	Rand Graduate School, USA
Slava Furkal	Edmonton, Canada
Andriy Gal	Kiev National University of Architecture
Tatyana Galkina	International Christian University Alumnus, Ukraine
Myroslava Gongadze	George Washington University, USA
Wasyl Gorbachuk	Professor, Editor-in-Chief, Ukrainian Economic Review
Leonid Goryachyy	University of Manchester, UK
Yevgenii Goryakin	University of Colorado, USA
Olesya Govorun	Ohio State University, USA
Dr. Igor Goychuk	Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg,
Kenneth Graves	Managing Associate - Chesapeake Financial Group, USA
Tetyana Grekh	Harvard University, USA
Viktor Gritsenko	Semantic Estate Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Mykhailo Grygoriv	Catholic University alumnus, USA
Valeriy Gusak	public organization "Ratusha", Rivne, Ukraine
Solomija Hagens	University os applied sciences Bremen, Germany
Ola Harasymiv	Georgetown University, USA
Hakob Hakobian	Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Ukraine
Marichka Halaburda-Czyhryn	journalist, Sydney, Australia
Natalie Haras	University of Western Ontario, Canada
Vadym Hatsanovskyi	Lutsk, Ukraine
Rev. Bohdan Hladio	Rector, St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Volodymyr Holovatenko	Essex University Alumnus, Department of Human Rights, Ukraine
Jaroslav Hook	Ottawa, Canada
Svitlana Hurkina	Weston Jesuit School of Theology, USA
Andriy Ignatov	Iowa State University, USA
Serhii Ilchuk	Rand Graduate School, USA
Vadim Ivanchenko	Engineer, Kyiv, Ukraine
Maciej Jastrzebiec-Pyszynski	Jagielonian University, Poland
Aleksandr Kalashnik	Binghamton University, USA
Andriy Kalistratenko	FSA FLEX alumnus, Ukraine
Yurii Kamelchuk	journalist, Kyiv, Ukraine
Andriy Kapustin	journalist, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Borys Karmelyuk	Forum of Ukrainians in the Czech Republic
Sergiy Kasyanov	National Aerospace University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Justine Kasznica	Yale University, USA
Ivan Katchanovskiy, PhD	Kluge Post-Doctoral Fellow, Library of Congress
Irina Katolikova	Kiev, Ukraine
Olya Kesarchuk	National University Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Ukraine
Olya Khomenko	Harvard Business School, USA
Pavel Kifyak	Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, Ukraine
Oleh Kirienko	European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
Alexander Kirilkin	Duke University, USA
Nadya Klos	National University Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Ukraine
Atanas T. Kobryn	Freelance correspondent, North Port, FL, USA
Oleksandr Kobzev	Ohio State University alumnus, USA
Vadym Kodryan	Wake Forest University, USA
Dmytro Kolchinsky	Ohio University, USA
Iryna Kolohina	Manager, Ukraine
Natalia Kondratenko	National Technical University of Ukraine
Yurii Konkevych	journalist, Lutsk, Ukraine
Volodymyr Korolyov	teacher of lyceum, Kyiv, Ukraine
Svitlana Koryak	University of Colorado, USA
Alexander Kosenko	web-programmer, Kyiv, Ukraine
Petro Koshukov	Indiana State University, USA
Yurko Kosmyna	political observer, newspaper "Vechirni Visti," Kyiv, Ukraine
Serhiy Kostyuk	Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, USA
Mykola Koval	Odessa National Polytechnic University, Odessa, Ukraine
Oles' Kovtunets'	Web-programmer, Ukraine
Marianna Kozintseva	Johns Hopkins University, USA
Mykola Kozyrev	Director of the Civic Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, Luhansk, Ukraine
Olesya Kravchuk	Journalist, "Ternopil's'ka Hazeta," Ternopil', Ukraine
Anatoliy Krysan	IT Engineer, Malta
Dmytro Kryukov	Webmaster, TV Channel "1+1", Kyiv, Ukraine
Ostap Kryvdyk	National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", Kyiv, Ukraine
Marta Kryvutska	Sponsored Projects Administrator, Henry Jackson Foundation, USA
Olga Kryzhanovska	University of Missouri at Columbia, USA
Natalia Kubay	Harvard University, USA
Serhiy Kudelia	Johns Hopkins University, USA
Hryhoriy V. Kulyk	Constructional engineer, Cherkasy, Ukraine
Sergiy Kumalagov	President Donets'k public organization "Youth movement of Patriots", Helsinki, Finland
Volodymyr Kurennoi	Editor-in-chief, newspaper "Yug", Odessa, Ukraine
Myron B. Kuropas, Ph.D.	Adjunct Professor, Northern Illinois University
Vladyslav Kyrychenko	York University, Canada
Olia Lazurko	Lviv, Ukraine
Anatloii Lemysh	Journalist, Kyiv, Ukraine
Leonid Lishchyna	Toronto, Canada
Lidiya Lozova	University of Maine, USA
Andrei Lubesnky	Journalist, Kyiv, Ukraine
Natalia Lubkovych	Indiana University, USA
Viktor Luhovyk	Investment Bank "Dragon Capital," Kyiv, Ukraine
Andriy Lyashkevich	Kyiv, Ukraine
Volodymyr Lyal'ko	Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Maria Lylo	economist, Sydney, Australia
Anatol Lysyj, M.D.	Professor-Emiritus, University of Minnesota, USA
Anna Makhorkina	Old Dominion University, USA
Roman Makukha	Electronic Data Systems, USA
Roman Makukhin	IT Consultant, Antwerp, Belgium
Serhiy Malynych	Research Associate/Assistant Professor, Clemson University, USA
Oleksandr Martynyuk	Director, Center for Municipal Reforms "Lutsk-1432"
Yaroslava Marusyk	University of Southern California, USA
Mykhaylo Maryniy	Old Dominion University, USA
Vyacheslav Maslennikov	Kyiv, Ukraine
Petro Mavko	Director of the Western Ukrainian study center, US-Ukrainian Community Partnership Project
Yuri Maystrenko	Geophysicist, Kyiv, Ukraine
Roman Mel'nyk	Engineer, Institute of the Physics of Condensed Systems, Lviv, Ukraine
Oxana Melnytchouk	Doctorante es sociologie de pouvoir, Paris, France
Alexander Mihelson	Journalist, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Ukraine
Vitaly Modlo	Kyiv University Institute of International Relations, Ukraine
Jurii Mojsiak	Potomac, Maryland
Ivan Monastyrskyi	Web-programmer, Hamburg, Germany
Oksana Monastyrska	PBN Company, Kyiv, Ukraine
Bohdana V. Moskalets	Sumy, Ukraine
Vyacheslav Mukha	ADIC, Ukraine
Deirdre Itzin-Munroe	University of St. Thomas, USA
Matthew Murphy	Georgetown University, USA
Oleg Muzyka	Architect, Chicago, ILL, USA
Andriy Mykytiv	Kiel Institute of World Economics, Germany
Oksana Myshlovska	Graduate Institute of International Studies, Switzerland
Oksana Nagayets	Princeton University, USA
Yuri Navruzov	Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, Ukraine
Inna Nechyporenko	Philadelphia, USA
Roman Nikitov	Ernst&Young, Kyiv, Ukraine
Anna Noel	Center for Citizen Initiatives, USA
Oksana Nyshta	University of Southern California, USA
Yurii Obriza	Lviv Polytechnic University, Ukraine
Sergiy Obuhov	magazine "Provizor", Kharkiv, Ukraine
Mikhail Onipchenko	International Christian University, Kyiv, Ukraine
Olena Onipchenko	Ph. D. in Economics Project Administrative Manager ONDP Project "Leadership for Results"
Evgenii Orel	National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", Ukraine
Andrei Ostapenko	University of South Florida, USA
Michael Panchenko	National Technical University of Ukraine
Oleksiy Panych	JFDP Alumnus, Donetsk National University, Ukraine
Christine Parobii	Mt.San Antonio College, California
Andriy Pashynnyi	Gimnasium, Kherson, Ukraine
Natalia Pavlenko	Technical University of Munich, Germany
Natalia Pavluniuk	Alumnus of the USGSP FSA Undergraduate Program, Ukraine
Serg Pavlyk	National Technical University of Ukraine
Bohdan Pechenyak	Yale University, USA
Nelua Peleshok	Rivne State Humanities University, Rivne, Ukraine
Viktor Petrushyn	State University of New York at Binghamton, USA
Jaroslaw Pikolycky, DDS	La Jolla, California
Aleksey Pilipenko	Software consultant, California, USA
Yuriy Piskalyuk	Syracuse University, USA
Andrey Pivovarsky	Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA
Gennadi Poberezny	Rutgers University, USA
Oleh Polishchuk	George Washington University, USA
Svyatoslav Polyakov	Toronto, Canada
Dmytro Potyekhin	Kyiv, Ukraine
Mykola Polonsky	Kyiv International University
Yuri Prokopenko	Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine
Olga Prokopovych	University of Missouri at St. Louis, USA
Paul Prybyla	Catholic University Alumnus
Oleksiy Pryrodnyi	School of Music, University of Maryland, USA
Yurko Pylyp	Fairfield University Alumnus, USA
Nataliya Riabokon	Stanford University Alumnus, USA
John Riszko	State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Olenka Rojowsky	Ukrainian American Youth Association, USA
Oleksandra Romanovska	FSA/FLEX Alumnus '00 Kyiv National Economic University, Ukraine
Yurij Rosstalnyi	actor, Ukraine
Jaroslav Rozumnyj	University of Manitoba, Canada
Nataliya Rumyantseva	Vanderbilt University, USA
Ivan Ryabov	INCOM Corporation, Ukraine
Severyn Salitra	Toronto, Canada
Roman Sapruka	coordinator, civic movement "Za Pravdu", Volyn', Ukraine
Taras Sarapin	Lviv Polytechnical University, Lviv, Ukraine
Alexander Savelyev	Duke University, USA
Misha Savinov	"Agrochim," Kyiv, Ukraine
Andrey Sayko, MD	Niagara Falls, New York
Kemal Seitveliyev	Harvard University, USA
Taras Semchyshyn	Redondo Beach, California
Bernd Senczuk	Network technical, Germany
Anton Sergeev	Columbia University Business School, New York, USA
Viktor Sheffel	Kyiv, Ukraine
Dr. Igor Shevchenko	Institute of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Bremen, Germany
Oxana Shevel	Harvard University, USA
Liliya Sereda	Ohio University, USA
Natalia Shapovalova	National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine
Luba Shara	Johns Hopkins University Alumnus, Ukraine
Andriy Shekhovtsov	University of Maine, USA
Myroslav Shevchuk	Chicago, USA
Halyna Shribak	Brandeis University, USA
Roman Shyiko	Lviv Polytechnic University, Ukraine
Karen Sieve	University of Missouri at St. Louis, USA
Oleksandr Siromaha	Konstanz University, Germany
Yevgenia Sizontova	editor, magazine "Kompanion", Kyiv, Ukraine
Natalia Skarzhyns'ka	Investment company "Prospect Investments," Kyiv, Ukraine
Vladimir Slednyov	academician of the engineering and metallurgical academy of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
Anton Slinko	Big Board International, Kyiv, Ukraine
Mykola Slusarevskyi	Legal Advisor, Doctor of Law Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu USAID Commercial Law Center Project
Olga Smyrnova	President of European Youth Parliament, Kyiv, Ukraine
Yurii Sobko	"ARGO," Ukraine
Oleksandr Sochka	JDG Electronics, Toronto, Canada
Luba Solowij	Museum Ukrainian Orthodox Complex, Canberra, Australia
Svitlana Solovyova	Regent College, Vancouver, Canada Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
Roman Stanko	Ukrainian Engineering Society, USA
Denys Stavnychyi	accountant, Maryland, USA
Igor Stelmakh	Munich, Germany
Dr. Sergiy Stovba	Technology Center, Ukrgeofisika, Kyiv, Ukraine
Roman Sulzhyk	JP Morgan Chase, USA
Oleksiy Svitelskiy	Lehigh University, USA
Mykhailo Svystovych	editor, news web-site "Maidan"
Mykhaylo Syagrovsky	2000 FSA/Muskie graduate, Ukraine
Anton j. Symkovych	California State University, USA
Dmytro Symovonyk	Partner, Lviv Consulting Group, Ukraine
Stanislav Synchuk	journalist, "Zbroya i Polyuvannya"
Roman Synyuk	Taras Shevchenko University, Kyiv, Ukraine
Andy C. Szul	Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Sergiy Taran	Duke University, USA
Yaroslav Taylikh	engineer, Cheltenham, USA
Marta Taylikh	economist, Cheltenham, USA
Natalia Taylikh	George Washington University, USA
Vadim Tantsyura	Yale University Alumnus, USA
Zenon Tatarsky	secretary, Shevchenko Scientific Society of Canada
Sergiy Teriokhin	Deputy, Verhovna Rada of Ukraine
Andriy Terlets'kyi	Hamburg, Germany
Vlada Tkach	Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Alumnus, USA
Nadzieja Tkaczyk	European College of Polish and Ukrainian Universities in Lublin, Poland
Olga Tourtchina	State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Roman Tryzub	FSA FLEX '01 Alumnus Kyiv National Shevchenko University, Ukraine
Galyna Tsyganenko	Institute of Social and Political Psychology, Ukraine
Tetyana Tsykalenko	lawyer, Kyiv, Ukraine
Kateryna Tsymbalyuk	Kyiv National Linguistic University/FSA Undergraduate Alumnus
Yurii Tyshenko	Institute of the Geochemistry of the Environment, Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Robert Valette	Washington, DC
Marko Vatamaniuk	University of Pennsylvania, USA
Ivan Vidyakin	Ohio University, USA
Natalia Vikulina	Deutsche Welle Radio, Ukrainian Service, Brussels, Belgium
Machias Vasileios	Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece
Oleksandr Vasylenko	Bethesda, Maryland
Yakov Vitrenko	University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Wilfried M. Voge	Emeritus, UCLA; President, ITS-Ukraine
Petro Voitsekhovsky	Depatment of Government, University of Maryland, USA
Oleksandr Volkov	consultant, Andres Consulting AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Dr. Yuriy Volohzhaninov	Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Publicist, Kyiv, Ukraine
Valeriy Vorotnik	editor, newspaper "Antenna", Ukraine
Dr. Bernd Wiedecke	Germany
Kate Woodman	University of Alberta Alumnus, Canada
Roman V. Yahodka	Kyiv Polytechnics Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine
Volodymyr Yakymets'	Catholic University Alumnus, USA
Vsevolod Yaremenko	Kyiv Polytechnics Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine
Iryna Yasyns'ka-Graves	Maryland, USA
Serhiy Yatsenko	"Agrohim," Kyiv, Ukraine
Dmitri Yefimenko	President Associacao Portuguesa dos Povos da CEI, Portugal
Anna Yegupova	Kyiv National Economic University
Damian Zajac	Stern School of Business, New York University, USA
Roman Zanj	Lutsk, Ukraine
Iryna Zayachuk	Ohio University, USA
Maxym Zayika	North Carolina State University, USA
Dr. Sergei Zharkov	University of Bradford, Great Britain
Tetiana Zhmachenko	Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Olha Zhmudovska	newspaper "Fortetsia", Khmel'nyts'k, Ukraine
Roman Zhovtulya	Lutsk, Ukraine
Vasyl Zihalov	Doctor of History, journalist, Prague, Czech Republic
Alexander Zoubenko	University of Hartford, USA
Stas Zvinyatskovsky	San Francisco, USA
Dmytro Zots	LINZA Production, Toronto, Canada
Mike Zmolek	York University, Toronto, Canada

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