Court extends Savchenko’s detention
MOSCOW – A Russian court on September 15 ruled that Ukrainian helicopter pilot Nadia Savchenko must stay in a Russian jail for at least another six months as her trial continues. Ms. Savchenko, already in pre-trial detention since June 2014, faces up to 25 years in prison for what Russian authorities allege was participation in the 2014 killing of two Russian war correspondents in eastern Ukraine. Ms. Savchenko, who denies the charges, says she was captured by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine who illegally transferred her across the border into Russia. Ms. Savchenko appeared in court on September 15 in the town of Donetsk, in Russia’s southern Rostov Oblast, near the border with eastern Ukraine for a second preliminary hearing after her lawyers’ request for the trial to be moved to Moscow was denied. The court on September 15 rejected calls to release Ms. Savchenko during the trial on the basis of her diplomatic immunity as a Ukrainian delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Agence France-Presse, rapsinews.ru and Interfax)
EU extends sanctions on Russia
BRUSSELS – The European Union has extended by six months a visa ban and asset freeze targeting several close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin and others involved in Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine. The EU said on September 14 that the “assessment of the situation did not justify a change in the regime of sanctions” under which 149 people and 37 entities are currently listed. The 28-nation EU has coordinated its sanctions in close cooperation with Washington. The extension came amid continued unrest in eastern Ukraine throughout the year. Despite a ceasefire declared in February, both Ukrainian troops and the pro-Russia separatists carried out regular artillery strikes until they pledged anew to implement the truce from September 1. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by the Associated Press and Deutsche Presse-Agentur)
Petition wants Saakashvili as PM
KYIV – Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s supporters in Ukraine have collected more than 26,000 signatures on a petition recommending him to become Ukraine’s prime minister, it was reported on September 9. Mr. Saakashvili, who has been governing Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast since May, has said that he did not see himself as Ukraine’s prime minister. President Petro Poroshenko introduced an online petition system in August according to which any petition drive that collects at least 25,000 signatures in three months or less has to be considered by the president. The petition supporting Mr. Saakashvili’s candidacy for the prime minister’s post was officially submitted on September 3. The same day, Ukraine’s Channel 5 television network, which is owned by Mr. Poroshenko, aired an interview with Mr. Saakashvili, who lambasted current Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s reform agenda. Mr. Yatsenyuk responded sharply at a September 4 Cabinet meeting, describing Mr. Saakashvili’s criticism as “deceitful accusations.” (RFE/RL, based on reporting by UNIAN and president.gov.ua)
Moscow: Yatsenyuk fought with Chechens
MOSCOW – A top Russian law enforcement official has accused Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk of fighting alongside Chechen rebels and torturing and killing Russian soldiers during Moscow’s bloody war with separatists in the 1990s. Aleksandr Bastrykin, the powerful head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, made the assertions in an interview published on September 8 on the website of the Russian government’s official daily newspaper, Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Mr. Yatsenyuk worked as a lawyer, a banker and an economist before his appointment last year as prime minister following the ouster of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a Kremlin ally, amid mass protests. His official biography gives no indication of military service. Mr. Bastrykin claimed in the interview that Mr. Yatsenyuk “participated in at least two armed conflicts” in Chechnya’s capital, Grozny, in late 1994 and early 1995, “as well as in torture and executions of Russian army servicemen” in January 1995. He also claimed that the late Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev, who declared Chechen independence from Russia in 1991 and led separatists in the first Chechen war until his death in a Russian missile strike in 1996, awarded Mr. Yatsenyuk and other alleged Ukrainian volunteers medals for “killing Russian servicemen.” Mr. Yatsenyuk’s spokeswoman, Olha Lappo, responded to the allegation on social media by “encourag[ing] the Russian regime to undergo psychiatric evaluation.” During the time period indicated in Mr. Bastrykin’s allegations, Mr. Yatsenyuk was studying in the western Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi, near the Romanian border, according to the Ukrainian premier’s official biography. (RFE/RL)
Elton John urges support for LGBT
KYIV – British singer and composer Elton John has called for Ukraine to give stronger support to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community. Mr. John, who is gay and a veteran campaigner on gay rights, spoke on September 12 to business and political leaders at the annual Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv. “Accepting people regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation is today the measure of an open, tolerant, and democratic society,” he said. The singer urged Ukraine’s business leaders to accept LGBT people in the workplace, saying policies “designed to repress LGBT citizens …hinder economic development.” In an interview with the BBC, Mr. John also criticized what he called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “ridiculous” attitude to gay people. Russia in 2013 passed a law banning so-called “gay propaganda.” Last year, Mr. Putin said gay people have nothing to fear in Russia as long as they “leave kids alone” – suggesting that gays might prey on children. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press and the BBC)
EuroParliament urges prisoners’ release
STRASBOURG, France – European Union lawmakers have urged Russia to immediately release the Estonian police officer Eston Kohver, Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, and civil activist Oleksandr Kolchenko. In a resolution backed by the European Parliament’s major political groups on September 10, the lawmakers condemn the “blatant violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Estonia through the illegal kidnapping of citizens of both countries.” Mr. Kohver was kidnapped in Estonia in September 2014 and was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison in Russia. Messrs. Sentsov and Kolchenko were sentenced to 20 and 10 years, respectively, after being arrested in Crimea in May 2014. The resolution says Russian courts are not “competent to judge acts committed outside the internationally recognized territory of Russia.” It also calls on European Council President Donald Tusk and EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini to come up with “a comprehensive policy strategy which would enable the EU to regain the initiative and to pursue a more clear-cut policy towards Russia.” (RFE/RL)
NATO trust funds launched in Ukraine
KYIV – The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine will launch five NATO trust funds in Ukraine for the total sum of 5.4 million euros. NATO states will help the armed forces of Ukraine in the following sectors: upgrade of connection and automation system (2.09 million euros), reform of armed forces logistics and standardization system (1.195 million euros), physical rehabilitation and prosthesis for troops wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (845,000 euros) as well as troop retraining and social adaptation (410,000 euros), a spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Col. Viktoriya Kushnir, said on September 8. According to Col. Kushnir, the Ministry of Defense, supported by international councils, the armed forces of Ukraine and NATO experts, developed a draft National Security Strategy of Ukraine, a new version of the Defense Sector Development Concepts, the Defense Doctrine and a number of other strategic documents in this sphere, the majority of which had already been approved by the government. The spokesperson said that the foreign advisors will be involved in introduction of new standards for military training in line with the ATO experience and NATO standards, creation of a special operations force and development of a pilot project on renovation and development of the naval forces of Ukraine. According to Col. Kushnir, the annual procurement plan of the Ministry of Defense for 2015 envisages procurement estimated at over 9 billion hrv. The ministry has already launched procurement procedures with expected value of about 8.8 million hrv in compliance with this plan. Moreover, in the past two weeks state defense enterprises supplied the armed forces with 40 land-based radars and 81 units of automotive equipment, fulfilling the state defense order for 2015. Maintenance teams of the armed forces and special brigades of state enterprises returned 302 weapons units and military equipment to the ATO zone to carry out military tasks. (Ukraine Crisis Media Center)
Separatist leader released by rebels
MOSCOW – Rebels in eastern Ukraine have released a separatist leader from detention after holding him captive for four days. Andrei Purgin told the Reuters news agency that he was freed by rebel gunmen on September 8 in the Donetsk region. He said he was kept in a cell at a “security ministry” since being taken at gunpoint on September 4 while travelling in a car after returning from Russia. Mr. Purgin – who was reportedly dismissed on September 4 as head of the self-declared parliament of the Donetsk People’s Republic – said he did not understand why he was detained. “I haven’t figured out what they wanted,” he said. Mr. Purgin has been a prominent representative of the rebels since fighting erupted in some parts of eastern Ukraine in April 2014. He was also involved in peace talks in Minsk involving France, Germany, and Russia. But Mr. Purgin was reportedly considered a hard-liner among the separatist leadership and opposed to some of the key points of the Minsk cease-fire agreement. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters)
Yatsenyuk warns against illegal elections
WARSAW – Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, while visiting Warsaw warned that any attempt by Russia to hold illegal elections in the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk territories “means a complete failure of Minsk agreements.” Meeting with the Prime Minister of Poland Ewa Kopacz, Mr. Yatsenyuk stated: “We …demand that the Minsk agreements be implemented – stop shooting and killing Ukrainians, withdraw Russian armies and renew control over the border. Then this crisis, which was created by Russia, and this military aggression will cease.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Ukraine has “full support of IMF”
KYIV – International Monetary IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde visited Kyiv on September 6. She met with President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko and National Bank of Ukraine Governor Valeriya Hontareva. Ms. Lagarde stated, “I am extremely encouraged by the progress that has been achieved in the past few months. In a difficult environment, macroeconomic stabilization is taking hold and the economy shows signs of turning the corner. …Policies are on the right track and have started to yield results. The fiscal position is getting stronger, the foreign exchange market has stabilized, and the banking sector is being repaired so that banks are sounder and can start to provide credit again. The recent debt restructuring agreement is a vital complement to economic reforms and an essential step toward creating fiscal space, external sustainability and improved confidence. Significant reforms have been launched to bring energy prices to cost recovery levels, with due protection of vulnerable citizens. There has also been progress towards strengthening the social safety net and restoring the social contract in Ukraine. In addition, an independent and capable anti-corruption agency with broad powers has been launched and judicial reform has been initiated. It is crucial that efforts in this area continue. Significant challenges remain. It is essential to stay the course of reform and, indeed, deepen the effort. As Ukraine moves forward, it has the full support of the IMF.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Berlusconi visits Russia-annexed Crimea
YALTA, Ukraine – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine Black Sea region of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March 2014. Mr. Berlusconi arrived on September 11 in the resort city of Yalta for a “private visit.” He had spent the previous two days in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. He met with Putin at a memorial to soldiers who died during the Crimean War outside of Sevastopol, home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. On September 9, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a meeting was likely, noting that the two men have “longstanding business and personal relations.” Mr. Berlusconi is expected to return to Italy on September 13. Earlier this summer, a delegation of French parliamentarians visited the annexed peninsula. The United States, the European Union, and most of the rest of the world do not recognize Crimea as part of Russia. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Interfax and TASS)
State Department on ‘destabilizing actions’
WASHINGTON – U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner stated on September 3: “There would be no conflict in eastern Ukraine if Russia were not providing tanks, armored vehicles, heavy artillery, military personnel to the separatists. I think we all understand that. We’ve made that very clear over many months, including showing satellite imagery that shows Russian troops, command and control on the ground in eastern Ukraine. …we’ve seen continued destabilizing actions on the part of Russia in eastern Ukraine. We now have this ceasefire in place, but we remain concerned about further ceasefire activities.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
France proposes summit on Ukraine
PARIS – French President Francois Hollande has proposed a meeting of the leaders of Germany, Russia and Ukraine later this month as a ceasefire appeared to be largely holding in eastern Ukraine. Mr. Hollande told reporters on September 7 that the talks could take place in Paris before the United Nations’ General Assembly opens on September 28 “so that we can evaluate the [peace] process, where it’s at.” He noted, “There has been progress in the last few weeks. The cease-fire has almost been respected.” A truce agreement reached in Minsk in February has been regularly violated, but Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on September 5 that the deal had been observed for the first time for an entire week. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters)
Russians banned from broadcast companies
KYIV – Ukraine’s Parliament has passed a measure banning Russians from establishing or being involved in the business of television or radio stations in the country. The measure that passed on September 3 says no one involved in the broadcast business can be from a country regarded by Ukraine as an aggressor. The Ukrainian Parliament earlier this year declared Russia to be an aggressor state. Ukraine has already banned Russian television channels from its cable systems. The measure also calls for broadcast outlets to publish full information about their ownership structure on their websites and to provide this information to the national broadcasting council. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by the Associated Press and Interfax)
Moscow warns of trade embargo
MOSCOW – Russia has warned that there’s only a slim chance of averting a trade embargo against Ukraine when Kyiv’s free-trade pact with the European Union takes effect in January. Russian Economy Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev said he hasn’t entirely given up hope of reaching a deal that would satisfy Moscow’s objections to the trade pact and avert sanctions through three-way talks between Russia, the European Union and Ukraine. He said after a day of meetings in Brussels that the talks had been “positive” though “difficult,” and “there is a chance of [success], although I wouldn’t say it’s very great.” Mr. Ulyukayev said Russia was considering putting the same kind of sanctions on Ukraine that it has applied to the EU. Moscow has banned the import of food from the EU in retaliation for EU sanctions imposed over Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Mr. Ulyukayev said Russia expects it could minimize the damage to its own economy from such a food embargo to about 100 billion rubles ($1.4 billion) a year. Talks about a possible compromise are expected to continue in November. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters, TASS and Interfax)
Firm to pay $30 M in securities case
WASHINGTON – A Ukrainian company and its chief executive will pay $30 million to settle charges in a $100 million securities case that U.S. authorities describe as the largest ever involving a sophisticated cybercrime operation. Jaspen Capital Partners Limited and chief executive Andriy Supranonok agreed to pay back “ill-gotten gains” they allegedly accrued from 2010 to 2015 through profitable trades they made using information they stole from corporate press releases through a computer hacking network based in Ukraine, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on September 14. The accused neither acknowledged nor denied wrongdoing, but they did agree to refrain from future violations of the securities laws as part of the settlement. The Ukrainian firm was involved in what U.S. authorities say was the biggest insider-trading scheme to date involving a sophisticated cybercrime network operated out of Kyiv. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that even those beyond our borders who trade on stolen nonpublic information and use complex instruments in an attempt to avoid detection will ultimately be caught,” said SEC director of enforcement Andrew Ceresney. In a 21st-century twist on insider trading, officials say that two Ukrainian hackers allegedly broke into the computers of PR Newswire and other leading financial news services and stole some 150,000 corporate press announcements before they were released to the public. The hackers then sold quarterly earnings figures and other sensitive, potentially market-moving information they culled from the press releases to dozens of investors, who netted more than $100 million trading on it. Mr. Supranonok, 33, resides in Kyiv and holds 30 percent of Jaspen, which “purports” to be “a full service investment bank,” the SEC said in its complaint. The parties are the first to settle since U.S. authorities announced the case in August. Litigation is continuing against the remaining 32 defendants in the case, the SEC said. In a parallel criminal case, the U.S. Justice Department also has indicted nine of the same defendants from the United States and Ukraine on criminal charges – including securities fraud, computer fraud and conspiracy – in courts in New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press)
One sentenced in pro-Ukraine stunt
MOSCOW – A Moscow court on September 10 acquitted four people and found one guilty of hooliganism and vandalism for taking part in a pro-Ukraine stunt. The five, including two women, went on trial on August 17. They were accused of taking part in a stunt in which a Soviet red star atop a Stalin-era skyscraper was painted in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. Four defendants were accused of drawing attention to the painted star and a Ukrainian flag hoisted from it by parachuting from the 176-meter building. The fifth defendant, Vladimir Podrezov, was sentenced to 27 months in jail. The court found Mr. Podrezov guilty of helping Ukrainian stunt daredevil Pavlo Ushyvets – known by the nickname Mustang Wanted – to paint the star and raise the flag. Mr. Ushyvets, who is in Ukraine, has announced on Facebook that he carried out the stunt alone. (RFE/RL’s Russian Service)
Expert: NATO’s deterrence ‘insufficient’
WASHINGTON – Writing on the Atlantic Council’s “New Atlanticist” blog, Stephen Blank, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, stated, “Since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, the world has seen precious little Western leadership when it comes to confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin[…] Even in the face of plans to send Poland heavy weapons in 2016 while beefing up Baltic defenses and organizing more frequent and larger NATO exercises, the fact remains that Russia – if it chose to do so – could occupy the Baltic states in two days, as Gen. Peter Pavel, the incoming chairman of NATO’s Defense Committee, recently warned. In other words, NATO’s conventional deterrent is still dramatically insufficient.” Mr. Blank also noted that “Baltic governments may feel reassured by Western announcements to date, but the people themselves do not; in one opinion survey, for example, Estonians said they felt abandoned rather than reassured. Furthermore, in 1994, the U.S. and British governments signed an agreement with Ukraine to protect its security and inviolability, a pact we abandoned the minute it was challenged. That encouraged Putin to believe he could invade Ukraine with impunity; even Russian media outlets expect a new offensive soon. This is clearly not leadership – whether from the front, behind, or anywhere else.” The expert added: “Unfortunately, President [Barack] Obama has not learned this lesson. He and his top policy-makers simply do not take the Russian threat seriously – and the idea that we can somehow elicit Moscow’s cooperation in the Middle East while Putin himself stokes the fires of war by allowing Russian terrorists to travel from Russia to Syria, is incredible. How, ultimately, can we be partners with a revanchist and terrorist-sponsoring state whose mantra is new rules or no rules?” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)