Law on state language in effect
The law on Ukraine’s state language came into force on July 16, two months after former President Petro Poroshenko endorsed it days before leaving office. The Law on Securing Ukrainian Language as the State Language declares Ukrainian “the only official state language in Ukraine.” It says “attempts” to introduce other languages as the state language would be considered attempts to “forcibly change the constitutional order.” The new law defines what it calls the “public humiliation of the Ukrainian language” as a punishable offense under the country’s Criminal Code. It introduces mandatory language quotas for state and private television broadcasts and says at least half of the text in printed media must be in Ukrainian. Public posts that require fluency in Ukrainian include the presidency, the position of parliament speaker, as well as all lawmakers, ministers, the head of the state security service, the prosecutor-general, the chief of the Ukrainian National Bank, and local council members. Ukrainian becomes mandatory in all official documents, court records, elections and referendums, international treaties, and labor agreements. The law says language rules would not apply to private conversations or religious rituals. Ukrainian is the native language of some 67 percent of Ukraine’s almost 45 million population, while Russian is the native language of almost 30 percent. Russian is spoken mostly in urban areas. Almost 3 percent of Ukraine’s inhabitants are native speakers of other languages. Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was inaugurated on May 20, has criticized the law as a set of “prohibitions and punishments” that will complicate bureaucratic procedures and “increase the number of officials instead of reducing them.” (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Court upholds decommunization law
Ukraine’s Constitutional Court has upheld a law that equates communism with Nazism and bans the dissemination of Communist symbols. In the July 16 ruling published on its website, the court said the “Communist and Nazi regimes” used similar methods of “implementing repressive state policies.” It noted: “The communist regime, like the Nazi regime, inflicted irreparable damages to human rights because during its existence, it had total control over society and politically motivated persecutions and repressions, violated its international obligations, and its own constitutions and laws.” The legislation was passed by Ukrainian lawmakers in May 2015. That law paved the way for the removal of all Communist monuments not related to World War II and renaming public places and landmarks bearing Soviet names. Since then, dozens of statues, plaques, and other monuments – for example, statues of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin – have been torn down and destroyed. After the law was passed in April 2015, Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry accused Kyiv of using “totalitarian methods” to liquidate parties and organizations and attack “freedom of the press, opinion, or conscience.” (Current Time)
Sushchenko imprisoned for 1,000 days
As of June 27, 1,000 days have passed since the illegal detention of Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko, who is held in a penal colony in the Kirov region of Russia. Ukrinform’s Paris-based correspondent Roman Sushchenko was illegally detained on September 30, 2016, in Moscow, where he arrived on a private trip. On October 7, 2016, he was charged with espionage. “During his detention, psychological pressure was put on Roman to confess guilt. However, he did not give up,” Ukrinform wrote. On June 4, 2018, the Moscow City Court sentenced Mr. Sushchenko to 12 years in a high-security penal colony. The Supreme Court of Russia upheld the verdict on September 12 of that year. On November 7, 2018, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) informed Ukraine’s Embassy in Moscow that Mr. Sushchenko had been transferred to Penal Colony No. 11 of the FSIN directorate for the Kirov region. Representatives of the U.S. State Department, the European Union, the European Parliament, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, United Nations committees, the Polish Sejm, the Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Ministry have called for Mr. Sushchenko’s release. Statements in support of the Ukrainian journalist were made by such organizations as Reporters Without Borders, the International Federation of Journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists, UNESCO, the U.S. Helsinki Commission and PEN International. Mr. Sushchenko has worked with the Ukrainian National News Agency, Ukrinform, since 2002 and has been the agency’s correspondent in France since 2010. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Ukraine-EU summit held in Kyiv
Five documents on cooperation between Kyiv and Brussels were signed at the Ukraine-European Union summit in Kyiv on Monday, July 8. In particular, the parties signed an agreement on the financing of the second phase of the U-LEAD project in Ukraine, which is aimed at attracting EU assistance to stimulate the implementation of decentralization reform. Also signed were agreements on financing measures to support Ukraine in the implementation of key reforms and implementation of provisions of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU regarding a free-trade area (FTA); on financing the second phase of the Anti-Corruption Initiative, a project to enhance the independence, effectiveness and sustainability of anti-corruption institutions; on support of civil society and culture; on amending the agreement on financing the EU support program for the eastern Ukraine, which is aimed at providing improved access to administrative and social services for internally displaced persons; on measures aimed at the development of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises; and on supporting sectoral reforms and structural changes in health, education and critical infrastructure. (Interfax Ukraine)
G-7 envoys criticize lustration initiative
The Group of Seven countries’ ambassadors to Ukraine have expressed caution about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal to lustrate Ukrainian officials who held office after the Maidan uprising in 2014. In a statement posted on Twitter on July 12, the ambassadors said that “electoral change and political rotation are the norm in democracies, adding “indiscriminate bans on all participants in executive and legislative governance are not.” They noted that “the situation in Ukraine today is, in our conviction, not comparable to that after the Revolution of Dignity,” the 2014 uprising that drove pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from power. On July 11, President Zelenskyy had proposed expanding Ukraine’s law on lustration to include everyone who held a government post between February 21, 2014, and May 19, 2019. The current law was aimed at preventing those who held office under the Yanukovych administration from continuing to do so. Mr. Zelenskyy said he wonders every day what to do with state officials – “either to exchange them for prisoners or put them in the substandard bulletproof vests that they bought and send them to the frontlines” of the war against Russia-backed separatist formations in parts of eastern Ukraine. Former President Petro Poroshenko said the new lustration proposal was “Russian revanchism.” He said the purpose of Mr. Zelenskyy’s initiative was to remove “those who defended Ukraine” to “clear space for a fifth column.” (RFE/RL)
Moscow Police detain Tatars’ supporters
Police in Moscow have detained dozens of demonstrators who rallied in front of the Supreme Court to show solidarity with four Crimean Tatars sentenced to lengthy prison terms on terrorism charges. The activists gathered in front of the Supreme Court building on July 11, when the court began looking into appeals by four Crimean Tatars sentenced to prison terms between nine and 17 years in December for being members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic group. Almost all the demonstrators were detained by police and taken away in buses. OVD-Info, an independent group that monitors police crackdowns against demonstrators in Russia, says at least 45 demonstrators were detained. A day earlier, police detained seven activists who were protesting in Moscow’s Red Square against the treatment of Crimean Tatars in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied region of Crimea. Hizb ut-Tahrir was banned in Russia after Kremlin authorities deemed it to be a “terrorist” organization. It is not banned in Ukraine. But Moscow has imposed its own laws on the Crimean peninsula since Russian military forces seized the territory from Ukraine and Moscow illegally annexed the region in early 2014. Since Russian forces occupied Crimea in late February of 2014, the authorities have prosecuted dozens of Crimean Tatars on charges of belonging to Hizb ut-Tahrir. (RFE/RL’s Russian Service)
Zelenskyy, Putin discuss war in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have held their first telephone call and discussed the conflict in eastern Ukraine as well as swapping prisoners. The call on July 11 was initiated by Mr. Zelenskyy, the Kremlin said. Mr. Zelenskyy, who took office in May, raised the issue of freeing the sailors captured by Russia, according to a statement on the Ukrainian president’s website. The two have exchanged barbs through the media over the past two months. When Mr. Putin offered Ukrainian citizens living in the Donbas passports days after Mr. Zelenskyy was elected, the new Ukrainian president dismissed it as a ticket to a country with little freedom. The July 11 call came just days after Mr. Zelenskyy posted a video statement offering to meet with Mr. Putin in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, to discuss the annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president said he would like the leaders of the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany to join the talks. Asked about Mr. Zelenskyy’s proposal earlier on July 11, Mr. Putin told reporters that he’s open for talks with the new Ukrainian leader. He added, however, that such negotiations would be unlikely before Ukraine’s parliamentary elections are held on July 21 and a new Ukrainian Cabinet is formed. (RFE/RL, with reporting by AP)
Sea Breeze 2019 kicks off in Ukraine
The U.S. 6th Fleet reported on July 1 that the military exercise Sea Breeze, now in its 19th iteration, will run through July 12 and is designed to enhance interoperability among participating nations and strengthen regional security by focusing on a variety of security and stability scenarios in the areas of land, sea and air. “The United States Navy, along with 18 of our closest friends, allies and partners, are here to continue the Sea Breeze exercise series,” said Capt. Matthew Lehman, commodore of Task Force 65 and U.S. exercise director. “Exercises like this show the world that the U.S. stands with our NATO allies and partners here in Europe. The goal is quite simple: to train and work together, side by side, and to ensure a Europe that is whole, free, prosperous, and at peace.” Ukraine and the U.S. are co-hosting the exercise in the Black Sea with participation and support coming from 17 other countries: Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Some of the training areas include maritime interdiction operations, air defense, special forces training, anti-submarine warfare, damage control tactics, search and rescue, amphibious warfare, and a noncommissioned officer leadership course to include training in operational planning. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Yanukovych asset freezes annulled
The European Union’s General Court on July 11 annulled asset freezes imposed on former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, his son Oleksandr and five other associates. The court ruled on the original 2014 decision and subsequent renewals until 2018. Despite the ruling, Mr. Yanukovych, his son and associates remain on the sanctions list since the restrictive measures against them were extended by a year in March. Andriy Kliuyev, the former head of Mr. Yanukovych’s presidential administration, was also cleared by the court on July 11. Mr. Kliuyev had already been removed from the sanctions list earlier this year. In its ruling the court noted that, although the EU can base the adoption or maintenance of restrictive measures on the decision of a third state, it must itself verify that the rights of the defense and the right to effective judicial protection were complied with at the time of the adoption of the decision – something that Brussels, according to the court, had failed to do. The EU imposed asset freezes against Mr. Yanukovych and his inner circle shortly after the collapse of his government in February 2014. The bloc accused Mr. Yanukovych and his collaborators of misappropriation of state funds. Apart from the former president, the restrictive measures include former Prime Ministers Mykola Azarov and Serhiy Arbuzov. In a written statement to RFE/RL, EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said that “we have taken note of the judgments of the General Court of the EU. We will analyze carefully the judgments and decide on this basis on the way forward.” The EU General Court’s ruling can be appealed within two months and 10 days after it is issued. (RFE/RL)
CEC registers 1,700 foreign observers
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine has completed the registration of official observers for the early parliamentary elections scheduled for July 21. As of July 15, CEC has registered 1,719 international observers including 117 official observers from 12 foreign states and 1,602 official observers from 22 international organizations. The CEC has registered 90 observers from the Ukrainian World Congress, eight from the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, 19 from the Committee for Open Democracy, 19 from the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, one from the International Federation of Liberal Youth, one from the International Republican Institute, two from the European Platform for Democratic Election, 18 from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, 15 from the European Parliament, seven from the International Foundation for Better Governance, six from international non-governmental association Elections and Democracy, and 61 from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the CEC noted on its website. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Court postpones verdict on Crimean gold
A Dutch appeals court has postponed its verdict on the ownership of a collection of gold artifacts from Crimea that was on loan to a Dutch museum when Russia seized the peninsula in 2014, saying it needed more information. The items, known as the Scythian gold, are in the Netherlands because they were borrowed from four museums in Crimea and one in Kyiv for an exhibition in early 2014 at Amsterdam’s Allard Pierson Museum. They were sent before Russia forcibly annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. In 2016, a court in Amsterdam ruled that the collection was part of Ukraine’s cultural heritage and should be returned to Kyiv. The court stated that only sovereign states could claim objects as cultural heritage. Museums in Moscow-controlled Crimea appealed the ruling, saying that the artifacts are part of Crimea’s heritage. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and TASS)
Paris meeting to restart “Normandy format”
Foreign affairs advisors of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia met in Paris on July 12 to relaunch the “Normandy format” of negotiations, reported Europeyska Pravda (European Pravda), citing Deutsche Welle. The German side said the negotiations were based on the latest positive developments in eastern Ukraine. Meeting participants were designing further steps for implementation of the Minsk agreements that first of all include a ceasefire, the DPA news agency reported. The meeting of foreign affairs advisors of the Normandy four was agreed upon during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Paris and Berlin in June. (Ukraine Crisis Media Center)
Officials discuss prisoner swap
Russian and Ukrainian officials say they are holding talks on a major prisoner swap just days after their countries’ presidents discussed the conflict in eastern Ukraine and a possible prisoner exchange in their first telephone call. Russian envoy for human rights Tatyana Moskalkova held a rare meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart, Lyudmyla Denisova, in Kyiv on July 15 to discuss a swap involving the 24 Ukrainian sailors captured near the Kerch Strait last year, Russian news agencies reported. Meanwhile, a court in Kyiv postponed a hearing that was expected to lead to the release of Russian journalist Kirill Vyshinsky, who is in detention in Ukraine. Earlier that day, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said it was likely that Mr. Vyshinsky, who has been in custody for a year facing treason charges, will be released. Ms. Moskalkova was invited to attend the hearing in the afternoon on July 15, but the court abruptly adjourned it until July 18. Ms. Moskalkova was quoted by Russian news agency RIA Novosti as saying that she was “completely disappointed by the fact that the hearing has been scrapped.” Earlier on July 15, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Pavel Klimkin told Current Time TV that “there will be a development” in the much-anticipated prisoner exchange between the countries, but he declined to provide further details. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Interfax, AP, Current Time TV)
Ukrainian soldier killed in Donbas
The government in Kyiv says one of its soldiers has been killed and nine others wounded in a battle with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The Defense Ministry said on July 11 that separatist fighters violated a ceasefire 28 times in a 24-hour period, using 120- and 82-millimeter mortars and 122-millimeter artillery shells that are banned under the Minsk peace agreements. Meanwhile, the Russian-backed militants claimed on July 11 that an elderly woman was killed after Ukrainian armed forces shelled the outskirts of the industrial frontline town of Horlivka. Ceasefire deals announced as part of the Minsk accords – September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict – have contributed to a decrease in fighting but have failed to hold. A new cease-fire agreement was reached on March 8, but both sides have accused each other of repeated violations since then. (RFE/RL)
Canada increases police deployments to Ukraine
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on July 8, said it was is “pleased to coordinate the extension and expansion of Canadian police deployments to Ukraine.” Following a renewed commitment by the government of Canada to support Ukraine’s reform agenda, up to 45 Canadian police will deploy to the country, more than doubling the previous maximum of 20, the RCMP noted. The additional deployments will extend an additional two years, to 2021. Canadian police deployed to Ukraine serve in one of two missions: a bilateral mission with the National Police of Ukraine or the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform (EUAM Ukraine). “Our continuing contribution of highly skilled police officers will help train and mentor Ukrainian police, with the ultimate goal of improving safety and security in their communities,” said RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. “Having professional, well-trained and well-equipped police services is key to fostering stability, making people and communities feel more secure, and enhancing the rule of law in fragile and conflict-affected states.” Led by the RCMP, Canadian police serving in Ukraine support Ukraine’s police reform efforts. They offer training and strategic advice to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of the National Police of Ukraine in the realms of police safety, criminal investigations, and preventing and responding to gender-based violence. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Police investigate attack on TV channel
Ukrainian authorities say they are investigating a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on a building that houses the Kyiv office of Ukrainian television Channel 112. Kyiv police said there were no injuries but classified the attack on July 13 as a terrorist act. Police said in a statement that they arrived at the scene in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivsky district after neighbors reported hearing an explosion around 3:40 a.m. local time. A spokesman for Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry told RFE/RL that police had no suspects but were actively investigating the case. Police said they discovered a spent tube used to fire an RPG and cordoned off the area. Photographs published by police showed damage to the office building’s exterior. Channel 112 issued a statement just a day before the attack, calling on “law enforcement agencies to protect us from the arbitrariness of national radicals, who by intimidation and threats try to influence the editorial policy of the channel [and] force us to abandon world-wide broadcasting standards in favor of certain political interests.” Channel 112 has come under pressure from nationalist groups since it was purchased last year by Taras Kozak, who is a close ally of controversial Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. Mr. Kozak also owns the NewsOne and ZIK channels. Mr. Medvedchuk told RFE/RL in a 2016 interview that he enjoys a close friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of his daughter. Since Mr. Kozak’s purchase of Channel 112, Mr. Medvedchuk has appeared regularly on the channel, leading observers to believe that he is its ultimate controller. Mr. Medvedchuk’s spokesman has denied this to RFE/RL. Channel 112 received a warning earlier this week from prosecutors over its plans to broadcast a documentary called “Revealing Ukraine” by U.S. filmmaker Oliver Stone, which includes an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the documentary, Messrs. Putin and Medvedchuk discuss the situation in Ukraine. The channel says it has cancelled plans to show the film to avoid possible legal consequences. (Christopher Miller of RFE/RL)