EU ministers extend Crimea sanctions
LUXEMBOURG – European Union foreign ministers have prolonged the bloc’s investment ban against Crimea for another year. The sanctions were adopted in 2014 in response to Russia’s illegal annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, and have since been extended on a yearly basis. The measures, which were prolonged on June 19, include an EU-wide ban on imports from Crimea unless they have Ukrainian certificates, a prohibition of the purchase by EU companies of property and companies on the Black Sea peninsula, and a ban on cruise ships flying the flag of an EU member state or controlled by a member state to call at ports there. Goods and technology for the transport, telecommunications, and energy sectors also cannot be exported to Crimean companies or for use in Crimea under the ban. The EU’s economic sanctions that hit Russian banking and energy sector are likely to be discussed briefly when EU leaders meet in Brussels on June 22. EU diplomats told RFE/RL that they believed those measures will be rolled-over for another six months at the end of the month. On June 19 in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Russia considers EU’s sanctions illegitimate. “Moreover, we believe that they harm not only us but the countries that initiated them,” he said. (RFE/RL)
Putin cites ‘excessive demonization’ of Stalin
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the “excessive demonization” of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin “is one means of attacking the Soviet Union and Russia.” Mr. Putin made the comments in the last of four installments of a series of interviews that he gave to U.S. filmmaker Oliver Stone, which was aired on June 15. Mr. Putin said Russia’s critics use Stalin’s legacy “to show that today’s Russia carries on itself some kind of birthmarks of Stalinism.” The Russian president did not elaborate on what he considered to be “excessive” criticism of Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953 and who was responsible for the deaths of 15 million to 30 million Soviet citizens through executions, labor camps, and avoidable famines. In the past, Mr. Putin has praised Stalin as an “effective manager,” and Stalin’s reputation in Russia has been growing steadily since Mr. Putin came to power in 2000. A poll in April by the independent Levada research center found that 25 percent of Russians consider Stalin’s repressions “historically justified,” while another 13 percent said they knew “nothing” about Stalin’s crimes. Forty-seven percent of respondents agreed “it is better to speak less about the repressions and not to dig up the past.” (RFE/RL)
Provision affirms U.S. commitment to NATO
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on June 15 led passage of a bipartisan provision that reaffirms the U.S. commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, particularly NATO’s Article 5, which outlines the obligation of collective defense. “For decades, NATO has been fundamental to America’s national security,” said Sen. Portman. ”From preserving peace and stability and deterring Russian aggression in Europe to fighting alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, NATO remains highly relevant and critical to addressing some of our most pressing national security challenges. A strong NATO means a stronger America, and this important measure sends a message to friend and foe alike about the depth of America’s commitment to our NATO allies.” Sen. Brown stated: “Ohio’s Ukrainian community knows the importance of having a strong relationship with our allies. We must join our NATO partners and be firm in our shared commitment to defending each other, as we have for decades. There must be no doubt about America’s commitment to NATO. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-R-SC) joined Sens. Portman and Brown in offering the amendment. The provision was attached to legislation that cleared the Senate that morning to strengthen U.S. sanctions on Iran. (Office of Sen. Rob Portman)
Mayor told to solve garbage problem
LVIV – Ukrainian lawmakers have stepped up pressure on Lviv’s mayor to resolve the western city’s garbage problem. The Petro Poroshenko Bloc asked Andriy Sadovyi on June 20 to immediately address the issue or step down. Problems linked to the city’s overloaded dump site have been developing for more than a year. Four people died there in May 2016 after being trapped under a huge wave of falling garbage triggered by a fire that lasted for several days. The tragedy was followed by protests against Mr. Sadovyi in Lviv. Also on June 20, the acting director of the Lviv regional department for internal and information policies, Olha Berezyuk, started a hunger strike demanding that Mr. Sadovyi immediately start removing garbage from the dump site. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by UNIAN and Ukrinform)
Opposition activists flee to Ukraine
PRAGUE – Two activists from Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) have fled to Ukraine after state media regulator Roskomnadzor launched investigations against them. Vladislav Zdolnikov, an FBK IT consultant, and activist Aleksandr Brusentsev crossed into Ukraine on June 15. The activists told the BBC that Roskomnadzor suspected them of illegally blocking access to some websites by using a vulnerability of the government’s system for blocking banned websites. Ukraine’s Border Guard Service said on June 15 that two members of Mr. Navalny’s foundation had asked for political asylum. However, the activists told the BBC they had not asked for asylum and were not planning to do so. They said they planned to stay in Ukraine temporarily until the situation around Roskomnadzor’s allegations was cleared up. Mr. Navalny and at least 1,500 demonstrators were detained on June 12 in Moscow and other cities across Russia for participating in a wave of unauthorized anticorruption protests. Mr. Navalny was jailed for 30 days, which an appeals court reduced to 25 days on June 16. (RFE/RL, with reporting by BBC)
Yanukovych trial resumes in Kyiv
KYIV – A court in Kyiv has resumed hearings in the in-absentia treason trial of former President Viktor Yanukovych. Mr. Yanukovych’s lawyer Vitaliy Serdyuk again asked Judge Vladyslav Devyatko to formally request that Russian authorities set up a video-link for his client, who is in Russia. Judge Devyatko rejected the lawyer’s request, saying that the court had ruled earlier that Mr. Yanukovych can take part via any video-link available on the Internet – meaning that a formal request is not needed. Mr. Yanukovych abandoned office in late February 2014 and fled to Russia in the face of protests triggered by his decision to scrap plans for a landmark deal with the European Union and improve trade ties with Moscow instead. Dozens of people were killed when his government attempted to clamp down on the Euro-Maidan protests. Mr. Yanukovych is accused of treason, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and abetting Russian aggression. The preliminary hearings started on May 5 and were adjourned twice as Mr. Yanukovych’s defense continued to insist that the court must formally ask Russia for assistance to set up the video-link. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Thousands rally for gay pride in Kyiv
KYIV – Thousands of gay-rights activists marched in a pride rally in Ukraine’s capital on June 18 amid a massive police presence. According to police, some 2,500 people gathered for the March of Equality in the center of Kyiv, which started near Taras Shevchenko Park and lasted for more than one hour. An estimated 5,500 officers ensured that the event proceeded without disturbance. Police sealed off all roads near the park and also secured exits from the Tolstoy subway station nearby. Participants had initially planned to march down Volodymyrska Street, but the route was changed due to the presence of anti-gay protesters and nationalist activists. Several anti-gay protesters set fire to a rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) community. A counterdemonstration by a few hundred ultranationalists degenerated into scuffles with police in which two officers were injured and six people arrested, Kyiv police chief Andrey Kryschenko said. Police performed security checks among the protesters and confiscated balaclavas, gas canisters, eggs and green paint. Six anti-gay protesters were detained after they attempted to break through the police cordons. Gay-rights activists from Switzerland and Israel also participated in the event. “I am very satisfied with the work of law enforcement,” Ukrainian Vice Minister of Internal Affairs Anastasiya Deyeva told RFE/RL. “I am very satisfied with the atmosphere because the people here are really enjoying some kind of harmony, I would say. We have come here for human rights, we have come here for equality, and it really is great,” she said. The ambassadors of Britain and Canada, respectively, Judith Gough and Roman Waschuk, attended the march in a sign of support for Ukraine’s LGBTI community. Mr. Waschuk told reporters that Canada stands for equal rights. In a statement issued ahead of the march, rights watchdog Amnesty International said that Ukrainian authorities “must not only provide adequate security for the LGBTI marchers at this weekend’s pride event in Kyiv but also address structural causes of discrimination in the country, including addressing impunity for hate crimes, hate speech, and incitement to violence.” Kyiv held its first major pride march last year after a pro-Western government that came to power in 2014 sanctioned such events. Last year’s March of Equality, held on July 12, attracted some 1,000 participants and was guarded by some 5,500 police and 1,200 soldiers from the National Guard. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Naftogaz posts first profit in five years
OTTAWA – Naftogaz Ukrainy, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas holding company, published its 2016 annual report on June 9. The consolidated financial statements were audited by Deloitte. Naftogaz was profitable for the first time in five years and required no support from the state budget for the first time in a decade. Naftogaz paid 74 billion hrv (approximately $2.8 billion U.S.) into the state budget. Naftogaz stated, “The group’s financial result changed dramatically from net consolidated loss of 88.4 billion hrv ($5.6 billion) in 2014 to net consolidated profit of 22.5 billion hrv ($0.9 billion) in 2016. … Transparency and a systemic struggle against corruption are not just attractive catchphrases; they have become key elements of our corporate culture, which, among other things, has made us the biggest user of Ukraine’s corruption beating ProZorro. Since its official launch in 2016, the enterprises of Naftogaz group held 13,000 open bidding procedures in it and saved 8.4 billion hrv (9 percent of the expected cost).” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing)
Suspect arrested in killing of ex-lawmaker
KYIV – Ukrainian authorities say they have detained suspects linked to the assassination of former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov. In a statement on June 16, the National Police said that “investigative steps,” including searches and detentions were conducted in the eastern city of Pavlohrad. The police did not say how many suspects were detained or identify them. Mr. Voronenkov, a former member of the Russian State Duma who defected to Ukraine and became a critic of President Vladimir Putin, was gunned down in broad daylight in Kyiv on March 23. Police said the alleged killer, Crimean-born Ukrainian national Pavlo Parshov, 28, was a secret Russian agent who passed himself off as a Ukrainian soldier. Mr. Parshov died in the hospital after being shot by Mr. Voronenkov’s wounded bodyguard. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called Mr. Voronenkov’s killing “an act of state terrorism by Russia.” Officials in Kyiv have said they believe it was one of a series of killings and attempted killings carried out in Ukraine on behalf of Russian security services. Earlier in June, a man from Russia’s Chechnya region posing as a French reporter shot and wounded a Chechen transplant to Ukraine who fought on Kyiv’s side against Russia-backed militants in eastern Ukraine. The victim’s wife shot the attacker. Last July, Belarusian-born journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed in a car bombing in which authorities claim to have found Russian traces. However, they have not provided evidence to prove that to the public, and police say they are looking into all possibilities. Moscow has denied any involvement in the attacks. (RFE/RL)
Will ex-tax chief stand trial in Britain?
KYIV – British authorities are examining whether Ukraine’s former tax chief, a Ukrainian citizen who may also hold a British passport, committed crimes for which he could be prosecuted in the United Kingdom after a court in Ukraine ignored evidence they provided, according to the British Embassy in Kyiv. Roman Nasirov, the former chief of Ukraine’s Fiscal Service and an ally of President Petro Poroshenko, was arrested in Ukraine on corruption charges in March, a move that was heralded as a landmark win for anticorruption officials in the country’s fight against entrenched graft. But in the ensuing trial, prosecutors have struggled to have all evidence, including that provided by Britain, heard by the Kyiv court. That prompted the British Embassy to take the extraordinary step of announcing on June 16 that it will consider other possible prosecutorial options against the tax chief. “We are deeply concerned about the recent decision in Kyiv’s Solomiansky court, where evidence provided by the U.K. in relation to the case against Roman Nasirov was ruled inadmissible and disregarded,” the British Embassy in Kyiv said in a statement published on its social-media accounts. “The U.K. authorities will now review the facts and consider if criminal offenses have been committed by a British citizen which may be tried in the U.K.” The embassy went on to say that the Nasirov case underscored Ukraine’s “urgent need for progress towards a reformed, independent and transparent judicial system and the swift introduction of specialized anticorruption courts with strictly vetted judges capable of properly trying high-profile corruption cases.” Ukrainian prosecutors accuse Mr. Nasirov, who was removed from his post on March 3, of defrauding the Ukrainian state of 2 billion hrv (about $77 million U.S.) to the benefit of fugitive Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Onyshchenko. Mr. Nasirov has called the case against him “politically motivated” and said he will fight to prove his innocence. His arrest marked the first detention of such a high-ranking current or former Ukrainian official since the country’s pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, was overthrown in 2014, and a pro-Western government came to power. (RFE/RL)
NATO holds maneuvers in Poland
VILNIUS – NATO has held its first war games focused on defending a land corridor along the Polish-Lithuanian border sandwiched between Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Kremlin’s close ally, Belarus. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said on June 19 that the drills sent a “strong message of NATO readiness and commitment to ensure security of the region.” More than 1,500 troops from the United States, Poland, Britain, Lithuania and Croatia took part in the exercises on June 17-18. Fears that Russia could attempt an attack on the Suwalki Gap land corridor surged after Moscow’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, a move that sent East-West relations to their lowest point since the Cold War. The drills were held days after Russia, Belarus, and Serbia held joint military exercises near the Belarusian border with Poland. On June 19, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, and Canada’s Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan launched the Canadian-led NATO battalion in Latvia. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and zerohedge.com)
Semena hopes to steer trial away from ‘politics’
SYMFEROPOL – Crimean journalist Mykola Semena has told RFE/RL that he welcomes the chance to make a straightforward, law-based case for his innocence at a trial he said has so far been dominated by politically charged statements by Russian prosecutors. Mr. Semena, who is fighting what he says is a baseless, politically motivated separatism charge at a trial in Russian-controlled Crimea, spoke before a hearing on June 14. “Up to now, only the prosecutors have been given the floor to talk – and every one of their statements or motions in the trial has had political connotations,” said Mr. Semena, an RFE/RL contributor. “That is why our goal now, as we move to a new stage of the trial, is to turn the process into a legal discussion – so that the opinions were expressed solely based on law, not political ideas.” The defense had been expected to begin making its case at the June 14 hearing, but the judge quickly adjourned the trial until June 21 after a Russian-Ukrainian translator did not show up. Mr. Semena faces up to five years in prison if convicted by Russia, which has jailed several people from Crimea who opposed or have criticized Moscow’s 2014 seizure of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine. The charge against Mr. Semena, 66, stems from an article he wrote for RFE/RL’s Krym.Realii (Crimea Realities) website in 2015. The Kremlin-installed authorities in Crimea have charged that the article called for the violation of Russia’s territorial integrity. Mr. Semena maintains his innocence. He told RFE/RL on June 14 that the defense’s main strategy is based on Chapter 29 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, and on the fact that the legal status of Crimea has been under discussion at an international level. (Crimean Desk, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service)
Imprisoned Crimean Tatar sees dying mother
KYIV – Authorities in the annexed Ukrainian region of Crimea have allowed a leader of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis to see his dying mother. Akhtem Chiygoz’s lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, wrote on Twitter on June 20 that his client was brought to the city of Bakhchysarai to see his mother. On June 15, the Russian-installed High Court of Crimea had rejected Mr. Chiygoz’s request to see his mother, who is reportedly dying of cancer. The decision sparked an outcry from Crimean Tatar activists and human rights defenders. Mr. Chiygoz, who has been held by the Russian authorities since January 2015, is charged with organizing an illegal demonstration in the Crimean capital of Symferopol in February 2014. Lawyers say the accusations are absurd because the demonstration came before Moscow’s illegal annexation of the Ukrainian region in March 2014 and that no Ukrainian laws were violated. Mr. Chiygoz, 52, and two other Crimean Tatars charged in connection with the demonstration – Ali Asanov and Mustafa Degermendzhy – are recognized as political prisoners by Russia’s Memorial human rights group. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and other international organizations have called for their release. (RFE/RL)
Ukraine bars top Russian boxer
KYIV – Ukraine has banned top Russian boxer Georgy Kushitashvili from entering the country for the European Boxing Championships because he had visited Crimea, Ukrainian and Russian officials said on June 14. Mr. Kushitashvili was one of nine members of a 39-member Russian boxing delegation who were barred from entering Ukraine because of unauthorized visits to Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, Ukrainian border authorities told AFP. He was on his way to the European championships that are due to start in Kharkiv on June 16. He was the favorite to win in the 81-kilogram category (light heavy weight). Russia’s boxing federation spokeswoman Vlada Romanova said Ukrainian officers halted her at a checkpoint at the Kharkiv railway station along with Mr. Kushitashvili and they were deported back to Russia. The European championships in Ukraine’s second-largest city are also a qualifying tournament for the world championships, which will take place in Hamburg, Germany, starting on August 25. Russian boxing federation Secretary-General Umar Kremlev told the press that Muslim Gadzhimagomedov will substitute for Mr. Kushitashvili at the European championships. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by AFP, TASS, and Interfax)
Georgian broadcaster ends RFE/RL programs
WASHINGTON – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has been informed that the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) will terminate broadcasts of two of its highly acclaimed television programs as part of a planned restructuring process that critics claim is aimed at silencing independent voices. In letters dated June 5, GPB cited a new season and “plans to introduce new programs” as grounds for terminating broadcasts of two programs produced by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, known locally as Radio Tavisupleba, effective July 17. “Red Zone,” on the air for almost a decade, has sought to confront the country’s Soviet legacy by profiling the life and achievements of cultural figures from the era who are largely unknown in contemporary Georgia. “InterVIEW” is a hard-hitting talk show dedicated to promoting public accountability and vigorous political debate. RFE/RL President Thomas Kent said on June 16 that the decision was “disappointing, as both programs have made an important contribution to public discourse and political development in Georgia.” He said the company is exploring other options, and is optimistic that the shows will continue on other platforms. Numerous professional organizations and democracy promotion groups were quick to criticize the GPB’s announcement. The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics urged on June 14 that the programs be retained, crediting “Red Zone” and “InterVIEW” with offering “diverse content and high journalistic standards to the audiences.” On June 15, five media and democracy advocacy groups issued a joint statement describing the two programs as being “distinguished by their sharp criticism of power verticals and political processes,” and said they “promote the government’s accountability.” (RFE/RL)
Alexievich blasts Russian news agency
MINSK – Nobel Literature Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich says Russia’s Regnum news agency has published an interview with her without her authorization. The interview published on June 19 contains questions by a journalist who confronts Alexievich’s critical views regarding Russia’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and Moscow’s backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine. Ms. Alexievich told RFE/RL on June 20 that she did give the interview to the Delovoi Peterburg (Business St. Petersburg) daily and asked for it not to be published after she realized that the interviewer “behaved not like a journalist, but like a propagandist.” She explained: “As soon as the reporter asked me the first three or four questions, I told him that I refused to answer them and forbid to make the interview public. After his question: ‘Why do you support Ukrainian bandits?’ everything became clear.” (RFE/RL’s Belarus Service)