Ukraine News. Wednesday 19 September. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY HEADLINES:
US Senate passes bill envisaging $250M in assistance for Ukraine's defense.  US Air Force and eight other countries will participate in military exercises in Ukraine.  Trump considers absurd gas trade with Germany and Russia.  In Russia crashed MiG-31 fighter.  Russian model, poisoned at a Salisbury restaurant, blames the entire Russian service and says that it was threatened.  The decision of the National Security and Defense Council to terminate the treaty on friendship with Russia came into force.  Ukraine expects Moscow to reject "elections" in the occupied Donbas.  An aircraft group from the US Navy entered the Mediterranean Sea.  The United States is not going to impose sanctions against Nord Stream-2.  

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The U.S. Senate supported bill on the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.R. 6157), which provides, among other things, for an increase in assistance for Ukraine's security needs to $250 million.

"The U.S. Senate has approved the bill on the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019, previously agreed with the House of Representatives, which provides $250 million in assistance for the needs of Ukraine's security. This is $50 million higher than the budget of 2018 for the relevant programs of support of our state," the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States wrote on social media, Censor.NET reports citing UNIAN.

"As it is noted in the bill, $250 million is allocated, among other things, for military training, the provision of military equipment, lethal weapons and logistics support, the replacement of previously provided weapons or military goods. The list of types of assistance also includes intelligence support for the armed and security forces of Ukraine."

The embassy says the Senate changes need to be approved by the House of Representatives, after which the document will be submitted to the president of the United States, who is to sign it into law.

The federal budget process occurs in two stages: appropriations and authorizations. This is an appropriations bill, which sets overall spending limits by agency or program, typically for a single fiscal year (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 of the next year). H.R. 6157 provides $674.6 billion in total discretionary budget authority for the Department of Defense for fiscal year (FY) 2019. The bill provides $606.5 billion for the Department of Defense base budget, which is an increase of $17.1 billion above FY18 levels, and $68.1 billion for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account to support the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). This funding level is consistent with the National Defense Authorization Act as well as the recently enacted budget agreement.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The next month, "Clean Sky" will conduct multinational military exercises in Ukraine. In particular, the United States plans to send about 450 military bases in the US and Europe.

According to the American defense magazine Stars and Stripes, the purpose of the exercises is to strengthen security in the region, to improve cooperation with NATO member states, reports Cenzor.NET with reference to Voice of America.

The United States plans to send about 450 military bases in the US and Europe, said the spokesman of the United States Armed Forces in Europe (USAF). Nearly 250 people will take part in the training, including pilots and mechanics, and the rest will perform supporting roles.

"Clean Sky" is one of several joint and international exercises that are held in Ukraine this year and aimed at strengthening regional security, the Defense Ministry officials said.

In total, 950 troops are planning to take part in the exercises. In addition to Ukraine and the United States, the military will participate in the exercise of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom.

The training will take place mainly at the Starokonstantinovsky Air Base, located southwest of Kyiv, as well as at other training facilities.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the cooperation between the Air National Guard of California and Ukraine within the framework of the European Partnership's intergovernmental partnership. The California division will be well represented with the F-15C Eagles and C-130J Super Hercules, according to a statement by USAF officials.

Other US planes will be used in exercises, including the F-15D from the 48th RAF Lakenheath Combat Division, England; KC-135s from the National Guard of Illinois and the 100th Refueling Unit in the air; and MQ-9s, which operate from the military air base Myroslavets in Poland.

Additional units from California, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Alaska, Washington, and bases in Europe can also take part, says USAF.

The objectives of the training will be to protect sovereignty in the air, to work on operations such as interception, integration of air and ground operations, aviation mobility operations, medical evacuation by air, cyber defense and the removal of military personnel, the edition notes.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US President Donald Trump called the "gas pipeline from Russia to Germany" North Stream 2 "" absurd "and" inadequate "

He stated this on Wednesday, September 19, in front of a joint press conference with Andrzej Dudu, Poland's president, according to Deutsche Welle, referring to the DPA.

"Germany pays Russia billions of dollars, which we consider to be inadequate," he said.

Trump is not the first to actively criticize the Nord Stream 2. He, in particular, has previously stated that the project's release will only increase the energy dependence of the Central European region from Russia.

"I think this is definitely very bad for the German people. I say it clearly and clearly," DPA reports.

In particular, Tramp also said that Russia was "in full control" over Germany because of gas issues. Duda on the eve also criticized the idea of ​​gas pipeline.

"This is a threat to Russia's absolute domination in Europe, it's obvious to gas supplies," he says. Germany imports only 23 percent of the total gas consumption from the Russian Federation.

-The construction of the North Stream -2 between Germany and Russia causes a lot of criticism both in Europe and within Germany itself.

-Opponents of the North Stream-2 are the United States, Poland and the Baltic States. By the way, the vice-speaker of the Senate of Poland said that only US sanctions could be stopped for the construction of the gas pipeline.

-Ukraine opposes the construction of the gas pipeline and worries about the possible loss of the status of the main transit state for Russian gas in the EU. Chairman of the Board of NJSC "Naftogaz of Ukraine" Andriy Kobolev said that losses for Ukraine could be $3 billion annually.

-We remind that in late July, Nord Stream 2 already started to build the first pipes in Germany as part of the construction of the disputed pipeline North Stream 2.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

On September 19, a MiG-31 fighter was destroyed in the Nizhny Novgorod region (Russia).

This is reported by the magazine "Medusa".

It is known that the plane fell during a planned training flight. Tass writes that MiG-31 fell near the city of Kulebaki. It is reported that the pilots catapulted and came into contact.

Information about the fall of the aircraft was confirmed by the Ministry of Defense. The agency reported that the cause of the accident was a technical malfunction. The plane fell in a desert place and did not cause destruction on the ground, said the RF Ministry of Defense.

Recall that on the night of September 18, when approaching the airfield Khmeimim in Syria, an aircraft of the IL-20 Defense Ministry with a crew of 15 people was shot down.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Anna Shapiro claims that she was poisoned with rat poison because she "turned away from her homeland".

Writes BBC BBC with reference to the newspaper The Sun, reports Censor.NET.

Journalists managed to talk with a couple who was poisoned last Sunday in the restaurant Prezzo, located on Salisbury's central street.

The victim was a model of Russian origin, Anna Shapiro, native of Nizhny Novgorod, who had dined at the restaurant with her husband Alex King.

In an exclusive interview under the heading "Putin tried to kill me with a rat poison," Shapiro tells her version of the event.

Closer to the end of the dinner, tells Shapiro, her husband climbed into the toilet. He did not return for a long time.

Anna Shapiro rose after him and found a man who lay down the floor on the floor of the dressing room. The woman fled to the hall and began to call for help, and soon she became unconscious.

42-year-old King, according to Shapiro, is still in an artificial coma. The woman himself was discharged from the hospital on Monday and, according to the tabloid, is in a hotel with 24-hour security.

Sources of the newspaper in the police believe that the couple could poison the strychnine. Officially, the substance that poisoned the couple have not yet called.

Anna Shapiro is a daughter of a high-ranking military officer who recently escaped from Russia to London. In 2006, she received the citizenship of Israel, and in 2008 moved to live in the UK.

"I am sure that the Russians consider me to be a British spy, Putin's supporters are targeting me, they want me to die, because I'm opposed to Putin and turned away from my country." Russia is capable of everything, "she said.

Recall that Anna Shapiro and her husband Alex King were hospitalized on September 16 from the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury. The next day the police said that Shapiro and her husband had no signs of poisoning with the nerve-paralytic substance "Novichok".

An investigation into the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Julia, continues in the UK.

London is responsible for an attempt on Russia. Because of this, in March, 23 Russian diplomats were deported from the UK.

On September 5, the British Prosecutor's Office named the names of two Russians suspected of attempting an assassination attempt on Sergei and Julia Fiddlers in Salisbury: Oleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. British Prime Minister Teresa May announced: "The suspects in the case are officers of the GRU General Staff of the Russian Federation. The Prime Minister urged the Allies of Great Britain to intensify their joint efforts to confront Russian intelligence.

Mae also said that Britain would support the implementation of existing sanctions on chemical weapons, extending sanctions against Russia and introducing a new regime for EU sanctions against cyberattacks and gross violations of human rights.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Uriadovy Kuryer issued a decree by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

The decree of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of September 6, 2018, "On the treaty on friendship, cooperation and partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation" was published on Wednesday in the "Uriadovyi courier", reports Censor.NET with reference to Interfax -Ukraine.

According to the relevant decree signed by the head of the Ukrainian state on September 17, it will come into force from the day of its publication.

The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and Ukraine was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada in January 1998. The document consolidated the principles of strategic partnership, recognition of the inviolability of the existing borders, respect for territorial integrity and mutual commitment not to use their territory to the detriment of each other's security.

The term of the contract expires on March 31, 2019.

Recall August 28, Poroshenko said that Ukraine plans to break the Treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Russian Federation.

On September 3, he announced his intention to send Russia an appropriate notice on the termination of the contract by September 30.

On September 6, the NSDC of Ukraine supported the initiative of President Poroshenko to refrain from prolonging the Treaty on Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation with the Russian Federation for 10 years. At the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, the President clarified that Ukraine must inform the Russian Federation by September 30 that it will not continue the operation of the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between the countries.

On September 17, the president of Ukraine signed a decree "On the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated September 6, 2018" On the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation".

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Ukrainian side in the Trilateral Contact Group expects Russian representatives to publicly refuse to implement the scenario of "elections" on occupied terrorists in the territories of Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts.

According to censor.NET, a representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of TKG wrote on Facebook, and Iryna Gerashchenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

"Today, meetings of working groups in Minsk. On the eve of the Ukrainian MPs met with the OSCE Representative in the TKG Martin Saydik and paid special attention to the inadmissibility of any fake election that does not comply with Ukrainian legislation on the territory of the ORDLO," Gerashchenko wrote.

Read on "Tsensor.NET": If the world, "Norman format" will agree to elections in the occupied Donbass, then it legalizes "LNR / DNR" - Kuchma

According to her, the deputies urged Ambassador Saidik to raise the issue of the inadmissibility of pseudovisions in the occupied territories in November this year, and also stated that Ukraine expects a public reaction by the Russian Federation on these pseudo-choices, which are in contravention of the letter and spirit of the Minsk Agreements and are working to destabilize the situation and the breakdown of peace talks.

"We expect Moscow and its representatives to publicly condemn the" election "and publicly refuse to implement this Kremlin scenario. We expect that this theme - should be the key to TKG today," said Gerashchenko.

Recall that on November 11, 2018, in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions terrorists appointed "elections" of leaders and "deputies".

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), an airborne strike force of the United States Navy, headed by a nuclear strike aircraft carrier, entered the Mediterranean, planning to launch a number of operations aimed at supporting the Allies.

According to the press service of the American Navy, this is stated in the Censor.NET.

"Operations are being held to continue supporting allies in NATO, European and African partner countries, coalition partners, and the interests of US national security in Europe and Africa," the statement said.

In addition to the aircraft carrier, which carries nine deck aircraft, including helicopters, the group includes the Normandy missile cruiser and several rocket destroyers.


The commander of the Sixth Fleet of the USA, Liza Franchetti, said that while the group is in the Mediterranean, it is planned to work out the "full range of maritime operations".

According to Western observers, at the moment, US Navy forces in the Mediterranean Sea have at least 204 Tomahawk cruise missiles for strike targets in Syria.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US President Donald Trump said his country is not currently considering sanctions against companies that are building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will be located at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Trump stated this during a meeting with Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, reports Interfax.

"We do not consider this possibility," Trump said, answering the question of sanctions against Nord Stream-2.

In addition, Trump repeatedly criticized Germany for increasing energy dependence on Russia through the construction of a new gas pipeline.

"It is very sad for the inhabitants of Germany that this country pays billions and billions of dollars for gas. I can accurately say that the Germans do not like it, "said the American president.

It should be noted that the transit of Russian gas through the gas transit system of Ukraine is one of the largest items of Ukrainian services exports and brings several billion dollars to Ukraine each year. Loss of transit by Ukraine will mean a loss of a significant part of currency earnings . In particular, Russia seeks to abandon transit of gas to Ukraine at the expense of construction of gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine, in particular, "Nord Stream 2".

July 16, US President Donald Trump said that the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Russia threatens the US shale gas market in Europe, making the US and Russia rivals.

Earlier, Trump stated that the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was a catastrophe for Europe.

On July 12, Trump during a NATO Summit press conference said he considers it unacceptable to conclude agreements with Russia in the energy sector.

On September 4, it became known that Gazprom began construction of the Finnish part of the "Nord Stream-2".

On January 31, 2018, Germany allowed the Nord Stream 2 to be built on its territory, and on March 27 it allowed construction .

On May 3, Germany began building a ground part of the Nord Stream-2 , despite the lack of all permits from the countries through which the pipeline would run.

On July 25, work began on laying pipes of the North Stream 2 at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Also, Finland and Sweden have allowed construction of the pipeline "Nord Stream 2" in their economic zones.

Denmark is the only country that has not yet given permission to build the Nord Stream 2.

On the eve of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Europe can not abandon energy cooperation with Russia.

The day before, it was reported that in the US Congress registered a bill on the introduction of sanctions for the construction of the Russian gas pipeline "North Stream 2".

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український