Security Council condemns shelling of bus
UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council has condemned the shelling of a passenger bus near Volnovakha, Ukraine, on January 13, and insisted that there be an “objective investigation” in order to bring those responsible for the atrocity to justice. In a press statement, the Security Council members also expressed their condolences to the families of the victims. “The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the killing of 11 civilians and the injuring of 17 others through the shelling of a passenger bus near Volnovakha in Donetsk region on January 13, 2015,” the document says. In addition, the Security Council called on the parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine to strictly implement the Minsk agreements. TASS cited the informed source at the U.N. headquarters as saying the proposal to issue the statement was made by the delegation of Lithuania. (UNIAN)
Savchenko in solitary confinement
KYIV – Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko has been placed in solitary confinement at a pretrial detention center in Moscow. 1st Lt. Savchenko’s lawyer Mark Feigin told RFE/RL on January 9 that she was moved to solitary confinement due to the hunger strike she has been holding for almost a month. The pilot was captured by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in June and jailed in Russia in July. Russian authorities have charged her with complicity in the deaths of two Russian journalists who were killed covering the Ukraine conflict. She denies the charges and says her transfer to Russia was illegal. Mr. Feigin said that Lt. Savchenko, who underwent tests at a psychiatric facility against her will, has been found mentally fit to stand trial. He said she had been under psychological pressure from investigators seeking to persuade her to plead guilty. Lt. Savchenko’s sister, Vira Savchenko, told RFE/RL that her sister was accepting glucose intravenously and drank tea on Julian calendar Christmas on January 7. She has been mainly ingesting warm water since she began her hunger strike on December 13, 2014. (RFE/RL Ukrainian Service)
Condolences at Embassy of France
KYIV – President Petro Poroshenko has laid flowers near the Embassy of France in Ukraine in order to honor the memory of the deceased in the terrorist act of January 7 in Paris. The president repeated the words of thousands of French citizens – “Je suis Charlie” – and left a note in the book of condolences in the Embassy. He expressed words of deep sympathy and support to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine Alain Remy. Mr. Poroshenko noted that Ukraine felt deep sorrow over tragic events, as well as solidarity and unity with France in the struggle against terrorism. “Ukraine knows what the struggle against terrorism means,” the president emphasized, citing “terrorist attacks in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.” Mr. Poroshenko said, “Ukraine is grateful to France for its assistance and solidarity in struggle against terrorism on the Ukrainian land. Ukraine supports France in its struggle against terrorism.” (Press Office of the President of Ukraine)
Berlin peace talks fall flat
BERLIN – The foreign affairs ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France on January 12 failed to agree on terms for a summit that was to be held later that week with the aim of defusing the crisis in eastern Ukraine. German Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier made the announcement after four hours of talks in Berlin on January 12 with his counterparts Sergei Lavrov of Russia, Laurent Fabius of France and Pavlo Klimkin of Ukraine. He said the meeting had been a “very open exchange” but did not produce the results needed for the countries to go ahead with a meeting of leaders this week in Kazakhstan. In a joint statement, the four ministers also called on the contact group of Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to meet to try and make progress on implementing a much-violated Ukraine peace deal drawn up in September, including creating the “relevant conditions for an effective ceasefire.” The meeting followed a flurry of diplomacy, including a brief weekend encounter in Paris between the German, French and Ukrainian leaders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 10 and met on January 9 with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, the proposed host of a possible four-way summit on Ukraine. Ms. Merkel told Putin that she expected Moscow to use its influence on pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine to reach “consensual solutions.” She said a summit will not be held until progress has been made on the Minsk plan. (RFE/RL)
Subversive group neutralized
KYIV – The situation in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) is becoming more tenuous, as in the past 24 hours pro-Russian militants fired a total of 84 times at Ukrainian military positions in 33 localities, Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the ATO, reported on January 13. “The militants used artillery, tanks and Grad multiple rocket launcher systems. Ukrainian servicemen strictly comply with the ceasefire regime, but respond with a powerful rebuff in the case of provocative actions on the part of terrorists,” he said. He added that, due to the attentiveness of Ukraine’s servicemen, a subversive group was [also] destroyed as it attempted to cross the delimitation line between the ATO zone and the adjacent part of Ukraine. As a result of successful maneuvers by a group of the Azov battalion, the military managed to avoid losses,” said Col. Lysenko. “The intensification of aggressive actions on the part of terrorists in the last days and attempts to redraw the delimitation line testifies to the fact that Russian military and terrorists are intentionally choosing to escalate tensions in Donbas,” he underscored. On January 10, Col. Lysenko reported that operatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had detained a member of the Skhid (East) criminal group nicknamed “Korol” (King) who was planning to organize a number of terrorist acts in the Zaporizhia Oblast. Another detained terrorist belonged to the Oplot terrorist group; he attacked Ukrainian servicemen and worked as a bodyguard for several terrorist leaders. (Ukraine Crisis Media Center)
European Commission proposes aid
BRUSSELS – The European Commission on January 8 proposed a further macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Ukraine of up to 1.8 billion euros ($2.12 billion U.S.) in medium-term loans. The new MFA, which has to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers of the EU, “is intended to assist Ukraine economically and financially with the critical challenges the country is facing, such as a weak balance of payments and fiscal situation. The intention is also to help the new reform-orientated government strengthen the country and deal with economic and political challenges. The macro-financial assistance proposed today will be linked to certain reform actions.” European Commission President J.C. Juncker stated: “Ukraine is not alone. Europe stands united behind Ukraine and the reform agenda of the new government.[…]This is European solidarity in action. As always, solidarity goes hand in hand with commitment to reform, which is urgently needed in Ukraine. We want to help the Ukrainian government to put its reform agenda into practice and trigger real change for the country and its people.” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini later told journalists in Riga that “the financial assistance is linked to their willingness to make reforms on different issues,” citing corruption. The bloc’s 28 members and the European Parliament must approve the additional loans for them to go into effect. The EU has already released 1.6 billion euros in loans to Ukraine to help bail out Kyiv’s cash-strapped government. (European Commission, RFE/RL)
Germany, Ukraine sign loan agreement
BERLIN – On January 7, Germany and Ukraine reached agreement on credits worth 500 million euros. Among the priorities for the funds provided by the loan will be the rebuilding of infrastructure in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and a delegation including Ukraine’s ministers of finance, economic development and trade, and foreign affairs, as well as the chairman of the board of Naftohaz Ukrainy were on a two-day official visit to Germany. Mr. Yatsenyuk met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on January 8. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Russian-language TV program for Latvia
WASHINGTON – “Nastoyashchee Vremya,” a new Russian-language television program, launched on the evening of January 5 in Latvia, expanding its reach to audiences in five countries bordering Russia. “The aim of the program is to provide audiences in countries neighboring Russia with an alternative point of view on current events in their countries, in their region, and in the world,” said Nenad Pejic, RFE/RL editor in chief and co-CEO. “It is committed to providing professional, intelligent journalism, and is guided by the belief in the power of good journalism to promote peace and democracy,” he said.
The 30-minute program, a dynamic mix of live news coverage, interviews, original features, and political satire, will air nightly at 11 p.m. on Latvia’s private Russian-language channel, TV5. In a press release announcing the program, Baiba Zuzena, the head of TV5’s parent company, MTG TV Latvia, explained, “The broadcast of ‘Nastoyashchee Vremya’ on TV5 is not an attempt to convince someone of something, but an opportunity we present to our viewers. Everyone can decide for himself or herself what information to believe, but it’s important that Latvians hear every side and be aware of every point of view.” “Nastoyashchee Vremya,” or “Current Time“ as it known in English, is a joint production of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America. It began airing in October 2014 and is carried by TV channels and Internet portals in Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine, in addition to Latvia. RFE/RL is a private, independent international news organization whose programs – radio, Internet, television and mobile – reach influential audiences in 21 countries, including Russia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. VOA reaches a global weekly audience of 171.6 million people in 45 languages. VOA programs are delivered on satellite, cable, shortwave, FM, medium wave, streaming audio and video and more than 2,350 media outlets worldwide. Both RFE/RL and VOA are funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. (RFE/RL)
TV channel under fire over broadcast
KYIV – Ukraine’s biggest television channel is under fire after broadcasting a New Year’s Eve concert featuring Russian singers who have publicly supported separatists in eastern Ukraine. National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov has urged the National Council on Television and Radio to immediately consider stripping the channel, Inter, of its license. Mr. Turchynov accused Inter of “acting against the Ukrainian state” by showcasing Russian singers “who have mocked our country by supporting terrorists and welcoming the seizure of Crimea and the Donbas.” Ukraine’s minister of information policy, Yuriy Stets, said he planned to introduce a bill under which Russian performers will be barred from Ukrainian broadcasts. The New Year’s Eve concert was recorded in Moscow and featured Iosif Kobzon, a prominent crooner and ruling-party Russian Parliament deputy who has been declared persona non grata in Ukraine, along with a string of Russian celebrities known for their pro-Kremlin views. One of the acts in the concert showed Mr. Kobzon standing behind a border gate with fellow singers Valeria and Oleg Gazmanov. The trio performed a song ridiculing Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its actions in Ukraine. The show sparked a storm of criticism on social media in Ukraine. Inter denied wrongdoing and denounced what it described as “political pressure on the media.” “The programming schedule was established in accordance with longstanding traditions of celebrating the New Year and in line with Ukrainian law,” it said in a statement. Ukrainian activists have accused the channel of carrying an increasing amount of Russian content in 2014, including films glorifying the Russian Army. (RFE/RL)
Critics omitted from Putin’s greetings
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued his New Year’s greetings to fellow world leaders and dignitaries, but Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is not among the dozens of recipients. A summary of Mr. Putin’s messages to the leaders of more than 30 countries, plus Pope Francis and the heads of the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and a select group of former world leaders, was posted on the Kremlin’s website on December 31. The leaders of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – all countries that have led global criticism of Russia’s actions in Ukraine – were also omitted. Norway and Sweden were also skipped. Estonian President Toomas Ilves quipped on Twitter that he was “crushed.” In his message to U.S. President Barack Obama, Mr. Putin mentioned that the two countries fought “shoulder to shoulder” during World War II and stressed the “responsibility of Russia and the United States” in maintaining peace and international stability. He said relations should be based on equality and mutual respect. Addressing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr. Putin expressed the hope of “constructive dialogue and active joint work” in 2015. (RFE/RL)
Soros offers policy to rescue Ukraine
NEW YORK – International financier and philanthropist George Soros, in an article in The New York Review of Books, is calling for a substantial new financial assistance package for Ukraine. Mr. Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management LLC and the Open Society Foundations, argues: “By enabling Ukraine to defend itself, Europe would be indirectly also defending itself. Moreover, an injection of financial assistance to Ukraine would help stabilize its economy and indirectly also provide a much-needed stimulus to the European economy by encouraging exports and investment in Ukraine. Hopefully Russia’s troubles and Ukraine’s progress would persuade President Vladimir Putin to give up as a lost cause his attempts to destabilize Ukraine.” The full article, headlined “A New Policy to Rescue Ukraine,” is dated January 7, but appears in the February 5 issue. The full text is available at http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/feb/05/new-policy-rescue-ukraine/?insrc=hpss. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress, The New York Review of Books)
OSCE to double size of mission
HAMBURG – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) plans to double the number of monitors it has in Ukraine by the end of this month. OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw made the announcement on January 4 in an interview with the Hamburg-based dpa news agency. The monitoring mission will be increased from 250 monitors to 500 because the security situation in eastern Ukraine has improved, Mr. Bociurkiw said. He added, however, that there continue to be violations of the fragile ceasefire on a daily basis. He said the withdrawal of heavy equipment that was agreed by all parties in Minsk in September has not been implemented. Ukrainian military officials and spokespeople for the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on January 4 accused one another of violating the ceasefire. The separatists said their positions were shelled 16 times by Ukrainian forces “using tanks and heavy artillery.” The Ukrainian military said its forces had been shelled 10 times overnight. Three Ukrainian troops were reported killed. More than 1,300 of the deaths have come after the ceasefire deal, and efforts to build on the agreement have made little progress despite a decrease in fighting in recent weeks. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Deutsche Presse-Agent
U.S. and Ukrainian ships in naval exercise
KYIV – The destroyer USS Donald Cook and the Ukrainian navy flagship Hetman Sahaidachny took part in an at-sea naval exercise in the Black Sea on January 11, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine reported. The exercise “consisted of a series of at-sea scenarios designed to enhance maritime capabilities […]Donald Cook’s participation in this exercise highlights the strong relationship between the U.S. and Ukrainian navies, while its presence in the Black Sea demonstrates the United States’ commitment to working closely with its partners to enhance maritime security and stability in the region.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
11th ‘humanitarian’ convoy reported
KYIV – The National Security and Defense Council on January 8 reported that another so-called “humanitarian convoy” illegally entered Ukrainian territory from Russia that morning. A total of 124 trucks were in the convoy. The NSDC said that Ukrainian border guards were able only to “visually observe” the crossing of the convoy and could not carry out controlling functions. Representatives of the International Red Cross did not oversee the convoy movement. During 2014, 10 such “humanitarian convoys” entered Ukraine from Russia. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress, National Security and Defense Council)