Sergeyev quits foreign service
KYIV – Former Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Yuriy Sergeyev has announced the end of his diplomatic career. “My friends, everything that has a beginning has an ending. Today I’ve decided to retire after many years’ career as a diplomat,” he wrote on Twitter on February 8. The ambassador thanked everyone for support and noted that, “after all, one can serve Ukraine in other ways.” As reported earlier, on December 9, 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appointed a new permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Volodymyr Yelchenko. Ambassador Sergeyev represented Ukraine at the U.N. from April 2007 to December 2015. (UNIAN)
Lawyer: Deal for Savchenko’s return
MOSCOW – The lead defense lawyer for Ukrainian pilot and Verkhovna Rada deputy Nadiya Savchenko said Russia and Ukraine have agreed to the conditions of her return to Ukraine. Mark Feigin told Ukraine’s Channel 5 television on February 5 that Ms. Savchenko, 34, will be convicted “toward the end of February” on charges that she directed artillery fire in a 2014 incident in which two Russian journalists were killed. Ms. Savchenko says she was kidnapped in Ukraine before being taken for trial in Russia’s Rostov region. Mr. Feigin said that after she is convicted, it has been agreed that she will be turned over to Ukraine. He said her trial in Russia was “political and propagandistic.” Ms. Savchenko has been on a hunger strike since December 17 and is reportedly suffering health complications. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Channel 5)
Clapper cites ‘assertive’ Russia
WASHINGTON – U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper said that Russia remains intent on pursuing an “assertive foreign policy” in 2016, including hampering Ukraine’s Western aspirations. He said the U.S. faces an unprecedented array of security challenges including cyberattacks, “homegrown” terrorists, Islamic State extremists, North Korea’s nuclear saber-rattling, and Russia’s “assertive” foreign policy. “In my 50-plus years in the intelligence business, I cannot recall a more diverse array of challenges and crises that we confront as we do today,” Mr. Clapper told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on February 9 while discussing his agency’s annual worldwide threat assessment. In his prepared statement to the committee, Mr. Clapper said disruptions in cyberspace and attacks by U.S.-based supporters of violent extremists are the most imminent security threats faced by the United States in 2016. Regarding Russia, Mr. Clapper said that, despite reduced violence between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin will continue to maintain “long-term influence over Kyiv” and frustrate “Ukraine’s attempts to integrate with Western institutions.” He added: “Events in Ukraine raised Moscow’s perceived stakes for increasing its presence in the region to prevent future regime change in the former Soviet republics and for accelerating a shift to a multi-polar world in which Russia is the uncontested regional hegemon in Eurasia.” Mr. Clapper told lawmakers during the hearing that Russia is “paranoid” about being challenged by NATO, and that its efforts to challenge American power could drive it into a new Cold War. “They’re greatly concerned about being contained,” he said. Mr. Clapper added that Russia in 2016 will raise pressure on neighboring states to join the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, which former Soviet republics Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have already joined. He cited his agency’s threat assessment that Russia’s “willingness to covertly use military and paramilitary forces in a neighboring state continues to cause anxieties in states along Russia’s periphery.” (RFE/RL, with reporting by Reuters, AP and AFP)
Canadian forces begin new training cycle
OTTAWA – The new rotation of Joint Task Force Ukraine (JTF-U) – approximately 200 Canadian soldiers, mostly from the 2nd Canadian Division – began a new training cycle as part of Operation Unifier. Canada’s Department of National Defense noted: “JTF-U, commanded by Lt. Col. Tim Arsenault, replaces the 4th Canadian Division to continue the collaborative work of providing military training and capacity building to the Ukrainian armed forces. The Canadians are working alongside U.S., U.K., Latvian and Lithuanian military instructors at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) in Starychi, Ukraine. Op UNIFIER is part of the whole-of-government effort involved in Canada’s support to Ukraine, which focuses on development, security, democracy and humanitarian aid. Specifically, the Canadian Armed Forces are mandated to support the efforts to enhance the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ capacities. …Everything taught during the training is contributing to the transformation of the Ukrainian armed forces. On the tactical level, the Ukrainian soldiers and officers are there to learn how to modify their procedures and methods to enable them to work with Western countries. JTF-U is working with its partners to determine what institutional changes are needed to ensure that training continues and to make the Ukrainian military’s structures and work methods compatible with those of its allies.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Jaresko: IMF aid on hold due to crisis
KYIV – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has put aid to Ukraine on hold until it becomes clear whether the current government survives, the country’s finance minister says. The government is reeling from the abrupt exit of its economy minister last week, and Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko’s comments on Ukrainian ICTV on February 8 show how the political crisis threatens to derail Ukraine’s relationship with creditors that have provided a lifeline to the recession-wracked country. Low approval ratings for the government of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk have raised expectations of a major ministerial reshuffle. The government also could face a no-confidence vote in Parliament in the middle of February. Ukraine has been waiting since October 2015 for the IMF to dispense more aid as part of a $40 billion package from the IMF, the European Union and the United States. Aid payments are linked to Ukraine adopting reforms that make its economy more competitive and reduce corruption. Even before the political crisis resistance to the reforms had delayed the disbursement of a third tranche worth $1.7 billion. Minister Jaresko said Ukraine is paying a heavy price for the political turmoil set off by the abrupt resignation of Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, who cited corruption within the ruling party. The IMF “is not political, but they will wait until it becomes clear who the executive authorities are and whether these authorities will take the responsibility to fulfill the conditions under which they have already provided us with $6.7 billion,” she told ICTV. “They can provide [aid] to another government, but another government must take the responsibility and commitment that we took on a year ago,” she added. (RFE/RL, with reporting by Reuters, ICTV and Ukraine Today)
Lagarde warns Kyiv on stalled reforms
WASHINGTON – The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has told Ukraine that it must enact promised reforms and root out corruption or risk losing the support of the financial organization. “Without a substantial new effort to invigorate governance reforms and fight corruption, it is hard to see how the IMF-supported program can continue and be successful,” Christine Lagarde said in a statement on February 10. “Ukraine risks a return to the pattern of failed economic policies that has plagued its recent history,” she added. Ms. Lagarde’s comments come two days after Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko said the IMF had put aid to Ukraine on hold until it becomes clear whether the current government, which is reeling from the abrupt exit of its economy minister last week, survives. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and AFP)
EU warns Kyiv about Russia sanctions
COPENHAGEN – Denmark’s foreign affairs minister has said that, if Ukraine does not implement modernization reforms, it risks undermining European Union support for maintaining sanctions against Russia. In an exclusive interview with Reuters on February 5, Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Kristian Jensen said Ukraine must fully carry out the reforms outlined by the Minsk process for regulating the conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Otherwise, “it will be very difficult for Europe to continue united in support of sanctions against Russia.” The European Union is concerned about political infighting in Kyiv and its failure to implement serious reforms, a failure that was highlighted by the resignation of Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius. The European Union imposed targeted sanctions against Russia’s energy, banking and defense sectors in July 2014. The sanctions are scheduled to expire in July, but could be extended. Under the Minsk process, Kyiv has agreed to adopt constitutional amendments to decentralize power. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters)
Abromavicius gives evidence of corruption
KYIV – Former Ukrainian Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius says he is providing anti-corruption investigators evidence of influence peddling involving key government officials and state companies. Mr. Abromavicius made the comments on February 8 ahead of his expected testimony to Ukraine’s top anti-graft investigation agency and just days after his resignation brought the government to the brink of collapse. The Lithuanian-born minister was one of several foreign-born officials brought in by President Petro Poroshenko as part of efforts to clean up endemic government corruption. But the push to improve transparency and eliminate problems like bribery, kickbacks and preferential hiring for wealthy insiders has proceeded at a glacial pace, resulting in growing frustration both inside Ukraine and among Western officials and lenders. In his February 3 resignation letter, Mr. Abromavicius singled out Ihor Kononenko, a wealthy tycoon who is a member of Mr. Poroshenko’s political party, saying he had lobbied to get his people appointed to head state companies and to top government positions. Mr. Kononenko rejected the allegations as “completely absurd.” Mr. Abromavicius told reporters in Kyiv that he had collected ample information that he intended to share with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. (RFE/RL)
Prime minister threatens to quit
KYIV – Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on February 5 threatened to quit along with his entire Cabinet of Ministers if the Verkhovna Rada pushes for a government reshuffle. “We all came in as one team, and we will continue working in the future as one team,” the 41-year-old leader told a televised session of Parliament. “And if it is decided that this team should be changed, then we will all leave together.” Mr. Yatsenyuk’s comments come after President Petro Poroshenko on February 4 said it is essential to “reset” the government amid a growing political crisis heightened by the shock resignation of reformist Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, who said his resignation was borne out of frustration over the “sharp escalation in efforts to block systemic and important reforms.” His resignation has sparked concern among Ukraine’s Western allies and prompted President Poroshenko to hold a meeting with ambassadors from the G-7 group of leading industrialized nations in a bid to allay their concerns. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by AFP and Interfax)
Three killed as minibus hits land mine
KYIV – Ukraine says three civilians were killed and two others wounded when a minibus hit a land mine in the country’s east. The blast took place on February 10 some 25 kilometers southwest of Donetsk when the minibus was leaving separatist-controlled territory. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Zadubinnyi said two civilians were killed at the scene and one more died on the way to a hospital. According to preliminary information, he said, the bus driver ignored warning signs and drove out onto a field to overtake a queue of vehicles near a Ukrainian checkpoint. Fighting between government forces and Russian-backed separatists has killed more than 9,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. A ceasefire agreement has helped to significantly reduce the violence, although sporadic clashes continue on the front line. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by AFP and TASS)
Turchynov: Russia preps for more aggression
OTTAWA – On February 8, on the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian armed forces in the Rostov Oblast (Southern Military District of the Russian Federation) began snap combat readiness exercises involving 8,500 troops, over 900 military vehicles, 200 airplanes and 50 ships. Speaking in Kyiv, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov stated: “All of these military exercises are taking place in close vicinity to the eastern border of our country. Moreover, within the context of the snap combat readiness exercises of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, on the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts training of the so-called 1st and 2nd army corps are taking place. This once again shows that these occupation units are an integral part of the Russian armed forces. In summary, we can state that the armed forces of Russia, together with the 1st and 2nd army corps and other units of the occupying forces deployed on territory temporarily not under the control of Ukrainian authorities, are undertaking active preparation to conduct aggressive military actions, which is a direct threat to our country.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Ships join Russian military exercises
MOSCOW – Russia says more than 20 warships and support vessels have departed from their bases in the Caspian Sea and begun training as part of massive combat readiness exercises across the country’s southwest. The military says the snap drill, which kicked off on February 8, will involve up to 8,500 troops and 200 aircraft. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the maneuvers are intended to check the troops’ ability to respond to extremist threats and other challenges. They involve forces stationed in the Southern Military District, which includes southwestern regions near the border with Crimea – the Ukrainian peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014 – the North Caucasus, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The exercises are the latest in a series of major drills conducted in the past two years amid an increase of tension between Russia and the West. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Interfax and AP)
EuroParliament resolution on Crimea
STRASBOURG, France – The European Parliament on February 4 passed a resolution, in which it: “recalls its severe condemnation of the illegal annexation by Russia of the Crimean peninsula and the commitment of the EU, its member states and the international community to implement fully the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea; highlights also that the restoration of Ukrainian control over the peninsula is one of the prerequisites for re-establishing cooperative relations with the Russian Federation, including the suspension of related sanctions.” The resolution also: “Strongly condemns the unprecedented levels of human rights abuses perpetrated against Crimean residents, most notably Crimean Tatars, who do not follow the imposed rule of the so-called local authorities…; Welcomes the Ukrainian initiative to establish an international negotiation mechanism on the re-establishment of Ukrainian sovereignty over Crimea in the ‘Geneva plus’ format, which should include direct engagement by the EU… and calls on Russia to start negotiations with Ukraine and other parties on the de-occupation of Crimea.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)