Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Saturday 19 November. [Ukrainian sources]

SATURDAY

Please scroll to view news items added during the day.

NEWS:
EU's Tusk stresses Ukraine cooperation in Trump call - France 24.  Trump names pro-Ukraine CIA Director.  Poroshenko questioned for 6 hours on Euromaidan.  EU's Tusk stresses Ukraine cooperation in Trump call.  In St. Petersburg, passed a series of single pickets in support of the Crimean Tatars.  Trump Putin is preparing a nasty surprise.

WEATHER:
Kyiv, Ukraine
7c / 45f HI | RealFeel® 6c / 43f
Precipitation 10%

The winner of the US presidential election, Republican Donald Trump is considering five candidates to head the Pentagon, but the main contender is General Marine Corps retired James Mattis.

According to The Wall Street Journal, called "enemy Putin" because at one time he called Russian aggression against Ukraine in the Crimea and Donbas "much sharper, much more serious" than believe in Washington and the EU, reports "24 channel".

"In the Crimea and Donbas is war. Russia's actions in Ukraine, I think, perhaps, the most dangerous situation with a potential crisis for the entire region" - leads edition of the words Mattis in May 2015.

Mattis also emphasized that the purpose of actions of the Russian president is split NATO.

Also to head the Pentagon claimed the former head of the CIA, General David Petraeus, former adviser to George W. Bush's National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, a retired general Jack Keane and former Senator Jim Talent of Missouri.

ukr.obozrevatel.com In Ukrainian / на українській мові

European Council President Donald Tusk stressed the need for transatlantic cooperation on Ukraine during a phone call Friday with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, an EU source said, according to France 24 citing AFP.

Tusk, the European Union source said, also spoke by phone to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko who has asked for Trump's support against "Russian aggression" following Moscow's annexation of Crimea, France 24 reports. Trump suggested earlier this year the US could accept Russia's annexation of Crimea if it led to improved relations between the two nations, which are bitterly at odds over Syria. "Tusk congratulated Trump on his election, invited him for an EU-US summit and emphasized transatlantic cooperation including regarding Ukraine," the EU source said on condition of anonymity, repeating an earlier invitation............

unian.info

The questioning reportedly took six hours, and was held in the building of the Poroshenko administration, even though initially it had been planned to take place in the Prosecutor's office.

The President had to answer the questions as the prosecutors are conducting an investigation into the events of the Euromaidan revolution and the murders of the protesters, known as the Heavenly Hundred........

uatoday.tv

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has moved to fill some of the top positions in his government by selecting a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director, a national security adviser, and an attorney general, RFE/RL reports.

Trump said in a statement he had chosen Representative Mike Pompeo (Republican-Kansas) to be CIA director, retired General Michael Flynn for the post of national security adviser, and Senator Jeff Sessions (Republican-Alabama) as the country's top prosecutor, according to RFE/RL. The publication notes that Pompeo, who is currently a member of the House Intelligence Committee is known in particular for his statements in support of Ukraine in its resistance to Russian aggression. In April 2014, Mike Pompeo visited Ukraine and then stated that the aim of Russian President Vladimir Putin was to take control over Ukraine. He stressed: "To the degree that we can demonstrate support for the Ukrainian government, we can change Putin's calculus and increase the risk to him and to Russia for moving combat forces closer to Kyiv."................

unian.info

This is the beginning of permanent shares, which hold in a month, organizers said

In St. Petersburg yesterday held a series of single pickets in support of the Crimean Tatars. Reported organization "Solidarity St. Petersburg" on his page in Facebook.

Organizers said that now hold such shares in each month. According to them, the recent law enforcement Petersburg to single pickets are quiet.

"The action we called" Strategy-18", because May 18, 1944 began the deportation of the people of the peninsula. We as the international community believe that Crimea should be considered in terms of the occupied territories. And the reason repressions of Crimean Tatars - it is their collective rejection of occupation of the peninsula"- said co-chair of Olga Smirnova.





ua.112.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor revealed new details about the Party of Regions' slush fund case.

Censor.NET reports citing ZN.ua.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytskyi commented the leakage of "tangible evidence of receiving the money from the Party of Regions' slush fund records by Paul Manafort, a former adviser to Yanukovych, which contributed to the Trump's victory."

"As a prosecutor, I banned the disclosure of any information on the investigation. I do not know where Serhii Leshchenko received it," Kholodnytskyi said.

Answering the question about the scans, published on the NABU website, Kholodnytskyi said: "I asked those questions too, and got no response from the NABU. Though I am a senior prosecutor of the investigation team. I was also surprised to see those scans on the official website... I did not like either when the Minister Arsen Avakov managed to find another four pages. When I asked how could it happen, I did not get any answers."

"Note that Manafort is the only name mentioned in the off-the-book records. And there is no his signature. Tomorrow similar scans may appear, related to Valentina Samar, for three million dollars. Or scans related to Kholodnytskyi or Sytnyk. It is profitable to make such scans now," he added.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor stressed that the first indictments in the Party of Regions' slush fund case may be issued after "the prosecutors and detectives execute the NABU order and gather enough evidence to serve persons with charges of having committed a criminal offense."

"Off-the-book records in itself can not be the evidence base. It should be the starting element confirming illegal enrichment of those who got money," Kholodnytskyi said.

en.censor.net.ua In Ukrainian / на українській мові

During Pres Obama’s good-bye meeting with major EU leaders it was agreed to go on with economic sanctions against Russia until Moscow complies with the Minsk accords.

It follows that Putin’s cherished dream of the West lifting its sanctions is just a dream. Russian companies badly need credits to cover their debts since in 2017 many state-run Russian companies will go bankrupt. 

The bankruptcy will happen against the background of waning Russia’s state reserves, making it a hard time for Putin.

Now Putin will have to convince Donald Trump that Russia is the best ally to fight ISIS.

Will Putin be able to pull it over? Sanctions remain an important part of the European solidarity. It is unlikely that the new US administration will sacrifice this solidarity for the sake of Putin, the journalist says. 

The Russian president had already tried to cheat Barak Obama and prove that he is the best ally to fight Islamic terrorism. It all ended up in Russia bombing Aleppo residents, not ISIS positions, as Putin is interested only in propping up Bashar Assad, not in destroying ISIS.

Still, Putin will again try to sell the idea to Donald Trump, Vitali Portnikov says.

zik.ua