NATO chief on Russia war games
TAPA, Estonia – NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said he sees no “imminent threat” from Russia’s upcoming military maneuvers with Belarus, but criticized Moscow for not being more open about the drills. The Zapad (West) 2017 exercise, which Moscow says will involve some 12,700 troops, has caused concern in Poland and the Baltic states. Lithuania and Estonia say that as many as 100,000 soldiers could take part, though Russia insists the event is “purely defensive” in nature. NATO has deployed four battle groups – around 4,000 troops – to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in recent years in response to growing Russian assertiveness in the region, particularly after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Mr. Stoltenberg, speaking during a visit to a NATO contingent in Tapa, Estonia, said the alliance’s troop presence sent a clear message “that an attack on one ally will trigger a response from the whole alliance.” He added, “We will monitor the [Zapad] activity closely and we are vigilant but also calm, because we don’t see any imminent threat against any NATO ally.” But Mr. Stoltenberg said Russia’s openness about Zapad 2017 did not meet international standards. Three NATO experts have been invited to attend as observers, but Mr. Stoltenberg said this “fell short of the transparency required by the OSCE,” the pan-European security body. “Transparency and predictability are even more important when tensions are high, to reduce the risks of misunderstandings and incidents,” Mr. Stoltenberg said. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by AFP and Reuters)
EU to renew Russia sanctions
BRUSSELS – The European Union will prolong its asset freezes and visa bans on Russian officials and Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine for another six months, with Russia’s new ambassador to the United States likely to remain on the list, diplomats said. Ambassadors from the 28 EU member states decided to renew the measures at a meeting on September 6 in Brussels, according to several diplomats who were close to the talks but were not authorized to speak publicly about the decision. EU justice ministers are expected to give the final confirmation on September 14, one day before they are due to expire, the diplomats said. The diplomats said that Russia’s new ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov will remain on the EU sanctions list as no country asked for his removal. Mr. Antonov, a former deputy defense minister and deputy foreign minister who arrived in Washington on August 31 to take up his post, is under EU and Canadian sanctions but not U.S. sanctions. The Russians under EU sanctions include Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin; Sergei Glazyev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin; Armed Forces General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov; and state TV presenter Dmitry Kiselyov. The EU will also add the company Crimean Sea Ports, which runs several ports on the peninsula, to the sanctions list and remove four separatists who have died since the last renewal. A total of 149 people and 38 entities are expected to remain on the list. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Rikard Jozwiak)
Putin’s threat, if U.S. gives lethal aid
MOSCOW – If the United States provides lethal aid to Ukraine, Russian militants may point their guns at other Ukrainian regions beyond the wartorn Donbas, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a press conference following the BRICS summit in China, an UNIAN correspondent in Russia reports. “This is a sovereign decision [providing lethal aid to Ukraine] of the U.S., whom to sell weapons or supply them for free, and the country that is the recipient of such assistance. We will not be able to influence this process in any way,” Mr. Putin said on September 5. “There are international rules and approaches: the supply of weapons to the conflict zone does not contribute to the peace settlement, but only aggravates the situation,” he said, adding., “If this happens in this case, this decision will not fundamentally change the situation, in general will not affect the situation change, but the number of victims, of course, may grow.” The Russia president also said: “There is one more point to which those bearing such ideas should pay attention. This is about the fact that the self-proclaimed republics have enough weapons, including those seized from the opposing side – from nationalist battalions and so on. And if American weapons will be delivered to the conflict zone, it will be difficult to say how the proclaimed republics will act. Maybe they will get their weapons to other conflict zones that are sensitive to those who create problems for them.” (UNIAN)
Kyiv readies resolution on peacekeepers
KYIV – The resolution drafted by Ukraine on deployment of peacekeepers in Donbas indicates that Russia should be barred from that mission, and that peacekeepers should be stationed on the Ukrainian-Russian border, Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko told the 112.Ukraine television channel in a statement. “A country engaged in a conflict cannot simultaneously be a peacekeeper. This cannot be just about the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] monitors’ security. It would be easier to arm them than to deploy any U.N. military force for their protection. We do not agree that we should be coordinating the issue with representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as Russia is a party to the conflict,” Mr. Yelchenko said. He was reacting to the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 5 that the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in the Donbas could help settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine and ordered the Russian Foreign Ministry to submit a relevant resolution for consideration by the U.N. Security Council. Ukraine expects U.N. peacekeepers to be present in every part of the conflict zone, including the border; it is also essential that Russian troops be withdrawn from certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions before the mission is deployed, Ambassador Yelchenko said. “The mission will be financed from the U.N. peacekeeping budget. There is a regular budget, and there is a peacekeeping budget. I have heard it will amount to at least $1 billion a year, but I am not a specialist. The mission should be mandatorily stationed throughout the Donbas, primarily on the Russian-Ukrainian border. There is another matter of principle for us: all foreign troops, and the only foreign troops currently stationed there are Russian, should leave before the U.N. mission is put in place,” Mr. Yelchenko said. He added that Ukraine might suggest another draft resolution on the peacekeeping mission. “It has already been prepared. It is in the hands of our partners. We will wait for a few days and will release our other draft if necessary. The other draft is based on the Russian document. Yet this does not mean it should be preserved as it is,” he said. Russia has hindered the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution on the peacekeeping mission in the Donbas on multiple occasions by threatening to use its veto, Mr. Yelchenko explained. (Interfax-Ukraine)
MFA: No Russian personnel in mission
OTTAWA – Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated on September 5 that it “has taken into account the statement made by the president of the Russian Federation concerning the prospect of deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in Donbas as published by mass media,” adding that it “believes that the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping operation could contribute to the restoration of peace and security in the east of Ukraine.” However, the MFA said it “would like to draw attention to the fact that, in March 2015, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko sent an official request to the U.N. secretary general and the president of the U.N. Security Council with regard to the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping operation in the Ukrainian territory. …Since that time Russia, the aggressor state, has continuously sabotaged Ukraine’s proposals, refusing to take our request to the U.N. Security Council into consideration and even claiming, as was the case in June 2016 that Ukraine had never made its request to the Security Council.” The MFA underscored: “Ukraine has always advocated a clear position that any international peacekeeping presence must be deployed by consent of and after extensive consultations with the Ukrainian side, that it must involve the withdrawal of all occupation troops and mercenaries as well as their weapons from the territory of Ukraine, and ensure reliable control over the Ukrainian-Russian border to prevent Russian military, weapons, equipment and mercenaries from infiltrating the Ukrainian territory. In the event the decision is made to launch a peacekeeping operation, any presence of military or other personnel of the aggressor state in the territory of Ukraine disguised as peacekeepers would be out of the question, as it would contradict the basic principles of U.N. peacekeeping activities. Equally out of the question would be any need to seek approval for launching the peacekeeping operation by the illegal military formations operating in the territory of certain parts of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions backed by support, funding, and inventory and logistics management provided by the Russian Federation.” The Foreign Affairs Ministry also commented that “The information published by mass media concerning the statement by the president of the Russian Federation shows that Russia, as a party to the conflict, is once again attempting to present its aggression as an internal Ukrainian conflict and distort the very idea and purposes of launching a peacekeeping operation, which would not work towards achieving the principal objective of establishing sustainable peace in Donbas and restoring territorial integrity of Ukraine.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Poroshenko conveys support to Texans
KYIV – President Petro Poroshenko on August 30 sent a letter of solidarity and support to U.S. President Donald Trump due to the destruction wreaked in Texas by Hurricane Harvey. “It is moving to see how ordinary Americans help one another, often risking their own lives. Such heroism and unity, despite the extreme conditions, once again convince us of the indomitable spirit and will of the American people in the face of any challenges, whether it is devastating natural disasters or international problems,” Mr. Poroshenko noted. The president emphasized that today the thoughts and prayers of Ukrainians are with their American friends who are overcoming the tragic consequences of this natural disaster. (Presidential Administration of Ukraine)
Yanukovych faces new accusation
KYIV – A Kyiv court adjourned Viktor Yanukovych’s in absentia treason trial until September 21 after the former Ukrainian president’s new lawyer asked for more time to prepare. In a September 6 ruling, Obolon District Court Judge Vladyslav Devyatko granted new state-appointed defense attorney Maksym Herasko’s request for additional time to get acquainted with the case. The ruling came a day after Ukraine’s chief prosecutor said that Mr. Yanukovych could now face a new charge – illegally seizing power – over constitutional changes made early in his presidential term. Mr. Yanukovych’s previous state-appointed lawyer, Vitaliy Meshechek, withdrew from proceedings on August 17, citing the “particular difficulty” of the case and saying he could not handle it properly without assistants. Two lawyers who had represented Mr. Yanukovych before Mr. Meshechek withdrew from the case on July 6, saying that Mr. Yanukovych had informed them that he did not need their services anymore. Mr. Yanukovych announced on that day that he would not participate in the trial, charging that it was politically motivated. The court then decided to provide him with a state-appointed lawyer. Mr. Yanukovych abandoned office in late February 2014 and fled to Russia in the face of protests triggered by his decision to scrap plans for a landmark deal with the European Union and improve trade ties with Moscow instead. Dozens of people were killed when his government attempted to clamp down on the pro-European protests known as the Euro-Maidan. Prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for Mr. Yanukovych, who is accused of treason, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and abetting Russian aggression. Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko wrote on Facebook on September 5 that a new investigation has been launched in which Mr. Yanukovych is suspected of “the illegal seizure of power via a constitutional coup in 2010.” (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Russian bus falls into sea near Crimea
MOSCOW – Russian authorities say at least 18 people died after a bus packed with construction workers fell into the sea in a southern region near Crimea. The federal Investigative Committee said the accident occurred at about 8 a.m. on August 25 as the bus was carrying workers after a shift building a pier on the Taman Peninsula in Krasnodar Krai. The Emergency Situations Ministry said the bus plunged off the pier and into the water. Regional emergency and health officials said that 18 people were killed and more than 30 hospitalized, including seven who were in grave condition. Divers were working at the site and the bus was retrieved from the water after the accident, whose cause was unknown, authorities said. A photograph on the Emergency Situations Ministry website showed the blue bus on the pier, upside down and badly damaged, its windshield shattered and the roof apparently caved in. The accident occurred in Volna, a Taman Peninsula village where the workers were building a pier for oil-and-gas company Tamanneftegaz. Russia is building a bridge linking the Taman Peninsula to Crimea, the Ukrainian region on the Black Sea that Moscow occupied and seized in 2014. It was not immediately clear whether the pier is related to the bridge project. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Interfax, RIA, RBK and TASS)
Georgia asked for Saakashvili’s extradition
KYIV – Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that they received a request from Georgia to extradite its former president, Mikheil Saakashvili. “Ukraine has received a request to search for, detain and extradite Mikheil Saakashvili,” Deputy Justice Minister Serhiy Petukhov told a news conference on September 5. “The Justice Ministry is sending the request from Georgia… to Ukraine’s general prosecutor for an extradition review,” Mr. Petukhov said. The Georgian Prosecutor-General’s office said on August 18 that it had sent the extradition request to Ukraine. Citing Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Petukhov said that Mr. Saakashvili was a defendant in four criminal cases. The charges include misappropriation of property and abuse of office. Mr. Saakashvili has said the charges are part of a political witch hunt by his opponents. Mr. Saakashvili moved to Ukraine to help drive reforms after the 2014 uprising that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. He has been in conflict with the Kyiv authorities since quitting last year as governor of Odesa Oblast last year and accusing President Petro Poroshenko of abetting corruption. Mr. Poroshenko stripped him of his Ukrainian citizenship at the end of July, when Mr. Saakashvili was out of the country. Mr. Saakashvili is currently in Poland and has pledged to return to Ukraine. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Reuters and AFP)
New border-crossing rules for ‘risky’ countries
KYIV – Ukraine says it will introduce new border-crossing rules from next year, affecting citizens of “countries that pose risks for Ukraine.” President Petro Poroshenko told reporters on September 1 that a new set of regulations will be published “in the coming hours,” according to a statement on the presidential website. The rules will stipulate that starting January 1, citizens of countries that pose risks for Ukraine will either have to show a biometric passport or provide such biometric information to the authorities when crossing the border. “Under the current circumstances, when the country is subjected to Russia’s military aggression, such a practice is fully justified,” Mr. Poroshenko noted. Although it singled out Russia, the statement did not specify which countries it considers a threat to Ukraine. Russia’s state-run Interfax news agency quoted Oleh Slobodin, the chief of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), as saying foreigners affected by the new policy will be required to submit to fingerprinting if they do not have biometric passports. Mr. Slobodin also said Russian citizens will also have to notify Ukrainian authorities in advance about their travel plans. Biometric, or e-passports, contain computer chips with information about the traveler, generally used to prevent fraud and forgery. (RFE/RL, with reporting by TASS and Interfax)
Memo on MH17 info exchange
KYIV – Ukraine and the Netherlands will soon sign a memorandum on the exchange of information in the case of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which will help Kyiv in its lawsuit against Russia, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Olena Zerkal said. “The Dutch do not want the work done to be questioned. We are now working on signing a memorandum on the exchange of information, since the downed Boeing is part of our lawsuit against Russia regarding the financing of terrorism, namely the supply of weapons which destroyed this aircraft,” Ms. Zerkal said on the air of Channel 5 on August 30. She added: “We are already at the final stage of signing this memorandum.” Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko and Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Stef Blok signed a bilateral agreement on international legal cooperation on criminal matters relating to the 2014 downing of MH17. The Dutch government noted that a bilateral treaty with Ukraine allows for the prosecution of those responsible for the death of all 298 victims from 17 countries, not just Dutch citizens. “The agreement envisages that prosecution of suspects in the downed MH17 flight will be for all 298 people killed in the crash. This gives all relatives equal rights in the Dutch process,” the report said. In addition, the agreement provides an opportunity to question Ukrainian suspects via a video link-up with the Netherlands. “The issue of the potential transfer of convicts has also been settled, which is important, because the Ukrainian Constitution does not allow extradition of its citizens,” the report says. The Joint Investigation Team, which comprises prosecutors and law-enforcement officials from Ukraine, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and Malaysia, as well as European Union legal officials, on September 28, 2016, presented its findings in the criminal investigation of the tragedy. “The JIT concluded that MH17 was downed by a rocket, Series 9M38, launched from a self-propelled ground-to-missile launcher BUK-TELAR, in a farming area in the region of Pervomaiske village. The area is currently held by pro-Russian militant groups. Investigators said the missile complex was delivered to Ukraine from the Russian Federation and returned there after the downing,” the findings said. In early June 2017, the British investigative group Bellingcat said it found a photo of the Buk 323 missile launcher of the Russian 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade taken before the launcher was used to down the MH17 passenger flight in Donetsk region in 2014. In mid-November 2016, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that investigators had established the names of a hundred individuals suspected of involvement in the crime and that they will be named in 2017. Representatives of the countries cooperating in the inquiry into this crash – the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Ukraine and Belgium – agreed that the cases against suspects in the MH17 are planned to be considered in the Netherlands under Dutch law. (Interfax-Ukraine)