Senators seek veto power on sanctions
WASHINGTON – A group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation that would hamstring any effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to lift sanctions imposed on Russia for its actions in Ukraine. The bill, called the Russia Sanctions Review Act, has both Republican and Democratic backers and comes amid mounting concerns in Congress about the Trump administration’s policy intentions toward Russia. Mr. Trump has repeatedly signaled he wants more cooperation with Russia in areas like the fight against international terrorism, particularly in Syria. But his administration has made statements about Ukraine and other issues that echo Russia’s perspective, in contrast to the previous U.S. administration. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) are among the group backing the legislation that would impose strict congressional oversight and veto power over the Trump administration if it sought to lift sanctions on Russia. “The reason for the Russia Review Act is that we’ve heard the president speak several times about potentially reducing or eliminating sanctions,” Sen. Cardin told reporters on February 8. “So it’s aimed at getting consultation from Congress and, if necessary, action from Congress, if the president were to change our policy on the current sanctions without the broad support and understanding of Congress.” The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). Sen. McCain said in a statement after the legislation was introduced that easing sanctions against Russia “would send the wrong message as [Russian President] Vladimir Putin continues to oppress his citizens, murder his political opponents, invade his neighbors, threaten America’s allies, and attempt to undermine our elections.” He added, “Congress must have oversight of any decision that would impact our ability to hold Russia accountable for its flagrant violation of international law and attack our institutions.” (Carl Schreck of RFE/RL, with reporting by Mike Eckel)
Trump discusses Ukraine with NATO chief
WASHINGTON – The White House says President Donald Trump has discussed the conflict in eastern Ukraine during a call with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and agreed to attend a meeting of alliance leaders later this year. The statement on February 5 said the two “discussed the potential for a peaceful resolution of the conflict” in eastern Ukraine, without providing details. The previous U.S. administration and other allies slapped sanctions on Russia for its illegal 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region and in retaliation for Moscow’s support for separatist militants in eastern Ukraine, where a flare-up in fighting has killed at least 35 in the past week. Mr. Trump in the past has criticized NATO, once calling it “obsolete,” and has expressed a desire for warmer relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, worrying some European leaders about his level of commitment. In the call, Mr. Trump expressed “strong support” for NATO but urged fellow members to contribute more financially, in line with his campaign vow to get members to increase their funding for the alliance. The White House added that Mr. Trump agreed to attend a meeting of NATO leaders in Europe in May. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by AFP, Reuters and TASS)
Lavrov: Trump position differs from Obama’s
MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov says he views U.S. President Donald Trump’s opinion about the conflict in Ukraine as “a qualitative change” compared to that of Barack Obama. Mr. Lavrov told the state-owned news agency TASS on February 7 that Mr. Trump’s position on the situation in Ukraine is to monitor how the two sides are behaving in the conflict. “The Obama administration… tried to demand everything from us and absolve [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko,” Mr. Lavrov said. In a recent interview with Fox News, Mr. Trump said the United States has insufficient information about the developments in eastern Ukraine. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by TASS)
Kyiv: Sheremet’s death a contract hit
KYIV – Ukrainian officials say Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed because of his professional activities in a contract killing. Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov said in Kyiv on February 8 that the results of a pretrial investigation into Sheremet’s death “lead to the conclusion that this crime was carefully prepared by a group of people.” He added, “Investigators do not rule out that the order for the killing came from the Russian Federation.” Oleksandr Vakulenko, the deputy chief of Ukraine’s National Police and head of its main investigative unit, said Sheremet’s journalistic activities in Ukraine, where he lived, and Belarus and Russia “is considered in the first place” as a motive for his killing. Sheremet, 44, was killed when the car he was driving to work was blown up in central Kyiv on July 20. Jailed in Belarus in 1997 while recording a story on the Russian-Belarusian border, Sheremet was often critical of top political leaders and other government officials in his reporting. He had also warned in the last blog post before his death that Ukrainian politicians who were former members of volunteer battalions that had fought separatists in eastern Ukraine could carry out a coup in Kyiv. Mr. Vakulenko said an antipersonnel mine was used in the blast that killed the journalist. He added that no one had yet been arrested for the killing. Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko agreed with Mr. Avakov in saying that Sheremet’s “killer was not alone. This is a group [of assassins] and we can see part of this group in the video [taken where Sheremet’s car was parked before he drove it].” (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Interfax and the Kyiv Post)
STAND for Ukraine Act is reintroduced
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, have re-introduced the STAND for Ukraine Act. The bill, HR 830, is analogous to last year’s bill and provides assistance to Ukraine’s reform efforts, while also codifying the sanctions imposed against Russia for the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. Joining Reps. Engel and Kinzinger as original co-sponsors of the STAND for Ukraine Act 2017 are: Reps. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Michael Burgess (R-Texas), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Jerry Connolly (D-Va.), John Delaney (D-Md.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), John Shimkus (R-Ill.), William Keating (D-Mass.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.), Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Ann Wagner (R-Mo.). (Ukrainian National Information Service)
International monitors sound warning
AVDIYIVKA, Ukraine – International monitors in Ukraine on February 3 warned of “an incredible amount of ceasefire violations” by both sides six days into an uptick of hostilities between pro-Kyiv forces and Russia-backed separatists. The warning came amid fresh reports of an intensification of shelling in and around residential areas in war-torn eastern Ukraine, where dozens of people have been killed, including civilians, and scores injured since January 29. Lamberto Zannier, secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), issued a statement on February 3 calling on both sides to “consider the fate of the trapped civilians and to prioritize their safety.” He called for an immediate halt to the fighting and strict observance of the cease-fire conditions. In Avdiyivka, a government-held city of around 22,000 residents near the separatist stronghold of Donetsk, locals told RFE/RL that the shelling overnight on February 2-3 was the worst they had seen in the current flare-up. They talked of spending the night in cellars under “nonstop” bombardment. Early on February 3, at least six Ukrainian tanks were spotted on the move in Avdiyivka. And several apartment buildings appeared to have been damaged overnight by artillery fire, including one whose fifth floor took a direct hit. Speaking to reporters in the center of Avdiyivka on February 3 with artillery blasts punctuating his statement, Alexander Hug, head of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said the fighting was reminiscent of “the early days” of the nearly three-year-old conflict. “The sound we hear back is from weapons that should not be here,” Mr. Hug said. “They should be long that way and the other way locked up, at least 15 kilometers behind the contact line, where the first withdrawal line stops; for larger caliber weapons, that is even further back.” He accused both sides of violating the ceasefire agreements. “We have seen on both sides an incredible amount of ceasefire violations,” he said. “Ceasefire violations require guns; guns require personnel.” (Christopher Miller of RFE/RL, with contributions from Brussels and Prague)
Separatist leader killed in car bombing
KYIV – Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine say one of their top commanders was killed when his car exploded early on February 4. The separatists’ Luhansk Information Center said Oleg Anashchenko and a second unidentified person were killed in the explosion in the city of Luhansk. It accused Ukrainian special services of causing the explosion, saying “it was a plotted and targeted car bombing.” Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said on February 4 that three of its soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in the past day amid escalating fighting in eastern Ukraine. More than 30 people, including civilians, have been killed and several dozens injured in fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine this week, with both sides blaming each other for the upsurge of violence. The United Nations, the European Union and other international officials have issued urgent pleas for negotiations to avoid a “catastrophe.” According to U.N. figures, more than 9,800 people have been killed in the conflict since it began in April 2014. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Interfax, AP and unian.net)
Separatist commander ‘Givi’ killed
KYIV – A separatist commander in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk has been assassinated, the Russia-backed separatists say. Mikhail Tolstykh, better known by his nom de guerre “Givi,” died after a bomb exploded in his office in the separatist stronghold of Donetsk just after 6 a.m. local time on February 8, de facto separatist authorities and a source with ties to its military told RFE/RL by phone. The separatists announced two days of mourning. Donetsk separatist leaders called the killing a “terrorist” attack organized by the Ukrainian intelligence services. “The Ukrainians… cannot defeat us on the battlefield, so they kill us in a malicious way,” separatist leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko said. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) denied it was responsible, instead suspecting an internal operation to clear the rebel ranks. “People tied to illegal armed groups are purged by special agencies beyond the line of contact,” Yuriy Tandit, an adviser of the SBU chief, told the 112 Ukrainian channel. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the killing “an attempt to destabilize the situation” in eastern Ukraine. Givi, 36, was leading the Somali battalion and made a name for himself in the brutal battle for Donetsk airport. Video footage from 2015 shows him verbally and physically abusing Ukrainian servicemen captured during the battle. (RFE/RL, with reporting by AFP, RIA Novosti, TASS and Interfax)
Merkel urges Putin to help end violence
BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his influence on separatists in eastern Ukraine to stop the violence there, a German government spokesman says. In a telephone call on February 7, both leaders voiced hope the fighting would soon come to an end, spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement. “To this end, the German chancellor appealed to the Russian president to use his influence on the separatists,” Mr. Seibert added. “The German chancellor and the Russian president agreed that new efforts must be made to secure a cease-fire and asked foreign ministers and their advisers to remain in close contact,” he said. Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Mr. Putin and Ms. Merkel called for an immediate restoration of the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine during the phone call. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and AP)
Referendum on NATO membership planned
KYIV – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told German media that he is planning a referendum on whether Ukraine should join NATO now that polls show 54 percent of Ukrainians favor such a move. “Four years ago, only 16 percent favored Ukraine’s entry into NATO. Now, it’s 54 percent,” Mr. Poroshenko told Germany’s Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain in an interview published on February 2. “As president, I am guided by the views of my people, and I will hold a referendum on the issue of NATO membership.” He vowed to “do all I can to achieve membership in the trans-Atlantic alliance” if people vote for that. He said Ukraine’s military will be up to NATO standards by 2020. NATO and Ukraine have had a close relationship since the early 1990s, and the alliance’s website says their ties are one of the “most substantial” of NATO’s partnerships. However, any move by NATO to admit Ukraine would spark tensions with Russia. Mr. Poroshenko also told the newspaper that Ukraine is making progress on joining the European Union by reducing its budget deficit and curbing corruption. “Europe should realize that it would be more secure, reliable, and happier with Ukraine,” he said. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and TASS)
Tusk points to ‘Russia’s aggression’
PRAGUE – European Council President Donald Tusk is calling on Russia to use its influence with separatists in eastern Ukraine to end an upsurge of fighting that has caused many casualties and aggravated the humanitarian situation. “We are reminded again of the continued challenge posed by Russia’s aggression in eastern Ukraine,” Mr. Tusk said on February 2. “The fighting must stop immediately. The ceasefire must be honored.” A deal signed in Minsk in February 2015 called for a ceasefire and steps to end the conflict that has killed more than 9,750 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. Meeting in the Belarusian capital on February 1, the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), which is attempting to regulate the conflict, urged both sides to adhere scrupulously to the Minsk agreements and to withdraw heavy weaponry away from the contact line as previously agreed. The TCG, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), also called for “safe and secure access” for OSCE monitors and the “facilitation of humanitarian efforts” aimed at restoring water and electricity supplies. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the renewed fighting “the most serious spike in violence in a long time,” adding that the humanitarian situation for civilians in Avdiyivka is “dire, with 20,000 people facing freezing temperatures without heat, electricity, and water.” Mr. Stoltenberg also called on Russia “to use its considerable influence over the separatists to bring the violence to an end.” (RFE/RL, with reporting by AP, Reuters, and UNIAN)
Pascrell criticizes easing of sanctions
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) on February 2 responded to the news that President Donald Trump had eased sanctions on Russia imposed by President Barack Obama in the wake of cyberattacks during the 2016 election. “After the worst escalation in two years by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, the Trump administration has inexplicably decided to reward this behavior by easing sanctions imposed on Russia for their cyberattacks here in the United States,” said Rep. Pascrell. “This move will only strengthen Mr. Putin’s grip on Crimea, emboldening his decision to destabilize the region and contribute to the thousands of civilian deaths in Ukraine. The Congress must hold hearings and quickly respond by passing legislation to tighten sanctions on the Russians and prevent any further weakening by this administration. For someone who purports to be the ultimate dealmaker, this sounds like a raw deal to me. President Trump should stand up for American allies like Ukraine, not cozy up to those who have meddled in our elections and continue to cause chaos around the world,” Rep. Pascrell said. (Office of Rep. Bill Pascrell)
Post-Euro-Maidan exhibit vandalized
KYIV – Unknown individuals have vandalized an arts exhibition in Kyiv devoted to the situation in Ukraine since protests ousted former President Viktor Yanukovych three years ago. Officials at the Center for Visual Arts Culture told RFE/RL that 15 masked men ransacked the arts exhibition “Lost Opportunity” by artist Davyd Chychkan late in the afternoon of February 7. “All the art works were destroyed… They drew some graffiti on the walls, took some works with them, broke a wall and then ran away,” the officials said. The graffiti left by the attackers said “Slaves of the Separatists!” and “Moscow’s Mouthpiece!” An investigation has been launched. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Date set for Crimean journalist’s trial
KYIV – A date has been set for the high-profile trial of journalist Mykola Semena in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian region of Crimea. Mr. Semena’s lawyer, Emil Kurbedinov, told RFE/RL on February 8 that preliminary hearings into the case will be held by the Zaliznychnyi District Court in Symferopol on February 17. Mr. Kurbedinov said the actual trial for Mr. Semena, an RFE/RL contributor, will start on February 28. Mr. Semena has been charged with separatism and may be sentenced to five years in prison if convicted for an article he wrote on his blog that was critical of Moscow’s seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Mr. Semena denies the charges. He is currently under a court order from occupying Russian officials that bars him from leaving Crimea and forces him to seek permission before traveling outside the region’s capital, Symferopol. The United States, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and international media watchdogs have expressed concern over Mr. Semena’s case, which activists say is part of a Russian clampdown on independent media and dissent in Crimea. (RFE/RL)
U.S., Ukraine to share tax information
KYIV – Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on February 7 to implement provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and to promote transparency between the two nations on tax matters. The agreement underscores the two countries’ continued cooperation and their strong bilateral relationship with Ukraine, as well as growing international cooperation to curb offshore tax evasion. Ambassador Yovanovitch stated, “The United States and Ukraine have developed a very strong partnership on tax administration issues, and I am pleased that our work on FATCA will further enhance our efforts in this sphere. Today’s signing marks a significant step forward in our collaborative efforts to combat tax evasion – an objective that mutually benefits our two countries. We look forward to full implementation of this agreement, which will better enable us to detect, deter, and discourage tax abuses through increased transparency and enhanced reporting.” FATCA will enable Ukrainian banks to share reporting on financial accounts maintained by U.S. citizens with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The United States enacted FATCA in 2010 to combat offshore tax evasion by encouraging transparency and obtaining information on accounts held by U.S. taxpayers in other countries. (U.S. Embassy Kyiv)