Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Tuesday 21 February. [Ukrainian sources]

TUESDAY

Scroll to view news added during the day.

NEWS:
Russian media accused US journalist from BuzzFeed in the death of Churkin.  Yanukovych Trump wrote a letter to the "truth" about Maidan.  The revolution must continue. The SBU told how Russia incites to mass demonstrations in Ukraine.  Savchenko asks Rada to strip her of parliamentary immunity.  Over 9,800 Ukrainians killed, about 23,000 wounded since Russia launched its hybrid campaign against Ukraine.  Ukraine would never compromise on Crimea, - Speaker Parubiy on ‘MP Artemenko’s plan’.  Ukraine did not block statement on Churkin's death in UN Security Council. The situation was different. Russian Foreign Ministry claims Ukraine blocked UN condolences on Churkin’s death. The Court of Vienna allowed to Firtash extradition to the US.

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The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that Ukraine has allegedly vetoed the statement by the U.N. Security Council presiding state regarding the death of Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the U.N. Vilaly Churkin.

As reported by Censor.NET, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook.

"Ukraine has vetoed the adoption of the statement by the state presiding in the U.N. Security Council on Vilaly Churkin. That's what the current Ukrainian 'authorities' are: they can do nothing good, only spoil everything to everyone, including themselves," she wrote.

Churkin was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital in serious condition and pronounced dead at 10:55 a.m. on Feb. 20

He has served as Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations since April 8, 2006.

The deceased Russian diplomat is known by numerous meetings of the U.N. Security Council triggered by Russian aggression in the Donbas, Crimea's occupation and violation of human rights on the peninsula. During these meetings, Churkin was repeatedly charged with false statements and manipulations of facts.

The deaths of Russian diplomats have become frequent recently. Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin died on Jan. 26. Russian diplomat Andrei Malanin was found dead in his apartment in Athens on Jan. 9 as the Russian embassy cited natural causes.

On Dec. 9, a 22-year police officer shot dead Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov at the photo exhibition "Russia Through the Eyes of the Turks" in the Turkish capital Ankara.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Russian delegation in the U.N. Security Council wanted the head of the U.N. SC Volodymyr Yelchenko to adopt a political statement on sudden death of Russian Envoy Vitaly Churkin. However, the Security Council issued a traditional press statement nstead.

This was announced by press officer of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa in a commentary to LIGA.net, Censor.NET reports.

"The situation was different. The Russians wanted a separate statement issued by the head of the U.N. SC regarding the death of their ambassador," Betsa said.

She explained that there had been no precedents before, so the SC issued a regular statement on Churkin's death for the media.

"We haven't blocked anything; only a press statement has been made as it was done earlier in similar cases. The cases were a few... However, no precedents of a separate political statements have been recorded," she said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that "Ukraine has allegedly vetoed the statement by the U.N. Security Council presiding state," which is Ukraine again, regarding the death of Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the U.N. Vilaly Churkin.

The UN SC is currently presided by Ukraine's Envoy Yelchenko.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Former President Viktor Yanukovych is preparing a letter to the current president of the United States Donald Trump, which declare that "really happened" in Ukraine in 2014

This was the TV channel "Russia 1" said the former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko times Yanukovych.

"I know that Yanukovych is preparing a letter. And the Trump name and the heads of European states, which explains what really happened," - said Zakharchenko.

Meanwhile Zakharchenko said that while there was euromaidan "coup supported by European politicians and officials of the United States."

espreso.tv/news, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Russian "Komsomolskaya Pravda" has linked the death of Russian Vitaly Churkin UN representative article on portal BuzzFeed, which dealt with the suspicious death of an employee of the Embassy of the Russian
This is stated on the website of the Russian "KP".

Russian journalists citing sources in the office of the UN claim that the alleged Churkin worried and indignant article by American journalist Ali Watkins, who conducted his own investigation on the death of an employee of the Russian Consulate General in New York during the presidential elections in the US.

"How it could affect the health of the diplomat, who was always at the forefront of confrontation between Russia and the West? It is better not to know. According to US media, Vitaly Churkin, died of a heart attack on the job" - pointedly wrote "KP".

-Recall that in New York died Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vitaly Churkin.

-Russian journalist Yulia Latynina said that Vitaly Churkin lost consciousness and needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation after an emotional telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin.

espreso.tv/news, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

The Russian Federation started its disguised military campaign against the sovereign state of Ukraine on Feb. 20, 2014. Over 9,800 Ukrainians have been killed, about 23,000 have been wounded, and almost 1.8 million have been displaced since then.

As reported by Censor.NET citing the statement by the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, three years have passed since the treacherous attack by the neighboring state, despite its commitment to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, as well as its status of one of the guarantors of security and territorial integrity of Ukraine according to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

Although the Revolution of Dignity clearly reconfirmed the aspirations of the Ukrainian people to build European, democratic and prosperous Ukraine, the Kremlin responded by attempting to deprive Ukrainians of the right to define their future on their own. Russia launched a well-planned military operation, which resulted in the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as well as bloodshed in the Donbas.

Thereby Russia has challenged the value-based world order in a try to revive the geopolitical thinking of the past with domination of the rule of force and spheres of influence.

T he appalling number of victims highlights the immorality of Kremlin's war against the Ukrainian people: over 9,800 Ukrainian people were killed, about 23,000 were wounded and almost 1.8 million persons were internally displaced. 7.2 percent of Ukrainian territory has been seized by Russia and millions of the citizens of Ukraine live there under occupation and endless terror. Russia persists in sending new fighters, weaponry and ammunition to Ukraine through the section of the Ukrainian-Russian state border of 409.7 km long, which remains out of control of the Ukrainian government.

Occupied Crimea, closed for any form of international control and monitoring, is now an area for constant violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, targeting, first of all, the Ukrainian activists and the indigenous people of Crimea - Crimean Tatars. The citizens of Ukraine are being groundlessly detained and imprisoned, activists are being abducted, their families and friends are facing intimidation. The Mejlis, a representative body of the Crimean Tatar people, was banned.

Russia continues to fuel the conflict in the Donbas, sends regular troops and mercenaries to the territory beyond control of the Ukrainian government and keeps reinforcing its militants and terrorists with the sophisticated weaponry and military hardware.

Russia remains unwilling to implement the Minsk agreements thus undermining all efforts taken by Ukraine and the international community towards deescalation and stabilization in the region. Moscow's propaganda has no limits to lie, falsification and doublespeak. Human life has no value for the aggressor. Besides their actions in Ukraine, the Russian agencies were regularly spotted interfering in the internal affairs of other sovereign states. The aggressive policy of the Russian Federation pose threat to the entire world order.

We are grateful to all partners for their strong support and solidarity. By adopting the UN General Assembly Resolutions "Territorial integrity of Ukraine" and "'Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)" the world has clearly said "no" to violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of an independent state, condemned the occupant and reconfirmed its human rights commitments. Personal and economic sanctions have been a powerful demonstration of the unity of the world leading countries in response to the outrage and defiance of international law by the aggressor state.

The only dignified response by the international community, which has no alternative, will be maintaining solidarity with Ukraine in countering the Russian aggression by strengthening political, diplomatic and economic pressure on the aggressor state. Russia must fully implement its commitments on peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Donbas as a signatory of the Minsk agreements, put an immediate end to violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the occupied territories, release all hostages and political prisoners, de-occupy the Crimean peninsula. It is only Russia's return to the tenets of international law that will ensure peace and stability on the European continent and will lift the threat of chaos and domination of force in the international relations.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Attempts to convince Western partners that Ukraine may compromise on Crimea are a part of a purposeful campaign inside and beyond Ukraine attempted to provide legal grounds or give a legitimate reason for presence of the Russian invaders in the country.

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andrii Parubii told a briefing, Censor.NET reports citing the press service of the People's Front Party.

Parubii commented on MP Andrii Artemenko's proposal to lease Crimea to the Russian Federation in exchange for the Donbas de-occupation.

"I think Artemenko is not the one who is actually behind this campaign. I welcome the decision of Liashko's Radical Party faction to expel this person, and I believe it ('Artemenko's plan' - Ed.) is an element of a purposeful campaign launched in Ukraine and abroad to try to provide legal grounds or give a legitimate reason for the occupiers' presence in Ukraine's territory," the speaker said.

"On Feb. 20, when we were standing on the Maidan in front of the bullets, the first Russian spetsnaz started entering Crimea, and it is hard to imagine how it would have ended if the Maidan was defeated. The occupation began in Crimea and the de-occupation will also end there. Crimea will be liberated, it will be returned under the legitimate control while such provocations and attempts to persuade the Western partners that Ukraine seeks compromise on Crimea are not consistent with the reality," the Verkhovna Rada chairman said.

"Our position is clear and firm: the Russian invaders must leave both territories of the occupied Donbas and Crimea, and this stance of the Ukrainian authorities is going to remain unchanged," Parubii summed up.

As reported by The New York Times, Artemenko offered an alleged action plan to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict to Michael Flynn, the former U.S. president's national security adviser. The plan stipulates the withdrawal of all Russian forces from eastern Ukraine and the launch of an all-Ukrainian referendum to decide whether Crimea could be leased to Russia for a term of 50 or 100 years.

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Collegium of the Supreme Court of the land of Vienna after three hours of hearing the appeal the prosecutor's office approves the extradition of Dmitry Firtash in the United States.

This journalist Sergey Shcherbina said in his Facebook.

"The court allowed the appeal and decided that the extradition to the United States is allowed to Firtash", - wrote Shcherbina.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Nadiia Savchenko has applied to the Verkhovna Rada procedural committee, asking to consider the issue of stripping her of parliamentary immunity and put a corresponding decision to the vote in parliament.


TRANSLATION: The third anniversary of our Independence Square. It is time to fulfill its policy without PROMISES Third Square! Making your first PROMISES: I vidmovlyayusya by deputy nedotorkannosti. I urge all people's deputies of Ukraine, President of Ukraine and Ukrainian judges do the same. н.с.

"[It is] the third anniversary of the Maidan. It is time for politicians to keep their promises without [waiting for] a third Maidan! Fulfilling the first promise: I'm giving up parliamentary immunity," Savchenko wrote on Facebook, adding a photo of her application. She called on all lawmakers, the president and judges to follow her example.

unian.info

Representatives of the Russian special services inciting activists of Ukraine in the mass protests, which are listed as a continuation of the Revolution Advantages
This was at the briefing said the head of the SBU Basil Hrycak, reports Espreso.TV .

"Recently intelligence agencies intercepted a conversation the representative of the so-called Ministry of Foreign Affairs" DNR "Konstantin Dolgov representative of Russian special services Alexander Churindinym. Dolgov until 2014 lived in Odessa and was active Antymaydan. Now he is wanted on suspicion of treason," - said Hrycak .

According to him, the intercepted conversation was about "mass action from 20 to 23 the number of" incitement and seemingly revolutionary sentiment.

"Revolution of dignity continues. This is the main appeal. I will have to further appeals. These measures, that in fact it will happen, it is necessary to increase the number and so on. To thousand to two thousand. This bubble must inflate. I must say that they ( activists - Ed.) put demands that the revolution continues, "- said in a post representative of Russian special services.

Dolgov said that he heard his companion and prepares material on the subject.



espreso.tv, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with U.S. Senator Richard Durbin and U.S. Congressman Michael Quigley.

Censor.NET reports citing the Bankova press service.

The parties discussed the enhancement of strategic partnership between Ukraine and the U.S. and steps to oppose Russia's aggression.

The head of state praised the firm and consistent bipartisan support for Ukraine rendered by both houses of Congress.

Poroshenko dwelt on the current escalation in the Donbas, the ongoing provocations and cease-fire violations on the part of Russia-backed separatists.

Special attention was paid to the necessity of preserving and expanding international sanctions against Russia until the Minsk agreements are fully implemented and Ukraine restores its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the Crimean peninsula.

The progress on the path of Ukraine's reforms was also discussed.

The Ukrainian president underscored the importance of passing bills and resolutions in support of Ukraine by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові