U.S.: Russia ‘perpetuating’ war in Ukraine
The U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on February 1 issued a harshly worded statement accusing Russia of “ongoing violations of international law” in Ukraine. The statement posted online said Moscow’s “aggression” in eastern Ukraine has resulted in “the ongoing conflict that has cost the lives of over 10,000 Ukrainians.” It again called on Moscow “and its proxies” to allow international humanitarian assistance into the conflict areas. “If Russia wants to help address the humanitarian crisis it created, it should… contribute to the U.N.’s Humanitarian Response Plan,” the statement said. The U.S. statement also expressed concern for those “brave enough to speak out against Russia’s occupation of Crimea,” particularly Crimean Tatars. It said Crimean Tatars are persecuted “with impunity” and cited “ongoing raid on Tatar homes” and arrests “on trumped-up charges.” The U.S. statement noted that Russian officials have said the conflict in Ukraine is tantamount to a “civil war,” but “We all know the truth – the brutal war in Donbas is fomented and perpetuated by Russia.” The statement concluded by saying: “We do not, nor will we ever, recognize Russia’s occupation and purported annexation of Crimea. Crimea-related sanctions on Russia will remain in place until Russia returns full control of the peninsula to Ukraine.” (RFE/RL)
Thousands demand president resign
Several thousand people have marched through the center of the Ukrainian capital to call for President Petro Poroshenko’s resignation. Police said the February 4 demonstration organized by opposition politician Mikheil Saakashvili’s Movement of New Forces party attracted 2,500 people, but local reports said up to 5,000 people participated. Addressing the demonstration, Mr. Saakashvili said the event marked the beginning of a campaign to “dismantle this rotten and corrupt system,” adding, “And Poroshenko’s resignation is only the first step.” A protester told RFE/RL, “The people who have ascended to the government in our country do not deliver on people’s demands”; he called for Mr. Poroshenko’s impeachment and his “whole corrupt government to go away.” The protester said that “nothing has been done from what people called for” during the Euro-Maidan protests that pushed Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych out in 2014 and brought Mr. Poroshenko to power. Organizers of the “March for the Future” also called for early parliamentary elections and the formation of a new government. The demonstrators adopted a resolution calling for nationwide rallies on February 18, lawmaker Yuriy Derevyanko said. The participants in the protest marched from Kyiv’s Shevchenko Park to European Square, where they held a rally, holding Ukrainian flags and red-and-black party banners and shouting slogans such as “Resignation” and “Ukraine without oligarchs.” About 2,000 law enforcement officers were deployed to the capital ahead of the rally. No incidents were reported. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Poroshenko: Polish bill ‘unacceptable’
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he is “deeply concerned” by a Polish bill that accuses some Ukrainians of collaborating with Nazi Germany, calling it “categorically unacceptable.” He made his comments on Facebook on February 1, hours after the Polish Senate passed legislative amendments regulating speech related to the Holocaust and to other Nazi-era crimes. The United States, Israel and others have sharply criticized the bill, which subjects anyone who accuses Poland or its people of complicity in Nazi crimes to criminal prosecution and a possible prison sentence of up to three years. In addition to Nazi and “Communist” crimes, the bill also refers to “crimes committed by Ukrainian nationalists and members of Ukrainian units collaborating with the Third Reich.” It defines those alleged crimes as “acts committed by Ukrainian nationalists between 1925 and 1950 which involved the use of violence, terror or other human rights violations against individuals or population groups.” That reference encompasses a period between the two world wars when parts of what is now western Ukraine were in Poland. The Polish bill is aimed at “protecting the reputation” of Poland and its people, according to the language in the legislation. But President Poroshenko suggested that it unfairly tarnishes the reputation of Ukraine and Ukrainians, saying that the “judgments” it contains are “absolutely biased and categorically unacceptable.” He wrote: “Historical truth requires frank conversation and dialogue, not prohibitions.” He said the bill “does not correspond to the declared principles of the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Poland, and argued that Ukraine and Poland must remember what he called “our common victories in the fight against totalitarian regimes” – apparently a reference to both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. “No political decision can replace the historical truth.” Many officials and citizens in Poland, a former Warsaw Pact member, and Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, share deeply negative feelings about Nazi Germany and about Moscow’s Soviet-era dominance of Eastern Europe. But relations between the neighboring countries themselves have also been strained by violence and disputes over the centuries. The bill was signed into law by President Andrzej Duda on February 6. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, with reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, DPA, The Times of Israel and UNIAN)
Tatar critic of Kremlin flees Russia
An activist in Russia’s Tatarstan region who spent three years in prison for criticizing the Russian occupation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula says he has fled from Russia. Rafis Kashapov told RFE/RL on February 5 that he is currently in Kyiv and plans to ask for asylum either in Ukraine or another country. Mr. Kashapov was the first person in Russia to be imprisoned for publicly criticizing Moscow’s military seizure and illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. He was released from a prison in Russia’s northern Komi region on December 27, 2017, after serving his sentence on charges of separatism and inciting ethnic hatred. He says the charges against him were politically motivated. Mr. Kashapov told RFE/RL he fled from Russia because sources in Tatarstan informed him that a new criminal case could be launched against him. In an interview with RFE/RL shortly after his release, Mr. Kashapov sharply criticized Russia, saying that being released to live in Russia was like trading a “small prison” for a big one. His arrest in December 2014 came after he posted articles on social media in which he criticized Moscow for violating the rights of Crimean Tatars. He also criticized Russia’s military involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Mr. Kashapov heads a nongovernmental group in Tatarstan called Tatar Public Center. The group campaigns to preserve the national identity, language and culture of Tatars. The prominent Russian human rights group Memorial recognized Mr. Kashapov as a political prisoner. (RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir Service)
Canada increases Op UNIFIER trainers
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) on January 29 welcomed the announcement by Canada’s Department of National Defense of the deployment of additional Canadian Armed Forces trainers to Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s military training mission in Ukraine. Canada’s Minister of National Defense Harjit S. Sajjan stated, “This increase of CAF trainers demonstrates Canada’s enduring commitment to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This training assistance builds on previous support by our government and will bolster Ukraine’s efforts to maintain its sovereignty, security and stability.” On January 26, 48 CAF members were deployed to Ukraine, “from infantry, artillery, armored and logistical corps, increasing Canada’s presence to approximately 240 personnel for the duration of the temporary increase. The duration of the temporary increase to the training team is approximately 60 days,” Canada’s Department of National Defense stated. Paul Grod, national president of the UCC, commented: “Since 2014, Ukraine’s military has undergone profound transformation. Due in part to the training by Canada and allied nations, today the Ukrainian army is an effective and battle-ready fighting force. In turn, Canada and allied nations are learning valuable lessons from their Ukrainian counterparts.” He added, “The deployment of this surge team of 48 CAF members to Operation UNIFIER is an important step in the process of strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities. The UCC commends the government of Canada for its continuing commitment to the Ukrainian people.” The CAF members were deployed in order to assist in the training of a Battalion Tactical Group of Ukrainian troops. Over 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers have received training from CAF Joint Task Force-Ukraine, in 116 course serials that cover several types of training. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Canadian Forces donate winter boots
An article in the Maple Leaf, published by Canada’s Department of National Defense, reported: “While the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deployed on Operation UNIFIER have the primary task of providing military training, mentoring and capacity building for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they have also been committed to reaching out to Ukrainian communities through humanitarian projects.” It quoted Capt. Humberto Lopes, chaplain of Joint Task Force-Ukraine, as saying, “With the support of the chain of command, we have been assisting non-profit local organizations by means of voluntary contributions, fund-raising events, and by CAF members’ voluntary participation in day programs designed for disadvantaged children and young adults with mental disabilities.” One of the new humanitarian initiatives of Operation UNIFIER was to offer support to the Home for Children No. 1, an orphanage in Lviv that houses 55 children, age 2-6, full-time. After contacting the home’s director, it became clear that winter boots were one of the most pressing needs for the kids. That knowledge ignited the idea and initiative of “Operation Warm Feet.” The operation’s goal was to provide winter boots for every child at the home, The idea was well received by Op UNIFIER members, who contributed generously to the initiative. Capt. Lopes noted: “The contributions and fund-raising initiatives were so successful that we surpassed our monetary expectations, and therefore we were also able to offer our assistance to another orphanage in Kamianets-Podilskyi looking for help to provide gloves and winter hats for 22 children.” The story in the Maple Leaf reported: “The success of Op Warm Feet clearly demonstrated the generosity and support of Canadian soldiers to Ukrainian society. Each visit at the orphanage enriched their experience in Ukraine as they embraced a simple but significant cause in a very tangible way. …Perhaps the best part of Op Warm Feet was the thank you: the children hugged the troops and sang songs. Indeed this was the best part of the day, and the best gifts Op UNIFIER members could have received.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Court rejects Saakashvili’s appeal
A Kyiv court has rejected opposition politician Mikheil Saakashvili’s appeal for protection against possible extradition, a ruling his lawyer says increases the chances he will be deported or handed over to the Georgian authorities. The Administrative Court of Appeals said on February 5 that a January 3 decision by another court, which in turn had upheld a previous ruling, remained unchanged. Mr. Saakashvili, who walked out of the court after several of his motions were rejected, contended that the ruling was politically motivated and dictated by President Petro Poroshenko – a former friend who is now a bitter foe. “With this [ruling] I am losing the status of a resident in Ukraine. This is yet another decision by Poroshenko, not by the court,” he wrote on Facebook. Mr. Saakashvili, who was president of Georgia in 2004-2013, is wanted there on charges including abuse of office, which he says are fabricated. “We all need to be prepared for the fact that the authorities in an illegal manner will make the decision on his compulsory deportation or possible extradition,” a lawyer for Mr. Saakashvili, Ruslan Chernolutskyy, said in a video posted by his client. Mr. Saakashvili lost his Georgian citizenship in 2015, when he accepted Ukrainian citizenship and Mr. Poroshenko’s offer of a job as governor of the Odesa region. But he resigned from the post in November 2016, accusing the government of undermining his efforts to fight corruption and carry out reforms, and has become an outspoken opponent of Mr. Poroshenko. In July 2017, the Ukrainian president stripped Mr. Saakashvili of his citizenship while he was abroad. In September 2017, Mr. Saakashvili defied a border blockade and crossed back into Ukraine, where he has been leading anti-Poroshenko protests and taking on the state in a series of court cases. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, with reporting by Reuters)
Saakashvili’s curfew won’t be renewed
Ukraine’s top prosecutor has said he will not seek to renew a nightly curfew on opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili. “Saakashvili has finally begun to appear for questioning so when the restrictive measure [curfew] imposed on him expires, we will not renew it. He is appearing after receiving summonses, and therefore, in my opinion, he does not need any further burden,” Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko told TSN.ua on February 6. The comments were later posted on Facebook by Mr. Lutsenko’s spokesman. On January 26, the Kyiv City Court of Appeals placed the former Georgian president and ex-governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region under house arrest every night until February 7 from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. It also barred him from leaving the Ukrainian capital without permission from a court or the Prosecutor General’s Office. Ukrainian authorities have accused Mr. Saakashvili of abetting an alleged “criminal group” led by ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, and claim the protests he has led are part of a Russian plot against the government in Kyiv. Mr. Saakashvili has denied all the charges, calling them “absurd” and politically motivated. On January 5, a Tbilisi court found Mr. Saakashvili guilty of abuse of power, ruling that he tried to cover up evidence about a 2006 murder case, and sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison. (RFE/RL, with reporting by TASS and AFP)