Kyiv gets debt-restructuring deal
KYIV – Kyiv has reached a debt-restructuring deal with a group of international creditors under which part of its debt will be written off. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on August 27 that investors who own Ukraine’s bonds will write off 20 percent of their holdings, shrinking $18 billion in sovereign debt to $15.5 billion. The deal will also extend the payment period on the government bonds by four years through 2027. Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko said Kyiv will use the saved 20 percent to spend on social welfare and national defense. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the agreement will “help restore debt sustainability and – together with the authorities’ policy reform efforts – will substantively meet the objectives” set by an IMF bailout program. She also appealed to other bondholders to endorse the deal. Russia, one of Ukraine’s main creditors, which holds $3 billion of Ukrainian debt in a Eurobond that falls due in December, said it would not participate in the agreement. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press and Reuters)
MFA reacts to Sentsov sentence
KYIV – In response to the August 25 verdicts and sentencing in the Oleh Sentsov/Oleksandr Kolchenko case, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated, “Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko and other citizens of Ukraine, who today are illegally imprisoned on Russian territory, are political hostages and innocent victims of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. The illegal court decision, based on fabricated evidence, obtained as a result of the use of psychological pressure and physical torture against Ukrainian citizens, has become the final confirmation of the political bias of the Russian court system. Executing political orders from the Kremlin, the court completely ignored the law, in particular ignoring evidence given by the defense of their innocence in the alleged acts. This verdict testifies to the departure of the Russian Federation from principles of impartiality in the investigative process and [departure from] compliance with universal norms of human rights. We demand that the Russian side… immediately release Oleh Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko and all other political hostages. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the international community to publicly condemn this cynical crime against fundamental human rights and increase the political and diplomatic pressure on the Russian Federation with the goal of freeing all Ukrainian citizens, that continue to be illegally held on the territory of the Russian Federation.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Ukraine negotiators call for truce
KYIV – The warring sides in the conflict in eastern Ukraine have agreed to strive for an end to all truce violations from September 1 – the day the new school year is to begin. The OSCE special representative in Ukraine, Martin Sajdik, said on August 26 that the sides “agreed to jointly verify the fulfillment of this initiative.” He was speaking after representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the “separatists” met under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. “Today there is a hope that from September 1 we will succeed fully in ending the firing,” rebel representative Vladislav Deinego said. “At the moment all sides have expressed the intention of abiding by this idea.” A ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk in February has been regularly violated. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press).
Former ministers urge cooperation
LONDON – A group of former foreign and defense ministers is urging Russia and NATO to come up with a set of rules to handle unexpected military encounters. The group of 14 – including former Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Igor Ivanov, ex-German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe, and colleagues from Britain, France, Spain and Turkey – said rules for communication at sea and in the air were paramount. Russia and NATO have both conducted a higher than usual number of military drills because of the crisis in Ukraine, leading to a rise in near misses between rival military jets. “The situation is ripe with potential for either dangerous miscalculation or an accident that could trigger a worsening of the crisis or even a direct military confrontation,” they said in a report published on August 25 by the European Leadership Network. The London-based think tank said it had recorded 66 “close military encounters” between Russian and NATO military forces and between Russia and neutral Sweden and Finland. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters)
State Department: Russia is aggressor
WASHINGTON – U.S. State Department spokesperson J. Kirby on August 24 said it is the “combined Russian-separatist forces” that are the aggressors in Ukraine’s east. He stated: “We remain concerned about violence in eastern Ukraine. Our analysis continues to show and, as I have said before, it is the combined Russian-separatist forces, and not Ukrainian forces, who are initiating aggressive activities. Ukraine’s military posture continues to be defensive. We firmly reject Russia’s efforts to point to Ukraine as the aggressor. There is no indication that Ukraine intends to conduct or is undertaking preparations for offensive operations in their own country, eastern Ukraine.” (U.S. Department of State)
Merkel on Ukraine peace deal
BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says everything must be done to fully implement a ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine. She was speaking in Berlin on August 24 at a joint news conference in Berlin with French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. She said the peace deal reached in Minsk in February “hasn’t been fully implemented and that’s meant that there have been more and more victims.” Mr. Poroshenko reiterated that “there is no alternative to the Minsk process.” Earlier in Kyiv, Mr. Poroshenko marked Ukraine’s Independence Day, warning of the need to act carefully in the next year in the face of “Russian aggression.” More than 6,400 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed militants in Ukraine’s east since April 2014. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and TASS)
Lavrov says U.S. wants to mend ties
MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov says the United States has been sending “signals” that it wants to start repairing ties with Moscow. Relations between Russia and the West are at a post-Cold War low because of Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine. Speaking at a youth meeting near Moscow on August 24, Mr. Lavrov said Russia was open to dialogue, though it would also not “beg” for better relations. “If we receive a proposal to start, even gradually, restoring these channels, mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation that have been frozen by our American partners, I am sure… we will agree to restore these channels,” Mr. Lavrov said. “We are already getting such signals from the Americans, though for now not very clear,” he added. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax)
Children from ATO areas meet pope
VATICAN CITY – On the initiative of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Holy See, on August 19 Pope Francis received at the general audience children from Ukraine who are from the territories of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine. During the meeting, held on the eve of the 24th anniversary of the Ukraine’s renewed independence, the children, some of whom are orphans from the families in the Donbas and ATO soldiers, asked the pontiff to pray for peace in Ukraine and to visit their homeland. They presented him with a painting depicting an Orthodox cathedral against the backdrop of a Ukrainian landscape. “Although we are Orthodox, today’s meeting with the pope is for us a revival of hope for a better future, hope for reconciliation between our people,” the Vatican daily newspaper L’Osservatore Romano quoted the participants as saying. From July 22 to August 28, a group of children from Ukraine affected by the armed conflict in the east was in Italy for rehabilitation and recreation under a joint project of the Embassy of Ukraine and the charitable Catholic organization I Bambini Visti Dalla Luna, based in the Abruzzo region, where they lived with Italian families. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)
SBU eliminates DPR spy ring
KYIV – The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) eliminated a self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) spy network in the Luhansk region. SBU officers detained the organizer, who was trying to recruit law enforcement officers and military men, said Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesperson of the Presidential Administration on ATO-related issues, at the August 23 press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “The pro-Russian agent was personally sending informants to Russia for interviews with Russian intelligence. The detainee was supplying the occupying forces with strategic information regarding the Ukrainian army through this spy ring,” said Col. Lysenko.
He cited a Ukrainian intelligence report which says the militants were planning to commit a series of attacks during Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24. “Militants might be wearing Ukrainian uniforms and preparing to fire at residential quarters of the militant-controlled towns in order to discredit the Ukrainian military and create a favorable picture for the Russian media. They also want to create a pretext for assaulting Ukrainian positions,” Col. Lysenko said. “We call upon all citizens to stay vigilant and not fall prey to the Russian propaganda. Residents of militant-controlled towns must be ready to move to a safe hiding place should militants start shelling.” (Ukraine Crisis Media Center)
Poroshenko urges unity on amendments
KYIV – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on all political forces in the country to support his plans for constitutional change aimed at ending a separatist conflict in the east and defeating the “Russian aggressor.” Mr. Poroshenko used a flag-raising ceremony in Kyiv on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day to call on his coalition allies to overcome their doubts and vote in favor of constitutional amendments that would grant special status to separatist-minded parts of eastern Ukraine. The proposed amendments are scheduled to go to a first vote in Parliament on August 31. But they have split Mr. Poroshenko’s pro-Western coalition to the point that it remains unclear whether the government will be able to gather the necessary 226 votes to send the proposed amendments to a second reading. Several coalition allies are under pressure – particularly from militant paramilitary groups that oppose giving any ground to Russian-backed separatists. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters)
Crimean Tatar leader appeals to leaders
KYIV – On August 22 , Refat Chubarov, head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, issued the following appeal to the presidents of Ukraine and France, and the chancellor of Germany, ahead of their meeting in Berlin on August 24. “On the day of your meeting in Berlin, 542 days will have passed since the world was faced with the fact of an open special military operation of Russia against Ukraine, the result of which was the occupation of Crimea and the continuing bloody conflict in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. For 542 days, Ukrainian society is living in conditions of war of Russia against Ukraine, during which many thousands of people (civilians and soldiers) have been killed, tens of thousands wounded and maimed, 1.5 million have been forced to flee their homes.” Mr. Chubarov also underscored: “In Russian-occupied Crimea, there is a direct threat to the very existence of the Crimean Tatar people – the indigenous people of Crimea… The tragic position of the Crimean Tatar people is worsening from day to day. Repressions against the members of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis continue. …Dozens of young Crimean Tatars were violently abducted, some were later found murdered, the fate of others is unknown. Hundreds of activists of the Crimean Tatar national movement are facing repressions by the occupying administration’s punitive organs. …Human civilization, which in the 20th century endured the mortal threats of fascist and communist regimes, cannot and should not again become the hostage of the irresponsible actions of today’s rulers of the Russian state, who have violated all norms of international law and ignored the right of peoples to freedom and peace. No country or people should be sacrificed to appease an aggressor.” He noted: “The Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar peoples, having survived the catastrophes of the Holodomor and the Deportation, have the right to receive full assistance and support from the international community, of which they are a member. [I ask] that during your meeting in Berlin on August 24 2015, you take effective measures aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty over its entire territory, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Court rejects Moscow trial for Savchenko
ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia – A Russian court has rejected a defense request to move the high-profile trial of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko to Moscow. The Rostov-on-Don regional court ruled on August 21 that Ms. Savchenko – who is charged with providing information that led to the deaths of two Russian journalists – should be tried in a small town near the Ukrainian border. Ms. Savchenko, whose lawyers say she was captured by rebels in Ukraine and smuggled into Russia, had previously gone on a hunger strike to protest her detention, which she says is illegal. International rights groups have called for Ms. Savchenko to be released. Ms. Savchenko’s lawyer, Mark Feygin, tweeted on August 21 that the ruling is an indication that she will be convicted. Mr. Feygin suggested Ms. Savchenko could eventually be exchanged for Russian prisoners in Ukraine. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by the Associated Press and Interfax)
SBU thwarts another ‘people’s republic’
KYIV – The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it arrested pro-Russian separatists who had plotted to create a self-declared “people’s republic” in the Mykolayiv region, spreading anti-Ukrainian propaganda materials on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day (August 24). The separatists stated that this was done “under direct order of Russian security services.” Ukrainian law enforcement detained a number of individuals for passing information on the activities of Ukrainian forces to the terrorists, a Russian terrorist informer and an artillery spotter in the Luhansk region. Police discovered an arms cache close to Starobilsk, which contained an anti-tank guided missile, a machine gun, 1,500 rounds of ammunition of various calibers, 250 grenade launchers, a mine and three machine gun belts which were seized. Law enforcement staff also seized grenades, ammunition and a grenade launcher. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
Costs of ‘nationalization’ of Crimea
KYIV – Russia is conducting illegal “nationalization” of private and state property in the illegally annexed region of Crimea. According to the acting prosecutor of Crimea Nazar Holodnytsky, the costs in damages caused by this illegal activity on enterprises in Crimea by self-proclaimed authorities are close to 50 billion hrv. “We have opened more than 20 proceedings… these court proceedings are related to illegal ‘nationalization’ of enterprises that has been carried out by self-proclaimed authorities on the basis of a decision of the illegal government and the so-called State Council of the Republic of Crimea,” stated Mr. Holodnytsky. “Currently, we are still assessing the approximate amount of damages [while waiting for a response from the relevant ministries and departments], but we can already say it will exceed 50 billion hrv,” he explained. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
U.S. to deploy F-22s to reassure allies
WASHINGTON – The United States will deploy F-22 fighter jets to Europe soon to support Eastern European members of the NATO alliance unnerved by Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, Air Force Secretary Deborah James said on August 24. It would be the first deployment of the F-22 to Europe outside air shows. The Air Force has already been using radar-evading F-22s to carry out some attacks against Islamic State sites, the first real combat air strikes by the jets. “Russia’s military activity in the Ukraine continues to be of great concern to us and to our European allies,” Secretary James told a news conference at the Pentagon. “For the Air Force, an F-22 deployment is certainly on the strong side of the coin.” Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh James said the F-22s’ inaugural deployment in Europe would allow U.S. forces to train with NATO partners across Europe, testing the ability of the jets to communicate and fight together with the Eurofighter and other advanced warplanes. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters)
NATO comments on Ukraine
BRUSSELS – On August 19, NATO’s acting spokesperson issued a brief statement on the situation in eastern Ukraine. It reads: “Today, NATO Allies discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine. Allies expressed their serious concern about the recent sharp escalation of violence. In the discussions, Allies stressed the need for all parties to de-escalate tensions and exercise restraint. They underlined that the focus must be on pursuing a solution through diplomatic means. The full implementation of the Minsk agreements is the path to peace. Russia has a special responsibility to find a political solution. Any attempt by the Russian-backed separatists to take over more of Ukraine’s territory would be unacceptable to the international community. The OSCE monitors must be able to do their job safely and without restrictions. NATO stands firm in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Allies reaffirmed that an independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law, is key to security in the Euro-Atlantic area. NATO will continue to follow the situation very closely. (NATO)
Obama, Merkel discuss Ukraine
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about the recent upsurge in violence in eastern Ukraine, the White House said on August 26. Mr. Obama noted Ukraine’s progress in implementing its obligations under the Minsk agreements, and reiterated that Russia must do the same, according to a White House statement. The statement said the recent violence had resulted from increased attacks by combined Russian-separatist forces across a line of contact established under the Minsk accords. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press)
Seven soldiers killed, 13 wounded
KYIV – A Ukrainian military spokesman said on August 27 that seven servicemen have been killed and 13 wounded in fighting with pro-Russian separatists in the past 24 hours. The casualties were the highest daily losses for the Ukrainian army since mid-July, as violence continues to test a six-month-old ceasefire deal. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters)