Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Wednesday 19 April. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY

Please scroll to view news items added during the day.

NEWS:
In Ukraine explained why Trump refuses to meet with Poroshenko.  Russia not interested in peace, giving empty promises, - Poroshenko on talks with Putin, Merkel, and Hollande.  ICJ To Issue Ruling On Ukraine Case Against Russia.  Former FSB officer explained why Putin made a fatal attack in St. Petersburg.  SBU prevented provocation on ethnic minority grounds organized by Russia in Odesa.  11 crew members including nine Ukrainians missing as bulker sinks in Black Sea.  

WEATHER:
9c / 47 HI | RealFeel® 6c / 43f
Precipitation 4%
Chilly with periods of sun and clouds

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is due to issue a ruling on Kyiv’s bid to block what it says is Russia's monetary and military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The UN court in The Hague is expected to hand down its ruling on Ukraine's request for provisional measures against Russia is expected to take place at 1 p.m. GMT on April 19.

Moscow seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and has supported the separatists in a war that has killed more than 9,900 people in eastern Ukraine since April of that year.

When it lodged its case in January, Kyiv said that Russia has stepped up its interference in Ukraine's affairs since 2014, "intervening militarily…financing acts of terrorism and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens, including, for all too many, their right to life."

It said Ukraine was seeking "full reparations for...acts of terrorism the Russian Federation has caused, facilitated or supported," citing bombardments of residential areas and the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which killed all 298 passengers and crew.

Ukraine is also calling on the court to stop what it says is "racial discrimination" against Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea since its takeover of the peninsula, which followed the deployment of troops and a referendum denounced as illegitimate by Ukraine, the United States, and a total of 100 UN member countries.

Russian Denials

Ukraine's filing accused Russia of violating the Terrorism Financing Convention and an international treaty against racial discrimination.

It asked the court's 15 judges to rule that "the Russian Federation bears international responsibility" for "acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine."

Moscow rejects the allegations. It has said the terrorism claims are "neither factual nor legal" and argued that the ICJ does not have jurisdiction over the case.

Russia has denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine, despite what Kyiv and Western countries say is incontrovertible evidence....................

rferl.org

Terrorist attack in Metro St. Petersburg on April 3, which killed fifteen people, was made Federal Security Service hands of Islamists of Russia to remove from the agenda the protests in society. This is the opinion of former FSB officer Ilya Bogdanov in an interview with "Observer" .

"The FSB Islamist's hands carried out this attack. Given the possibility of employees through the protection of the constitutional system and the fight against terrorism: Full unlimited use of technology, a wide range of powers plus agents in all of these terrorist groups - all under control," - said Bogdanov.

To confirm his words, he said that none of the Islamist group have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Bogdanov also said that during the study they showed the movie "Blowing Up Russia", in which the Russian secret service accused of terrorist attacks in Russia in 1999.

"We dismantled the 5 th year as an element of subversion against. Western secret services Outline why it is wrong. While it is clear that everything is as it was - the FSB blew up these homes," - he said.

Yesterday April 19, suspected of organizing terrorist attacks in the metro St. Petersburg Abror Azimov denied his confession , but the Basmanny Court of Moscow decided on his detention.

apostrophe.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

US President and Donald Trump and Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in the near future will not happen, because Kyiv refuses to comply with certain requirements the White House. About this in his column on the "apostrophe" written by Ukrainian political analyst Kost Bondarenko.

According to him, the administration of US President Ukrainian side raised a number of conditions that must fulfill Kyiv to Trump meets with Poroshenko.

In particular, it is about giving Kyiv a report on the use of funds received from the US also Ukraine should open all the transactions that made the Democrats. "And there are so many things that Ukraine would not be disclosed because they were super confidential supply of weapons, covert operations associated with the use of other mercenaries in Ukraine. I think publishing such facts today Ukraine is very profitable, and it is not hospitably opens these things, "- said Bondarenko.

Also, according to experts, the Trump do not understand why the United States should be responsible for Ukraine but not Europe?

"The current talk of a possible meeting with President of Ukraine Donald Trump does not have any foundation. As far as I understood, yet that this meeting is not scheduled and it is unlikely to happen in the coming weeks" - said the analyst.

He added that the Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin travels to Washington to prepare not only meeting many lobbyists talk to that promise anyway to arrange a meeting with Trump.

Earlier, surrounded by the President of Ukraine told an interesting signal from the administration of Donald Trump about his meeting with Petro Poroshenko.

apostrophe.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says the talks in the Normandy Four format were 'no compromises, just the rule of force.'

Poroshenko said when delivering speech in the U.K.'s Chatham House, Censor.NET reports citing the presidential website.



"Russians are not interested in reaching peace. They are interested in exerting control. I felt it again this Monday, when together with Chancellor Merkel and President Holland held telephone negotiations with President Putin. It was another display of Moscow's empty promises. It was another display of their attitude: "if you want peace, you can have it: but only on our conditions." No compromises. Just - the rule of force," the president said.

Poroshenko added that Russia violated the Budapest memorandum, of which the U.K. is also the party, as well as " every single piece of our bilateral treaties, in which Moscow recognized and guaranteed Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," including the Minsk agreements.

The president said there was no effective cease-fire, no release of hostages and illegally detained persons, and no access for international humanitarian organizations.

"There is no other party to be blamed for it, but Russia. It continues sending troops, heavy weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. It turns Crimea into the world's biggest military base.
It stays deaf to demands and arguments for peace," Poroshenko said.

"It proves that we have no other way round but to seek peace through strength, not appeasement," the president said.

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

The search and rescue operation is underway in the Black Sea after Geroi Arsenala bulk freighter located 14 nautical miles off the Crimea coast sent a distress signal.

Censor.NET reports citing the statement by the emergency service agency (EMERCOM of Russia) based in Russian-occupied Crimea.

"The first survivor in a life jacket with signs of severe hypothermia was found at 5:34 a.m. and taken aboard Armada Navigator vessel.

"The EMERCOM aviation was also involved in the search and rescue operation: a helicopter with three rescuers on board took off from Rostov-on-Don (the Russian Federation) at 6:57 a.m. to carry out air surveillance. The operation is complicated by severe weather conditions including strong south-west wind gusts up to 20 meters per second and raging storm of force four," the statement reads.

According to the latest update, there were 12 crew members on board the ship including nine Ukrainians, two Russians and one Georgian.

The rescuers are currently examining the coastline between Kerch and Cape Chauda.

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

The Security Service of Ukraine managed to prevent fake protests of allegedly "suppressed Bulgarian minority" in Odesa before Easter that were orchestrated by masterminds from Russia.

This was announced by SBU Chief of Staff Oleksandr Tkachuk, Censor.NET reports citing 112.

The coordinator of the event, who arrived in Odesa from Kharkiv, was subsequently detained. Tkachuk said the provocations were scheduled for April 13.

"The event was organized and financed from the territory of the Russian Federation. The provocation was based on the non-existing problem of alleged oppression of the Bulgarian ethnic minority in Ukraine.

"Russia is aimed at creating an image of constant and focused oppression of ethnic minorities in Ukraine, which is not happening," Tkachuk said.

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

The United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) has upheld the introduction of provisional measures against the Russian Federation to protect national minorities in Crimea.

The ICJ has obliged Russia to refrain from impeding the Crimean Tatar people to conserve its representative institutions and provide the availability of education in the Ukrainian language in occupied Crimea. The decision was delivered by court's President Ronny Abraham, Censor.NET reports citing the court's order.

The court has granted a request of Ukraine to impose provisional measures against Russia under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

According to Abraham, the court has concluded that the Crimean Tatars and ethnic minorities in occupied Crimea remain vulnerable.

"The Court is of the opinion that Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea appear to remain vulnerable. In this regard, the Court takes note of recent reports by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the human rights situation in Ukraine, and of the report of the OSCE Human Rights Assessment Mission on Crimea. The Court considers that these reports show, prima facie, that there have been limitations on the ability of the Crimean Tatars to choose their representative institutions, and restrictions in terms of the availability of Ukrainian-language education in Crimean schools," the court's president said.

In particular, the ICJ ordered the Russian Federation to:

- refrain from maintaining or imposing limitations on the ability of the Crimean Tatar community to conserve its representative institutions, including the Mejlis;

- ensure the availability of education in the Ukrainian language.

On April 19, 2017, the ICJ announced an interim decision on the Ukraine v. Russia case. In particular, the court recognized its jurisdiction as regards the merits of the case. However, it overturned imposing provisional measures against the Russian Federation under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The court also ordered Ukraine and Russia to fully implement the Minsk agreements.

On Jan. 16, 2017, Ukraine filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice to hold Russian Federation accountable for acts of terrorism and ethnic discrimination in the course of its illegal aggression against Ukraine. The lawsuit is based on the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The hearing took place from March 6 to 9 inclusively. Ukraine presented its position on March 6, Russia - on March 7. On March 8-9, both sides presented their objections to each other's positions.

Earlier, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated: "Ukraine will be presenting evidence of Russia's crimes at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The truth is stronger than weapons!" One day into the hearing, Poroshenko noted: "We expect rulings that will cut the supply of weapons to the occupied territory and stop reprisals the ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars are facing."

According to Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine's main goal in The Hague is to protect the life and rights of the Ukrainians. Ukraine had held some 40 meetings with the Russian Federation before filing the lawsuit with the ICJ.

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