President delivers New Year’s address
KYIV – Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, in his New Year’s address on December 31, stated, “Not only children, but everyone, irrespective of age, believe in miracles. Especially in this festive time, which begins with St. Nicholas and ends with Epiphany. Especially this night, when New Year comes and fills our hearts with joy, faith and hope. There are more grounds for optimism than a year ago.” He went on to note: It still will not be easy, but the worst in the economy is already behind. We have overcome the shock from the destruction of industrial capacity caused by military aggression. Just as from the hostile closing of the Russian market for our goods, from commercial and transport blockade. We have adapted our economy to new conditions. We have managed to restore economic growth. This allows holding a course on increasing the revenues of Ukrainians in the new year. We have reinforced our defense capability. We have coped with that task without mobilization. The army is now based on contractors and a defender of the Homeland is one of the noblest professions. For the first time in our history we have not purchased a single cubic meter of Russian gas – this is a huge step towards energy independence.” Mr. Poroshenko concluded by saying, “I wish every one of you peace, victory, happiness and welfare. Let us recall our earthly guardian angels with special respect. Glorious Ukrainian warriors! The whole country is grateful to you for presenting this peaceful holiday night to us. For the guarantee of protection in the new year. On behalf of the entire Ukraine, I congratulate you, our fellow Ukrainians, brothers and sisters in Crimea, Sevastopol and certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russian occupation is temporary. We will be united for sure. …” (Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
U.S. on Russian-separatist offensive
VIENNA – On December 20, 2016, the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe released a statement noting: “The United States expresses its deep concern over the offensive combined Russian-separatist forces launched on Sunday, December 18, in what appears to have been a failed attempt to seize territory in strategic areas outside the town of Svitlodarsk, near separatist-held Debaltseve. This brazen contravention of Russia’s commitments under the Minsk agreements is an issue of the utmost concern to the OSCE, and we agree with Ukraine that there should have been a special Permanent Council meeting called to address it.” The U.S. Mission cited a Ukrainian Ministry of Defense report that on December 18, “150 combined Russian-separatist military personnel, supported by an artillery battery, attempted to encircle Ukrainian armed forces positions along the line of contact outside of Svitlodarsk. Combined Russian-separatist forces targeted areas to the rear of Ukrainian positions, firing artillery five to six kilometers into government-controlled territory, well past the line of contact. Six Ukrainian soldiers were killed repulsing the attack and many more were wounded. An estimated 20 to 30 combined Russian-separatist forces were killed in the failed offensive.” The U.S. Mission went on to point out: “This Russian-separatist attack is clearly prohibited by Russia’s commitments under the Minsk agreements. It is not an isolated action, but a deliberate effort to seize further territory. This is the fourth major attempt by combined Russian-separatist forces to seize territory beyond the Line of Contact that was established when Russia and the separatists it backs signed the September 19, 2014, Minsk Memorandum. Since signing, combined Russian-separatist forces have violated that agreement multiple times including in Debaltseve in February 2015, Mariynka in June 2015, and Svitlodarsk in June 2016 and again in the last few days. This latest attack at Svitlodarsk is a continuation of this disturbing pattern and a deadly reminder of Russia’s disregard for its commitments under the Minsk Agreements.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Le Pen: Crimea annexation not illegal
PARIS – France’s far-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on January 3 that Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 was “not illegal.” In an interview with French television channel BFM TV, the leader of the National Front party sided with the Kremlin in a dispute that has contributed to the worst East-West ties since the Cold War. “I absolutely disagree that it was an illegal annexation: a referendum was held and residents of Crimea chose to rejoin Russia,” said Ms. Le Pen, who is running in the April 17 presidential election on a platform of forging stronger ties with Russia. Russian forces swept into the Black Sea peninsula in February 2014 and a month later organized a referendum in which more than 95 percent of Crimean voters backed joining Russia. “I see no grounds whatsoever to question this referendum,” Ms. Le Pen said, adding that she views Crimea as a part of Russia. The United States and European Union branded the referendum as “farcical” and have insisted that Crimea’s annexation from Ukraine was illegal. They cited the takeover as the principle reason for hitting Russia with tough sanctions that remain in place today. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by The Independent and TASS)
Ukraine threatens to blacklist Le Pen
KYIV – Ukraine has threatened to ban French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen from entering the country following her claim that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was not illegal. The Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on January 4 that Ms. Le Pen was repeating Moscow’s propaganda and showing “disrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” (RFE/RL)
OSCE says it suffered major cyberattack
VIENNA – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has suffered a “major” cyberattack, a spokeswoman has confirmed. Ursula Froese told RFE/RL on December 28 that the attack, first reported by the French daily Le Monde, took place in early November 2016. She said in an e-mail that the Vienna-based organization “became aware of a major information security incident” that compromised “the confidentiality “of its IT network. She said the attack did not disrupt the organization’s operations. “The OSCE was able to operate, since its computer network services were not disrupted by the attack,” the spokeswoman said. According to Le Monde, a Western intelligence agency believes that the Russian hacker group APT28 was behind the attack. The same source told Le Monde that the group was also behind attacks on the U.S. Democratic Party leadership during the U.S. presidential campaign. The OSCE spokeswoman said her organization could not confirm the claim. “As with all these cases, it is not possible to determine with certainty the identity of the attackers,” Ms. Froese said. (RFE/RL, with reporting by AFP and Reuters)
Crimean Tatar on list of “terrorists”
KHARKIV, Ukraine – The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG) reported that Russia has added Crimean Tatar Mejlis leader Ilmi Umerov “to its notoriously long list of so-called ‘Terrorists and Extremists’ for saying, as do all democratic states, that Russia should be made to leave Crimea. With its customary contempt for presumption of innocence, it has also added all 19 Crimean Muslims whom it is holding in custody and charging with unproven involvement in an organization which is legal in Ukraine.” KHPG noted: “They join many other Ukrainian victims of Russian political persecution, including Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and civic activist Oleksander Kolchenko who were labelled ‘terrorists’ almost a year before their ‘trial.’ Crimean journalist Mykola Semena who is, like Umerov, charged over comments indicating occupation to Russia’s occupation of Crimea, was added to the list many months ago. Like Semena, 59-year-old Ilmi Umerov first learned of this new development because of the practical ramifications. Umerov’s bank account is now blocked, and he is not even able to pay the fine illegally imposed for a meeting of the Mejlis.” The right groups also commented that, “Since Russia has now banned as ‘extremist’ the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, or representative assembly of the main indigenous people of Crimea, it is only a matter of time before new persecution of Mejlis members begins, with more people added to what is increasingly becoming a post-Soviet list of ‘dissidents.’ (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group)
Savchenko removed from PACE delegation
KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada has removed National Deputy Nadiya Savchenko from Ukraine’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). A total of 237 lawmakers out of 324 present at a December 22, 2016, session of the Ukrainian Parliament supported the move. It came eight days after the Batkivshchyna party announced that Ms. Savchenko, a former military aviator who spent nearly two years in Russian jails, had resigned from the party in late October 2016. A day before that, Ms. Savchenko confirmed media reports that she had met in Minsk with the leaders of two Russia-backed separatist groups in eastern Ukraine. Batkivshchyna members accused her of “negotiating with terrorists.” Ms. Savchenko told RFE/RL on December 13 that she met with the separatist leaders to discuss ways to secure the release of Ukrainians held captive by the separatists and vowed to continue her efforts. Ms. Savchenko, who says she was seized by separatists in June 2014 and taken to Russia, was jailed there and became a national symbol of resilience before her release in a swap deal in May. She became a lawmaker and member of Ukraine’s delegation to PACE while in Russian custody. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax
Savchenko unveils new public movement
KYIV – Ukrainian lawmaker Nadiya Savchenko has announced the formation of a new movement after a split with her former political party. Ms. Savchenko, an ex-military aviator who spent nearly two years in Russian jails, announced in the western city of Lviv on December 27, 2016, that she had established the Civic Platform RUNA, a Ukrainian acronym for Ukrainian People’s Revolution. Ms. Savchenko said RUNA will not be a “political project” but rather a “mechanism” that she described as a “natural association of people” who do not follow “populist slogans.” Ms. Savchenko, 35, quit the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party headed by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in October and was formally expelled from it earlier this month. On December 22, Ms. Savchenko was expelled from Ukraine’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and later from the Parliamentary Committee for National Defense and Security. Meanwhile, pro-Moscow separatists released two women captives on December 27. The women – judge Anzhelika Presnyakova and journalist Olha Svorak – were reportedly released due to Ms. Savchenko’s efforts. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, with reporting by AFP, the Kyiv Post and TASS)
150th NGO cited as “foreign agent”
WASHINGTON – On December 22, 2016, U.S. State Department spokesperson John Kirby stated, “Russia reached an unfortunate milestone December 19 when it listed the 150th non-governmental organization (NGO) under its so-called ‘foreign agent law.’ The use of the term ‘foreign agent’ is a deliberate choice, suggesting that these organizations are traitors. In fact, under this legislation Russia has targeted organizations dedicated to pursuits such as fighting torture, preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and even protecting migratory birds. The people of Russia deserve a strong, democratic government that respects the role that civil society plays in holding governments accountable and providing essential services, rather than stifling NGOs’ important work. We urge the Russian government to abolish this legislation today and uphold its international human rights commitments.” (U.S. Department of State, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Ukroboronprom to manufacture M16 rifle
OTTAWA – Ukraine’s state defense concern, Ukroboronprom, announced that its subsidiary Ukroboronservis, in cooperation with the U.S. company Aeroscraft, will manufacture the M16 rifle in a pilot project on the production of NATO-standard small arms in Ukraine. Sergey Mykytyuk, head of Ukroboronservis, stated, “The first weapon that will be manufactured in Ukraine – in accordance with the pilot project – will be automatic rifle M16 model WAC47. Weapon manufacture in accordance with NATO standards is an important part of the development and reform of the Ukrainian defense industry.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)