Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Friday 25 September. [Ukrainian sources]

FRIDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the course of the day

News -
Putin attacked Ukrainians 4 times yesterday.
Update at 1300. I soldier injured at Avdeyivka.
Update at 1900 - sadly soldier attacked by Svoboda at the Rada died - the fourth to die. The grenade attack. Not condemned by Tiagnibok or Putin.
Putin and his terrorists now throwing out all UN agencies from Lugansk. Expect Donetsk to follow.
That doesn't sound good. Transdniestr. Putin doesn't want foreigners in the area.
Just his "Shaun Walker" journalists to "observe" the Putin elections - and life beyond.

Gas price for winter. Russia says $227.40 agreed. If so - a good price I think. A fair market price. That will help Ukraine a lot.

Weather -
Slowly getting cooler now. Some thunderstorms last night. Rain in places.
Highs in the mid-20s again today, but only in the mid-teens by next week - forecast.

http://www.ukrinform.ua/ukr/news/sogodni_u_bryusseli_sprobuyut_pidpisati_gazoviy_zimoviy_paket_2099405
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Can they agree on a price?
Russia wants 250. Ukraine nearer 220. Tymoshenko would agree to 400.

http://business.vesti-ukr.com/116265-ukraina-zanimaet-trete-mesto-v-mire-po-proizvodstvu-meda
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You get so many different types of honey here - wonderful.

9:55
http://censor.net.ua/news/353419/chetvero_voinov_22go_motopehotnogo_batalona_podorvalis_na_mine_okolo_popasnoyi_ovga
So, on September 23 at 15.00 at the time of verification of field roads in the forest near the village district of Crimean Novoaydarsky of undermining the anti-tank mine killed soldier born in 1994. Two other soldiers were wounded. Reported Tsenzor.NET reports
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2 days' ago. Casualty figures were reported yesterday. 1 dead, 2 injured here. Young men.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/29631693/ukraine-rebels-ban-10-western-health-relief-groups/
Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine's pro-Russian rebels in the separatist Lugansk region on Thursday banned 10 Western health relief groups for "grave violations" of local laws.
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Just like Putin in Russia. Removing all foreigners.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/25/us-usa-russia-meeting-white-house-idUSKCN0RO24H20150925
The two camps also differed over who called for the meeting. The Kremlin said it was organized "by mutual agreement," but Earnest said it was being held at Putin's request.
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Western leaders have boycotted Putin over his invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
The only scumball to break this code was the Greek PM. No surprise there. The Greeks are real scumballs. They still haven't verified the Association agreement.
They have no morals, and simply will do anything for money.
Obama seems to be the same. He is going against the code established by the more civilised countries in the world.
"Peace for our time" ? Chamberlain, the sequel? This in 1938...



N.B. It is often misquoted as "peace in our time", which had appeared long before in The Book of Common Prayer .... [wiki]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/24/obama-vladimir-putin-un-general-assembly?CMP=share_btn_tw
But soon after the meeting was announced, apparently contradictory remarks from Washington and Moscow emerged on the encounter’s genesis and purpose.
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Not a bad write-up for The Guardian. But from Luhn, the American guy in Moscow, not Kremlin scumball Shaun Walker or Seumas Milne.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11889645/Russia-preparing-air-strikes-on-Isil-if-US-does-not-back-deal-to-keep-Assad.html
Mr Putin is understood to have told America that he is prepared to authorise unilateral Russian air strikes on Isil targets if the US does not back his plans to take on the jihadists while allowing Assad to remain in power.
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Putin clearly dictating what will happen to his American puppets in The White House.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-plans-36-billion-food-stamp-program-as-poverty-rises/535333.html
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About 16% of Russians living below the poverty line. Why don't Shaun Walker and Seumas Milne write about this? Kremlin scumballs.
They only write articles using the words "Ukraine", "nazi", and "fascist".

13:06
http://tyzhden.ua/News/147205
During the last day in the zone of ATO none of Ukrainian soldiers killed, one injured fighter. This was announced during a briefing Presidential Administration spokesman for the ATO Andrey Lysenko.
"For the past day killed as a result of fighting among our military there. One was injured at Avdiyivka" - he said.

http://zn.ua/UKRAINE/v-ukraine-zafiksirovali-srazu-dva-temperaturnyh-rekorda-189848_.html
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highest temp for yesterday. 24 Sept. Reached 30 in Ukraine. Also highest average for that day.
Much cooler by middle of next week.
But may still be the hottest September ever in Ukraine. Or close to, I would think.

13:34
http://znaj.ua/news/culture/20422/zamist-suster-live-na-1-1-pokazhut-film-pereviznik-.html
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Super news.
Anything is better than watching the Yulia Tymoshenko appreciation society, called Schuster Live.
Tom and Jerry any day!
Frankly, Ukraine at a time of war needs less of the constant criticism of the government or president by people who are in the pocket of the opposition.
It is well known that Schuster aka Tymoshenko hate Poroshenko and will do everything possible to remove him from power, even if it means Putin taking over.

14:23
http://novosti.dn.ua/details/260289/
"Yesterday, in the territorial waters of Ukraine at a distance of 4 nautical miles from the coast Belosarayskoy braid border was fixed mini squadron of the Black Sea Fleet, which included warships, minesweepers and small surface vessels," - said in a statement.
According to the press officer of the "Defense of Mariupol" squadron to carry out certain acts of provocation, but after work Ukrainian maritime border guards withdrew from the location. Scouts believe that the vessel carried out exploration and studied the reaction of the Ukrainian side.

14:26
http://hvylya.net/news/exclusive/iz-dnr-i-lnr-na-kontroliruemuyu-ukrainoy-territoriyu-zavozyatsya-falshivyie-dengi-lyisenko.html
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Dodgy people trying to change it into dollars or rubles. Particularly in Dneprpetrovsk.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-sets-gas-price-for-ukraine-ahead-of-brussels-talks/535351.html
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on Thursday, setting the gas price for neighboring Ukraine, hours before talks on a so-called winter package between the two countries are due to begin in Brussels.
The decree says that the gas price for Ukraine is set at a level equal to those for the European Union's countries that border Ukraine. But Russia has not revealed the price for the package, which lasts from Oct. 1 until Dec. 31.
Ukraine has said that $220 per 1,000 cubic meters was an acceptable price for supplies from Russia, while Russia has said $250 is more appropriate.
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So much for negotiations.
What if the current price for Europe is higher than the current market price?
Doesn't give a price.
This in a different article -

Gazprom has said its average 2015 price for EU companies with long-term deals is $235-$242 per tcm.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/eu-gas-talks-on-friday-could-seal-ukraine-supply-deal/535360.html
So much for my prediction of 233...

The Prosecutor General’s Office is covering up corrupt officials and undermining reform in Ukraine, US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt said, addressing a financial forum in Odesa Sept. 25, European Pravda reports.

“There is a glaring problem which threatens the good work done by regional leaders in Odesa, Kharkiv, Lviv and other cities to better the business climate. The problem jeopardizes everything the government and Rada is doing to implement political and economic reforms in the country – the refusal of PGO to curb domestic corruption. Instead of supporting the reforms, corrupt PGO officials do everything to openly undermine the reforms,” Ambassador Pyatt said.

“They regularly stall the efforts to investigate and punish the corrupt officials in the PGO. They coerce and disrupt the efforts of those honest prosecutors who want to reform the PGO,” the ambassador added.

The United States highly value the work of the newly created department in the PGO headed by David Sakvarelidze and Vitali Kasko, he said.

“Their investigations of the corruption within the PGO have sent a clear signal that corrupt officials will be prosecuted,” Pyatt said.

The recent exposures of corrupt high-level prosecutors have shown that PGO is stalling any investigations, he said.

For instance, in the case of ex-environment minister Mykola Zlochevsky the UK authorities arrested $23 mn of illegal assets. The UK requested PGO to provide the documents to support the arrest, the ambassador said.

Instead, PGO sent an appeal by Zlochevsky’s lawyers saying there is no investigation going on in Ukraine. As a result, the UK government lifted the arrest and soon the money have been transferred to Cyprus, Pyatt said.

zik.ua

A National Guard serviceman has died at the Interior Ministry Central Hospital, who was injured during clashes outside the Verkhovna Rada on August 31.

This official representative of the National Guard of Ukraine Svitlana Pavlovska made a statement, Ukrinform reports.

"The fourth serviceman injured outside the Verkhovna Rada on August 31 named Bohdan Datsiuk has lost his life. He had very serious injuries, open head injury, multiple shrapnel wounds of the neck and head. He had been on a defibrillator. Every day doctors fought for his life, but his wounds were not compatible with life," she noted.

In general, she said, about 30 wounded servicemen are being treated in a hospital, but there are some victims who are care for as outpatients.

time-ua.com

“…Putin’s Russia is an increasingly unhappy place where ever more despicable things past and present are being justified or even presented as positive goods.”

By Paul Goble* for “Window on Eurasia”:

September 24 – The great Russian memoirist Nadezhda Mandelshtam once observed that “happy is that country in which the despicable will at least be despised.”  On that measure, Putin’s Russia is an increasingly unhappy place where ever more despicable things past and present are being justified or even presented as positive goods.

In a commentary on a Russian-language site in Latvia now more widely distributed by a Moscow one, Yury Alekseyev argues that Stalin’s deportation of nations, including the Crimean Tatars, was justified and less cruel than any alternative or of similar actions by others.

This goes back to the pre-perestroika Soviet treatment of these criminal acts, a dangerous development at a time when some Russian writers and politicians seem prepared not only to challenge more honest assessments of historical events but all too ready to provide what can only be described as justification for similar actions in the future.

“To say that the leadership of the USSR consisted of fools is possible,” Alekseyev says, “but this is not so. Fools don’t win wars.” Moreover, to ascribe to Stalin “cruelty and vengefulness” in the case of deportations is inappropriate because removing peoples from near the front likely to help the enemy is the normal “military practice of all countries in the world.”

According to the Russian commentator, Stalin was not as cruel and bloodthirsty as others including the Turks and the Austrians during World War I. Instead of simply killing such people as they did, he simply shifted them to other parts of “the enormous territory of the USSR” because he wanted to use their work for the war effort,

The deportation of Crimean Tatars to Uzbekistan in 1944 shows this, Alekseyev says.  The Crimean Tatars were pro-German from the outset and provided Hitler with “more than 20,000” soldiers. Moreover, “the number of Crimean Tatars per capita who pledged allegiance to Hitler was a record in World War II. This is a fact,” he says, although it is hardly indisputable.

After Soviet forces retook Crimea, the German command left the Crimean Tatars behind in order to engage in partisan warfare and tie down Soviet military units, Alekseyev continues. Given their hostility to Soviet power, “the Crimean Tatar population was ready to support its partisans for a hundred years.”

In such circumstances, he asks rhetorically, what could Stalin do? He might have left several Soviet divisions on the peninsula and used them over the course of “many years” to suppress the partisans. But that would have meant taking those divisions out of the frontlines fighting the Germans................

To read further go to this link: ukrainebusiness.com.ua

http://economics.unian.ua/energetics/1134583-rosiya-nazvala-ostatochnu-tsinu-gazu-dlya-ukrajini-2274.html
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If true, better than I expected. Russia was initially asking for 250, and Ukraine 220.
Remember oligarch Tymoshenko "negotiating" 400 or 425 with Putin! No wonder she could buy 10,000 dollar hand-bags in Paris!
The stink of corruption around that woman. And Kyivpost simply sang her praises... Something wierd there too. Kuzio and his Tymoshenko-adoration society.

http://censor.net.ua/news/353558/sud_arestoval_ekskomandira_berkuta_po_podozreniyu_v_prichastnosti_k_izbieniyu_aktivistov_evromayidana
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Now - will he say who gave the order to beat up and kill protestors, or just keep his mouth shut?

http://gordonua.com/news/worldnews/Putin-vstretitsya-s-Ollandom-i-Merkel-2-oktyabrya-99434.html
"In addition to the talks in the" Norman "format, which will consist of the actual negotiations and working lunch leaders planned and two bilateral meetings with Merkel and Hollande," - he said.
At the same time Putin aide said that a separate meeting with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is not planned.
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Putin will want to discuss
a) the gas pipeline to Germany via the Baltic, avoiding Ukraine, and
b) more warships from France.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/25/us-ukraine-crisis-airlines-idUSKCN0RP17O20150925
Kiev said last week it was imposing restrictions on more than 90 companies or groups, mostly from Russia, and including airlines Transaero (TAER.MM) and Aeroflot (AFLT.MM), the national flag carrier.
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Agree with this.
So shortly Russia will retaliate and ban Ukrainian airlines, but no major problem there.
But - there is a lot of traffic between Kiev and Moscow, and St Petersburg. So now what? Train is typically overnight...
Fly via... Warsaw? Istanbul? Riga? Helsinki?
Just checked UIA site. They fly 3 times a day to Moscow, but one is a codeshare with s7 - a Russian airline. Twice a day to St P.
Several thousand people a week flying between Russia and Ukraine...

Ukraine’s 7 month positive balance of foreign trade in agricultural goods stood at $5.6 bn, Minister for Agriculture Olexy Pavlenko wrote in Facebook Sept. 24.

“Sugar is the major earner, with sales growing by 100 times – from $361,000 to $37.7 mn,” the minister wrote.

In seven months of 2015, Ukraine imported $2.2 bn worth of food, which is 45.5% down on the same period in 2014, the minister said.

zik.ua

The on-going food blockade of the peninsula may have dire consequences for its residents, Russian expert Dmitri Oreshkin says in an article for Apostrof Sept. 24.

“It is so handy to use the unrecognized enclave [the self-proclaimed republics – Ed.] to tighten the screw on Ukraine. Of course, this falls short of Putin’s big plan to make a land passage to Crimea and TransNistria,” he said.

“That is why there will be some rough going for Crimea, especially if Crimea Tatars continue the blockade. The bridge to Russia will take years to build.

Meanwhile, Ukraine supplied 4/5th of vegetable, fruit and other food. If the supply is cut the results may be very sad,” the expert said.

zik.ua

No matter what the true percentage of Crimeans wanted to become a part of Russia, there was a majority. So they should be reaching out to the Kremlin who's suppose to be supporting them. Seems they aren't and expect Ukraine to pick-up the slack. Now they're paying the price for their decision. Why should it inconvenience Ukriane?

Why should Ukraine continue paying the cost?

The Radical Party leader Oleh Liashko attempted to put a fight with prosecutors before the appeal hearing regarding arrest of his fellow party member Ihor Mosiichuk.

This is reported by Censor.NET citing Ukrainska Pravda.

Read more: Mosiichuk continues hunger strike and demands seeing Shokin, - lawyer

It is reported that Liashko attacked prosecutors Mykola Nalyvaiko and Serhii Kapyshyn saying "I will get you, b*tch."



According to a source, there had been no obvious reasons for such behavior. The MP was stopped by police officers.



In his turn, Mosiichuk said he had not authorized his lawyer to file the appeal. He added that he would recall the appeal and asked to reschedule today's hearing for another date.

As reported earlier, on Sept. 17 the Verkhovna Rafa of Ukraine agreed to the Prosecutor's Office request to charge and detain MP Mosiichuk.

The deputies were demonstrated a hidden-camera video showing Mosiichuk discussing business issues solutions for money.

After some time, he was arrested in the parliamentary building.

According to Prosecutor General's Office, Mosiichuk is suspected of conducting criminal offences under five articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On Sept. 18, Pechersk District Court of Kyiv came to a decision to keep Mosiichuk under arrest until Nov. 15, 2015.

censor.net.ua In Russian

It was relatively calm in the M sector yesterday. Active redeployment of equipment and maneuvers by the enemy are noted, but no provocative activities have been recorded.

This was announced by the Mariupol Defense HQ press service, Censor.NET reports.

Yesterday, a small fleet of the Russian Navy consisting of combat ships, mine-hunting ships, and small surface ships was recorded by border guards in national waters of Ukraine, four nautical miles from Bilosaraiska Kosa shore.

The fleet was conducting certain provocative activities. After counter-actions by Ukrainian coast guards, the enemy's vessels left their dislocation. There was no threat of invasion in direction of Mariupol. Possibly, the enemy was conducting reconnaissance and studying the Ukrainian party's reaction to the ships' invasion into national waters of Ukraine.

The situation has been immediately taken charge of by coast guards.

Ukrainian border troops have means to repulse the enemy from the sea direction in case of possible aggression from the water. Recently, training was conducted on how to mine maritime zone, how to guard it, and how to repulse possible assault landing. Such training is conducted on a regular basis. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has enough professionals of the relevant expertise to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity from the sea.

censor.net.ua In Russian

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine have made the decision in accordance with the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to ban flights to Ukraine of Russian airline companies, including Aeroflot and Transaero, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said.

"We have made the decision to ban flights by Russian airlines, first and foremost by Aeroflot and Transaero to Ukraine, the government said on Twitter quoting Yatseniuk at a cabinet meeting.

Additionally, according to the government's press service, Ukraine is also banning transit flights of Russian airline companies through Ukrainian airspace, "if they contain military combat equipment, duel purpose equipment, or, Russian military personnel," he said.

Yatseniuk also ordered the message to be relayed to the Russian side.

"Russian planes with Russian flags have no business at Ukrainian airports," Yatseniuk's press service reported...........

To read further go to this link: interfax.com.ua

"Arseniy Yatseniuk noted that, in compliance with the NSDC decision, there is a direct ban on the use of Russian software. He noted that he was speaking about Kaspersky Lab software in particular. The head of government ordered the State Service for Specialized Communications and Telecommunications to immediately turn off the program's updates and stop acquiring and using it at state institutions," the cabinet's press service reported after a government session on Friday.............

To read further go to this link: interfax.com.ua

A group of Dutch experts to the Netherlands takes the remains and personal belongings of the victims and the wreckage of the Boeing MD-17, which were found at the crash site after the completion of the search mission. On Friday the ministry said security and justice of the Netherlands.

"The remains were found on the site of the conflagration far from Hrabovo, where the plane fell. Village heads from the surrounding villages organize their safety in recent months, it was agreed at the final stage of the mission. The people of the villages around the crash site could at fixed points to keep things found "- the ministry said.

It is reported that the remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage transported to Kharkov. From there they will be transported to the Netherlands and handed over for examination.

Recall that in late April, was completed exploration work at the crash site of Boeing MD-17. Later, the Minister of Security and Justice of the Netherlands Ard van der Sture said that the identification process could be identified with 296 and 298 victims a chance to identify two victims - both nationals of the Netherlands - is very small.

glavcom.ua In Russian

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris October 2, in addition to "Norman" format, will hold two meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, a separate meeting with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will not. This was announced on Friday, Putin's aide Yury Ushakov.

"An important international event - the meeting in Paris, the leaders of four European countries in the" Norman "format. In Paris will be discussed exclusively Ukrainian perspective, we hope, above all, in the context of a full and comprehensive implementation of the agreements in Minsk on February 12, "- said Ushakov.

"In addition to the talks in the" Norman "format, which will consist of the actual negotiations and working lunch leaders planned and two bilateral meetings with Merkel and Hollande," - he added.

This Ushakov negative answer to question, whether such a bilateral meeting with Putin Poroshenko.

"No meeting is planned. It is understood that the presidents will communicate closely in the negotiations under the "Norman" format "- said the presidential aide.

According to him, previously, you can focus on what Putin's meeting with Hollande and Merkel will be held before the summit of "Norman" format, but the program is being coordinated.

glavcom.ua In Russian

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said that the presence of Russian troops in Syria, reminiscent of the beginning of aggression and annexation of the Crimea in the east of Ukraine. He said this in an interview with TV channel "Inter", transfers "UNN".

"With regard to Syria. The presence of Russian troops in Syria, the presence of green men is very similar to the beginning of the aggression and the annexation of the Crimea in the east of Ukraine. This is what you need to Putin - destabilization in different parts of the world. But Ukraine was a priority for him, "- said the President.

glavcom.ua In Russian

TV presenter Savik Shuster suggested that Russian television channels broadcast an hour a week of his show. This was the host of "Shuster Live" on Friday, 25 September, said the TV presenter Savik Shuster.

"Right now, and we can be accused of is that we are working for the benefit of the Kremlin. It is possible. And by Russian colleagues, I have a constructive proposal. Let us an hour a week will leave you. Just one hour a week," - said Schuster .

"And we'll tell you all about Ukraine", - he added.

As reported by the "Observer", on Friday, 25 September, the program "Shuster Live" is not aired on the channel "1 +1".

Earlier it was reported from a TV broadcast of "1 + 1" removed "Shuster live". In the words of Schuster, the lifting of the air show was notified a few minutes before the start of the program. Lead suggested that such a move could be "the result of agreements between the owner of the channel and the presidential administration." At the same time, the press secretary of the President of Ukraine Svyatoslav Tsegolko said that the Administration of the President not privy to the removal of the air talk shows.

obozrevatel.com In Russian

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko fired a number of judges in connection with an application for dismissal of their own volition.

The relevant decrees № 558/2015 and № №559 / 2015 posted on the official website of the President.

In particular, the judge dismissed Radomyshl district court of Zhytomyr region Natalia Trubnikov, the judge Suvorov District Court of Odessa Alexey Zudihin judge Vinnytsia District Administrative Court Judge Michael Zhernakov and the District Administrative Court of Kiev Olga Pisotsky.

Additionally, voluntarily dismissed the judge of the Economic Court of Donetsk region Anastasia Gurov and judge Luhansk Regional Administrative Court Konstantin Agevich.

As reported by the "Observer", Zaporozhye judge was caught on a bribe of 30 thousand. UAH.

obozrevatel.com In Russian

Respect the rights of all people from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly called on the Pope. In his speech, the Pontiff mentioned the Ukraine, noting that real people have to take precedence over ideological interests, reports "TSN".

"Not only in the case of religious or cultural persecution, but in the case of any conflict in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan and the Great Lakes, Real People take precedence over ideology," - said the Pope.

Francis and spoke about religious conflicts, and about the harm of drug trafficking, and on the global climate. Also he urged to abandon nuclear weapons. After the speech at the United Nations, the Pope, together with other religious leaders held a service at the Memorial on 11 September.

glavcom.ua In Russian

Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Shevchovich states that before the end of the year will be mobilized $ 500 million. To purchase 2 billion. Cubic meters of Russian gas for further injection into underground storage facilities. He said this Friday in Brussels at a press conference on the completion of negotiations, reports correspondent of "UNIAN".

"Ukraine has to purchase 2 billion. Cubic meters of gas from Gazprom for injection into underground storage facilities ... Our goal - until the end of the year to mobilize $ 500 million. Naftogaz and uses them to do" - he said.

In addition, Shevchovich reported that in the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 Russia will reduce gas prices to a level that is comparable to the level that exists in the EU neighboring countries by reducing tariffs.

glavcom.ua In Russian

Germany wants to improve ties with Russia to enlist Vladimir Putin’s government in efforts to solve the crisis in Syria, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said.

Differences with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine shouldn’t strain ties to a degree that prevents cooperation on Syria, Gabriel told reporters Friday in Berlin.

“We will have to change our relationship with Russia,” said Gabriel, who also is economy minister and head of the Social Democratic Party. Ties with the Kremlin need to be “better,” so the Syrian conflict can be tackled together, he said. Europe can’t keep up sanctions on Russia forever and at the same time ask Russia for help, he said......................

bloomberg.com