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A controversial topic has landed in front of politicians in the Ukrainian parliament and is getting international attention. Seventy-eight Ukrainian lawmakers from all sides of the parliament have proposed to give the title Hero of Ukraine to controversial figures such as Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych.

Some Ukrainians see them as war heroes who fought for Ukrainian independence back in the 1930s and 1940s.

For others, they are antisemitic war criminals who took part in the mass killings of up to 100,000 Jews and Poles during WW2 in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.

The proposal also asks the Ukrainian Parliament and the countrys president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to commemorate the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, UPA, operating from the 1940s and into the 1950s, on their 80th anniversary in October next year.

It also includes the suggestion of constructing memorials and the issuing of coins and stamps, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, as well as to Stepan Bandera, Roman Shukhevych, and other UPA commanders.

The Ukrainian parliament will now consider the proposal, which is expected to meet fierce reactions from Poland and Israel if adopted.

Bandera was named Hero of Ukraine back in 2010 by outgoing president Viktor Yushchenko, which sparked protests from Poland and Israel before Bandera was stripped of the status again in 2011.

Pavlo Kutuev, the chair of the sociology department at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, tells Euronews that the move by the 78 lawmakers is indeed controversial.

This question is extremely contested and is dominated by ideological visions, he says.

It is used to mobilise supporters, and I would say that it is counterproductive in Ukraines relations with countries such as Poland but also in integrating society. They are heroes in western Ukraine, but they have different ones in eastern Ukraine.

I believe that what we see now is an attempt to run on the patriotic ticket by Zelenskyys party and trying to capture more voters, says Kutuev.

Bandera, Shukhevych, and the UPA are controversial for several reasons. Critics point to the mass killings of up to 100,000 Jews and Poles and the fact that UPA cooperated with Nazi Germany at the beginning of WW2 until it became clear that Nazi Germany wouldnt recognise Ukrainian independence.

Others see them as heroes fighting for independence and accuse Poland of mass killings and deportation of Ukrainians in the 1940s.

The view of the UPA is also split inside Ukraine. A study carried out this year by the Democratic Initiatives Center shows that 80 per cent of Western Ukrainians are positive about the Ukrainian government recognising the soldiers of the UPA and their fight for Ukrainian independence.

In contrast, only 25 per cent are supportive in eastern Ukraine. The study also shows that 70 per cent of western Ukrainians have a favourable view of Bandera as a historical figure, while that number is 11 per cent in eastern Ukraine.

Sviatoslav Yurash is a member of the Ukrainian parliament for the Presidents party Servant of the People and is one of the 78 lawmakers supporting the proposal. He tells Euronews that he understands that the proposal is controversial and says that he is not arguing against the atrocities committed by members of the UPA towards Jews and Poles. However, he argues that Bandera should be remembered for his fight for independence.

They are controversial; I agree with that, Yurash says, (But) they said that we dont want to be a puppet or an instrument. We want to be an independent state. The story here should be remembered, but we should also not forget all the problems. However, their goal was very clear - an independent Ukraine. And it is worthy of giving stamps and coins for.

Yurash says that it should be made clear that Bandera and the UPA arent receiving the honour due to the atrocities committed but for their role in the Ukrainian fight for independence. It also doesnt exclude remembering horrors such as Babi Yar - the mass killings of Jews by Nazi Germany in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The Ukrainian government is planning to build a large memorial in remembrance of Babi Yar.

I do not disagree that we should remember, examine and acceptably apologise for horrible deeds done, but so did the other side. Efforts and deeds of the Polish movement in Ukrainian villages - displaced and destroyed. Focus on this (blaming each other) is wrongheaded, and I think that will be a mistake. We have a bear in the East that we should focus on, says Yurash.

The bear Yurash is referring to is Russia, where he sees the real enemy. In 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea, and a war between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists broke out in eastern Ukraine.

It has claimed more than 13,000 lives, according to the UN. Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin published an essay where he argues that people living in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia are essentially the same people and that Russia will never accept the anti-Russia movement in Ukraine.

Russias view of Ukrainian independence scares Yurash and makes it essential to celebrate the people who historically fought for Ukrainian independence, such as Bandera. However, Yurash says that people considered heroes in eastern Ukraine also deserve recognition.

We should move beyond national heroes. We should look at what unites Ukraine, like our values, which are agreed upon in the West and East. It is our values that, like glue, bring us together. The respect for civilian and spiritual institutions and liberty, he says.

Professor Kutuev explains that Ukraine is still working on its national identity-building process after the country emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Ukraine has had to break with its Soviet past and kind of underline its own identity, which has made it turn to figures considered anti-Soviet and anti-communist. On the one hand, it is a natural development, but on the other hand, it could be dangerous because it could amplify the different views within Ukraine, he says.

Kutuev argues that Ukraine still lacks the academic examinations of certain historical events and a public debate about its past.

I am not saying that Bandera does not deserve this historic status, but that the government should be more careful because he is not a hero for every Ukrainian citizen.

It is still unclear what President Zelenskyy thinks of the proposal. The Kyiv Post writes that he previously has said that Bandera is a hero for some Ukrainians.

He is one of the people who defended Ukraines freedom, Zelenskyy said in 2019.

He is a hero for a certain percentage of Ukrainians, and its normal, and its cool.

The Ukrainian parliament is currently on summer break and resumes work in September. The proposal is unlikely to be reviewed before then.

Every weekday, Uncovering Europe brings you a European story that goes beyond the headlines. Download the Euronews app to get a daily alert for this and other breaking news notifications. It's available on Apple and Android devices.

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Controversy as Ukraine mulls giving hero status to alleged war criminals - Euronews

First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar emphasized Ukraine's readiness to share with the international community its experience in combating Russia's information aggression.

The statement came as the deputy foreign minister was speaking at the "Official Conversation" TV show on Dom TV, Ukrinform reports.

"We have decided that, given that weve been on the front not only of physical war but also of information war for eight years already, wed like to establish our leadership and expertise in this topic. Along with a number of countries that have become sponsors at the United Nations, we have held events on negative narratives, fact-checking, and information warfare, using the experience Ukraine has. We also joined the media week, initiated by some Baltic countries," she said.

According to Dzheppar, the authorities intend to position Ukraine as a country that has much to share in terms of experience gained in infowars.

"This is about, on the one hand, preserving freedom of speech, which is a value for us, and on the other hand ensuring security," Dzheppar added.

As reported earlier, in spring 2021, the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council and the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy were established.

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Ukraine ready to share experience in tackling Russias info aggression Deputy FM - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

KYIV 5 August 2021

Based on information from the Monitoring Teams as of 19:30 4 August 2021. All times are in Eastern European Summer Time.

Summary

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 44 ceasefire violations, including eight explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 121 ceasefire violations in the region.

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded eight ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded three ceasefire violations.

The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.

The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The SMM monitored a gathering in Kyiv.

The Missions freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at three checkpoints of the armed formations near Staromykhailivka, Nova Marivka and Staropetrivske, all in Donetsk region.*

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OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 181/2021 issued on 5 August 2021 - Ukraine - ReliefWeb

Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Serhiy Korsunsky believes that trade with Japan will grow by 30 percent this year.

According to Ukrinform, Korsunsky said this in an interview with Dom TV channel.

"Despite the pandemic, our trade is growing. It grew last year, and this year we expect a 30% increase in about six months, which is not bad because the Japanese market is extremely saturated," the ambassador said.

Korsunsky also announced his intention to start free trade negotiations with Japan.

"President of Ukraine Zelensky wrote a letter after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Suga. We have identified a very ambitious plan for bilateral interaction. And we are now very actively working on all these points," the diplomat assured.

In addition, he noted that he is optimistic about trade and economic cooperation with Japan, and promised to start implementing plans after elections are held in Japan and a new government is formed in the fall.

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Ukrainian ambassador predicts a 30 percent increase in trade with Japan this year - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

KYIV, Ukraine -- A Belarusian activist who ran a group in Ukraine helping Belarusians fleeing persecution was found dead in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, local police said Tuesday.

Vitaly Shishov, leader of the Kyiv-based Belarusian House in Ukraine, was found hanged in one of the city's parks not far from his home, police said in a statement.

A probe has been launched, with police investigating whether it was a suicide or a murder made to look like suicide, head of Ukraine's National Police Igor Klymenko told reporters on Tuesday.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is keeping a close eye on the case, according to his spokesman, Serhiy Nykyforov, while Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba promised on Twitter that Ukraine will do everything possible to fully investigate the case."

It is of utmost importance for us to reveal the truth about his tragic death, Kuleba said.

Shishov's Belarusian girlfriend, Bazhena Zholudz, told The Associated Press that she doesn't believe that he could have killed himself.

I don't believe in suicide, nothing in Vitaly's conduct signaled his intention to kill himself, she said. He didn't leave any note or message. We were together that morning and he just went out for a jog.

Zholudz added that Shishov had recently noted that he was being shadowed. He recently noted vehicles and people who were following him, she said.

The Belarusian House in Ukraine, which helps Belarusians fleeing persecution with their legal status in Ukraine, accommodation and employment, also said that Shisov was recently being followed by strangers.

It noted that both local sources and our people in Belarus have alerted the group to the possibility of various provocations, including kidnapping and liquidation.

There is no doubt that this was a planned operation by security operatives to liquidate a Belarusian, dangerous for the regime. We will continue to fight for the truth about Vitalys death, the group said.

About 300 people rallied Tuesday outside the Belarusian Embassy in Kyiv, many holding his portrait.

Belarus was rocked by months of protests, which were triggered by President Alexander Lukashenko's re-election to a sixth term in an August 2020 vote that the opposition and the West saw as rigged. He responded to demonstrations with a massive crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police

Lukashenko has vowed to continue what he called a mopping-up operation against civil society activists whom he has denounced as bandits and foreign agents," and authorities conducted hundreds of raids in recent weeks to target the independent media and non-government organizations.

Belarus authoritarian government has at times gone to extremes in its crackdown on dissent, including recently diverting a plane to the capital of Minsk and arresting a dissident aboard.

Yury Shchuchko from the Belarusian House in Ukraine told The Associated Press that Shishov was found with marks of beating on his face. Nothing was stolen, he was in regular clothes people put on to work out, and he only had his phone with him, Shchuchko said.

He also said that Shishov has previously noticed surveillance during his runs and that strangers would approach him and try to start a conversation.

We have been warned to be more careful, because a network of Belarus KGB agents is operating here and everything is possible, Shchuchko said. Vitaly asked me to take care of his loved ones, he had a weird feeling."

Klymenko of the Ukrainian national police told reporters on Tuesday that there were indeed injuries discovered on Shishov's body scratched skin on his nose, a cut on his lip and an injury on his left knee. He wouldn't say, however, whether these resulted from violence. Klymenko added that police haven't received any complaints about surveillance from Shishov.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition candidate in the August 2020 election who left for Lithuania under pressure from the authorities, expressed condolences to Shishov's family on Tuesday.

Belarusians can't be safe even abroad, as long as there are those who are trying to inflict revenge on them, Tsikhnaouskaya said in an online statement.

Vitaly Shishov was helping Belarusians and was found hanged ... It happened on another country's soil. Just like the hostage-taking took place on another country's plane. Just like the attempt to forcefully bring a disloyal athlete back to Belarus from another country's territory, she said.

Earlier this week, Belarus Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya accused the country's officials of hustling her to the airport and trying to put her on a plane back to Belarus after she publicly criticized the management of her team at the Tokyo Games. Tsimanouskaya refused to board the plane and instead will seek refuge in Europe.

In an interview Tuesday, she told the AP she feared she wouldn't be safe in Belarus.

International officials on Tuesday urged Ukraine to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of the activist.

We are deeply shocked by the news of the death of the Belarusian activist Vitaly Shishov," Austrias Foreign Ministry said on Twitter. "Our thoughts are with his loved ones. Austria calls for a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances leading to his death.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: Were, obviously, glad to see that this is being investigated. I think his death needs to be investigated fully to elaborate all of these circumstances. And we, of course, send our condolences to his family and friends.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Twitter that Shishov's death "takes place amid an unacceptable Belarusian crack down on civil society, and we look forward to a complete and thorough investigation by Ukrainian authorities to establish its causes and circumstances."

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Head of group for exiled Belarusians found hanged in Ukraine