Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Monday 14 March. [Ukrainian sources]

MONDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the day

News -
44 separate attacks yesterday on Ukrainians by Putin and his nutters.
Sadly reading one more soldier died yesterday, one injured also, as a result of Russian military fire.

Weather -
Cold. Zero. But will stay near there today. Maybe +2. Below average for mid March.
Update - was round about +4.
While waiting at a bus stop this morning to go and see a soldier in hospital I heard some pensioners talking.
They say it is like winter again. )) But the past month has really been quite warm.

http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/03/13/7101946/
Dismissal of the Prime Minister should be considered at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on 15 March.
On this March 13 TV channel "Inter" said leader of the "Fatherland" Yulia Timoshenko, the press service of the party.
"The first question we must ask dismissal of the Prime Minister from office, on exempt all government according to the Constitution," - she said.
According to Tymoshenko, the survey results clearly demonstrate "whether parliament Ukrainian parliament if he is ready to continue to swim in corrupt dealings."...
====
Tymoshenko wants a new election.
Ratings show that her party would increase its number of seats a little.
Tymoshenko also wants to be President. This I know directly from people who attend her high-level meetings. Nothing else will do for her.
As for Yatseniuk "swimming in corrupt dealings" absolutely nothing has been shown in reality. Populist talk. Sadly so typical of Ukrainian politics for decades.

http://zik.ua/news/2016/03/14/oglyad_presy_savchenko__tse_symvol_moralnoi_katastrofy_rosii_680657
7:48
The fate Nadia Savchenko gives the Russians a chance to return to reality.
This is stated in the press review on Radio Liberty.
Nadia Savchenko - a symbol of Russian moral disaster, convinces weekly "New time". His fate it gives the Russians a chance to return to reality. Freeing Ukrainian, they can begin to save themselves. It is noted in the publication "Russia indifferent."...
===
It won't happen. Putin is a complete nutter. And Russia, a country based on lies.

7:55
http://www.segodnya.ua/regions/donetsk/zhizn-v-donecke-prilavki-zabity-ukrainskimi-produktami-a-lekarstva-popadayut-cherez-rf-698588.html
===
Clearly a good business still in contraband.

8:15
The Orthodox Christians began Lent (bridge Dnepr)
http://most-dnepr.info/news/43416/u_pravoslavnyh_hristian_nachalsja_velikij_post.htm
On Monday, March 14 Orthodox Christians begin Lent, which runs until April 30.
"Lent - it is the most important and the oldest multi-day fasts, is the preparation of the main Orthodox holiday - Easter Sunday....

http://minprom.ua/news/205960.html
8:21
...UGS "Ukrtransgaz" filled to 30.48%.
For the period 6 to 13 March, Ukraine reduced gas reserves at 3.25%, or 317.31 million cubic meters. m.
Compared with the same date of 2015, UGS was at 19.71%, or 1 553 390 000 cubic meters. meters of gas more (March 13, 2015 was 7 881 250 000 cu. m per UGS)....
===
Good news, I would say. In Ukraine gas is still heavily subsidized by the government.
UGS = Underground gas storage, I would think.
Last week was very warm. Hence a very low consumption of gas. This week will be colder. But Ukraine does not need to buy gas now. It can wait until the price is again lower in April. Only two weeks' away.

www.bloomberg.com/energy/

Crude Oil & Natural Gas
INDEX UNITS PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE CONTRACT TIME (EDT) 2 DAY
WTI Crude Oil (Nymex)
USD/bbl. 38.30 -0.20 -0.52% Apr 2016 2:12 AM
Brent Crude (ICE)
USD/bbl. 40.35 -0.04 -0.10% May 2016 2:12 AM

Natural Gas (Nymex)
USD/MMBtu 1.80 -0.02 -0.99% Apr 2016 2:12 AM

=====
A price nearer 45 would be ideal. US shale producers can keep working at this price.

www.xe.com
The price below this morning at 0900 am.
Hryvnia for one dollar /   one euro  /  one pound
Inverse:        25.4996         28.4578         36.6368

The hryvnia had fallen to 27 to a dollar but is now making a slight comeback.
The rate was 38.5 to a pound. Now 36.6 . Makes a difference when you are changing money.

OPEC announced that it's continuing to produce oil/day
WTI Crude Oil:   $36.90 -1.60 -4.16%
BRENT Crude Oil: $39.18 -1.21 -3.00%

With the help of the West, Crimea can be reinstated as part of Ukraine within 3 days – if four things are done, Crimean public leader Lenur Islyamov told Apostrof March 14.

“First, Russia should be disconnected from SWIFT international payment system.

Secord, embargo on Russia’s oil and gas should be imposed.

Third, access by Russia’s state banks to western credits and accounts should be cut.

Fourth, the accounts of all officials related to the grab of Crimea should be arrested,” Islyamov explained.

These things done, the Russians will depose Vladimir Putin and return Crimea. “We won’t even have to do anything by ourselves,” Islyamov said.

zik.ua

In January-February 2016, the Ukrainian sea ports processed 786.69 thsd tonnes of bulk vegetable oils, an increase of 17.1% compared with the same period in 2015. The export volumes totaled 729.16 thsd tonnes of vegetable oils (up 22.1%), informed the State Enterprise Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority on March 14.
In particular, state stevedoring companies processed 24.9 thsd tonnes of vegetable oils at berths of Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (down 23.5% compared with the same index in 2015), private stevedoring companies at berths of Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority – 635.89 thsd tonnes (up 31.9%), stevedoring companies at their own berths – 125.81 thsd tonnes (down 20%).
According to the announcement, in the reporting period Sea Commercial Port of Illichivsk shipped 310.26 thsd tonnes of veg oils, up 12.1% compared with the same period in the previous year. Also, Mykolaiv Sea Trade Port shipped 248.96 thsd tonnes of veg oils (up 82.3%), Sea Commercial Port of Yuzhnyi – 153.44 thsd tonnes (down 27.4%), Izmail Port – 19.09 thsd tonnes (up 104.2%), Kherson Port — 12.28 thsd tonnes, Mariupol Port – 5.9 thsd tonnes (down 74.7%).

apk-inform.com

17:34
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/03/14/7102055/
Party "Samopomich" is ready to participate in government and be responsible in proportion to trust that it provided the Ukrainian people.
This was stated by leader of the party, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy reporters after more than two-hour meeting with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv on Monday, Interfax-Ukraine.
"Such talk was (on purpose Garden prime minister - ed.) Today, before. I emphasize once again that I - a realist, and" Samopomich "has 26 MPs. Therefore, we are ready to take responsibility, but within of the confidence which we have before Ukrainian people ", - he said....
====
My opinion -
Sadovy is very very popular in Lviv. And anybody who has been to Lviv in the last year or two will see what he has done to the city. It is the best city by far in Ukraine.
As for the post of PM, nobody in their right mind wants to be PM right now. Still a lot of hard decisions to be made.
The populist deputies - which is probably 95% of them - most of whom are relatively low on intelligence, but high on personal gain and self-importance, want a scapegoat - i.e. Yatseniuk.
Tymoshenko wants revenge for what she feels is the betrayal of Yatseniuk by leaving her party.
So no way Sadovy wants to be PM. But it looks like he is still willing for his party to take part in some new coalition - if the policies are right.

But also read this
Садовий проти дострокових виборів і повернення "Самопомочі" в коаліцію
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/03/14/7102034/
Sadovy not in favour of early elections. And also against the return of Samopomich in the coalition. So then what?!

16:32
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/03/14/7102047/
The Rada may consider a resolution on the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk soon.
This was stated by leader of the "Petro Poroshenko Bloc" Yuriy Lutsenko, reports Interfax-Ukraine.
"Made a resolution to retire. I assume that this decision can be considered in the near future" - said Lutsenko during a conversation with journalists.
Faction leader said that he communicates personally with Yatsenyuk, but does not intend to publicly accuse him personally.
"Respecting to the Prime Minister, the fact that he made to members of Cabinet, I believe that the best option would be - his independent right decision, none of us is eternal positions," - he said.
"From my mouth you never heard of personal accusations Yatsenyuk. I spoke about the case. I do not care to name who will be prime minister, Yatsenyuk or someone else. I am interested in the fact that the reforms stopped. The country begins to lose perspective in this a situation I can not speak loudly enough about the necessary changes in the government. I do not allow myself to switch to the individual "- said the leader of the" MFP "....
===
Interesting.
Sort of sitting on the fence. Almost saying that policies are more important than personalities. I agree, personally.
But Tymoshenko, for sure, wants her pound of flesh - and more - the Presidential seat.

http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/03/14/7102021/
13:43
===
Still using the old argument that the Radical Party (Liashko) have not officially withdrawn.
Also says
If within one month the Verkhovna Rada fails to form a coalition, the president has the right but not the obligation, to dissolve parliament.

In Ukraine, from 15 to 17 March will be a trade mission from the Netherlands. This is stated in the press service of the Dutch government.

Among the participants of the mission will be the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Lilian Ploumen. As well as representatives of 30 Dutch companies.

During the visit Ploumen plans to meet with the Ministers of Finance Natalia Yaresko and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Brewer. Reportedly, the purpose of the trip - the expansion of cooperation with Ukraine in the field of agro-industries and infrastructure.

Recall, the Netherlands Electoral Council appointed a referendum on the Agreement on the EU-Ukraine Association on Wednesday, April 6, 2016. The Parliament of the Netherlands completed the process of ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU July 7, 2015.

glavcom.ua In Russian

http://www.unian.info/politics/1289708-radas-website-posts-poroshenkos-amendments-to-e-declaration-bill.html
....The president suggests that the e-declaration system should be introduced as early as in 2016 and the first who this system will be applied to are high-ranking officials, judges and prosecutors....
===
And what about MPs? xa xa xa...

http://www.unian.info/politics/1289598-poroshenko-considering-jaresko-sadoviy-as-pm-spokesman.html
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is mulling three ways of development of the situation with the appointment of a new government, Presidential Press Secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko wrote on Facebook....
===
Jaresko, Sadovy, or somebody else.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-osce-idUSKCN0WG1ZU
International monitors want Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists to pull further apart along the line of contact in east Ukraine, a senior official with Europe's main security and rights watchdog said on Monday.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the implementation of a ceasefire agreed last year, says the two sides had pushed their positions forward in some locations, narrowing the distance between them to a few hundred meters and increasing the risk of violence....
====
This could only happen with peacekeepers - probably from the UN. And we know for sure that Putin does not want peacekeepers - unless they are Russian soldiers.
Putin simply does not want peace. Putin wants war.

20:34
http://ru.krymr.com/content/news/27611075.html
===
And between Hitler and Putin also.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Monday ordered the withdrawal of the “main part” of Russian forces in Syria.

He said this surprise move was justified by the "overall completion" of Moscow's military mission in the war-ravaged country, Censor.NET reports citing The New York Times.

Mr. Putin's order, reported by the state news media, came as the war in Syria was about to enter its sixth year and a United Nations mediator was trying to revive peace talks to stop the conflict, which has displaced millions and created a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russia has operated a naval base on the Syrian coast since the Soviet period, but Mr. Putin's order seemed to relate to warplanes operating from a new air base in Latakia that since September have carried out intensive bombings against rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Mr. Putin said the withdrawal would not mean the closing of the Latakia base.

Since Russian warplanes began their campaign on Sept. 30, Mr. Assad has gained ground against rebel forces and headed off the risk that his regime, Russia's closest ally in the Middle East, might collapse.

"I believe, that the tasks put before the defense ministry have been completed over all," Mr. Putin told Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov at a meeting in the Kremlin on Monday evening. "Because of this, I have ordered that from tomorrow the main part of our military groups will begin their withdrawal from the Syrian Arab Republic."

The Kremlin said Mr. Putin had telephoned the Syrian president to inform him of the Russian withdrawal, but gave no details of Mr. Assad's reaction to the move, saying only that he had expressed thanks for Russia's help and had praised the "professionalism and heroism" of Russian servicemen.

"The leaders noted that the actions of the Russian air forces have allowed a significant turn in the fight against terrorists," a statement on the Kremlin website said.

Russia's military intervention in Syria, which involved the deployment of 45 strategic and tactical bombers as well as fighter planes, helicopters and antiaircraft systems, was Moscow's first such action outside the former Soviet Union since the collapse of communism in 1991.

The state-controlled news media in Russia trumpeted the intervention as a sign that Moscow had recovered its role as a global military power. Television news broadcasters, after weeks of hailing the operation daily, seemed stunned Monday evening when news of the withdrawal first broke.

Russian warplanes gave a major boost to Mr. Assad's fading military fortunes, flying more than 9,000 sorties and helping the Syrian government regain control of 400 settlements, according to Mr. Shoigu, the Russian defense minister.

The decision to withdraw, announced as abruptly as Russia's initial decision to intervene, could allow Mr. Putin to avoid the risk that what has been a relatively painless and, in both military and public relations terms, highly successful mission for Russia could turn into a quagmire costly in lives, money and political capital for the Kremlin.

Mr. Putin's announcement appeared to catch the United States and other Western countries by surprise.

Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said he had not seen reports of Russia's possible withdrawal from Syria, but the Obama administration has frequently expressed frustration with Russia's continued military support for Mr. Assad, whom the Americans have long insisted should step down.

"Obviously, we have talked about how Russia's continued military intervention to prop up the Assad regime made the efforts to make a political transition increasingly more difficult," Mr. Earnest said.

censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian

Speaking in London on Monday on the anniversary of Boris Nemtsov’s assassination, Nemtsova shared the podium with some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most famous critics, including Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the oil baron who spent a decade in jail for what many say were trumped up charges of fraud.

They had come together to present the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, an organization promoting democracy and education about the Russian political system. Set up by Nemtsova a few months ago, the foundation had assembled most of its advisory board in London to mark a year since the death of the man whose ideals brought them together.

Dressed in black, Nemtsova spoke solemnly to a handful of reporters and attendees at Khodorkovsky’s Open Russia club. She thanked her father’s supporters for helping her during “a very difficult year for our family and for us all,” before letting Khodorkovsky and other members of her new foundation pay their respects to the late politician and discuss their ideas about the future of democracy in Russia.

After the event, Nemtsova spoke with Newsweek about her father, whom she called “a Russian patriot but also a very Europe-minded person.” She can’t say as much about the man in charge of Russia at the moment. In her eyes, Putin’s priority is removing threats to his own rule, not to Russia itself.

“Putin thinks about his political longevity as president and doesn't really care about Russia's future,” Nemtsova says. Instead, the Kremlin’s cruel treatment of anti-corruption, pro-democracy and human rights activists is causing a “brain drain”, driving more and more freethinking Russians out of the country. This, Nemtsova says, is not a strategy that can better Russia’s future but is merely a “way out for Putin to secure his presidency for longer.............

ukrainebusiness.com.ua

Ukrainian Deputy Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Vladyslava Rutytska says Ukraine is currently at the stage of agreeing conditions for entering the Chinese meat market and is about to launch the export of processed meat.

"We're now at the stage of approval and survey of China as for entering the meat market, in particular, mutton, beef, and poultry products. Taking into consideration demand and our producers' interest in developing meat exports to China, we've decided to set up an ad hoc group at the ministry that will include representatives of the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry, the [Ukrainian] State Phytosanitary Service, and the Chinese Commerce Association's agricultural committee. It will prepare all necessary documents and work out issues to facilitate our exporters' access to the Chinese market," she said at a business forum in Kyiv on Monday.........

unian.info

Among the three draft plans of Ukraine's policy toward Donbas lying on the table of the Ukrainian president, Plan B provides for stripping the pro-Russian militants of citizenship and holding a referendum on the fate of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Liga.Novosti reported Monday.

The publication suggests that Plan A is to pursue implementation of the Minsk agreements in exchange for the extension of sanctions against Russia, the aggressor state.

Plan B is said to be implemented in case the EU eases or lifts anti-Russian sanctions.

The third option is reported to have been voiced before Minsk deal was signed: the war for the occupied areas of Donbas.

According to the sources of the edition, the pressure of the European business makes Paris and Berlin act more decisively on public, urging Russia and Ukraine to reach progress. In fact, they demand more from Moscow, but they bind the weakening or extension of sanctions with Moscow's significant concessions to Kyiv.

However, if Russia does not implement basic provisions of the agreements, there will be no elections, no amnesty for the militants, and no special status for Donbas. If this condition does not satisfy the allies in the European Union (while Washington officially declared that the elections in Donbas should not be held before Russian troops are withdrawn and control over captured border is returned to Ukraine), Ukraine is ready to put up with the EU's weak position, retaining the support of Washington.

"We won't agree to these elections without progress from Russia. It does not make sense. We'll see progress if Moscow begins to implement the basic provisions of the agreements. But now, we don't have this. Shooting is continuing, and people are dying. And how can we discuss the elections while the militants continue to keep hostages in cellars?" a source in the presidential administration has told the publication....................

To read further go to this link:  unian.info

In January-February 2016, the Ukrainian sea ports processed 786.69 thsd tonnes of bulk vegetable oils, an increase of 17.1% compared with the same period in 2015. The export volumes totaled 729.16 thsd tonnes of vegetable oils (up 22.1%), informed the State Enterprise Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority on March 14.
In particular, state stevedoring companies processed 24.9 thsd tonnes of vegetable oils at berths of Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (down 23.5% compared with the same index in 2015), private stevedoring companies at berths of Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority – 635.89 thsd tonnes (up 31.9%), stevedoring companies at their own berths – 125.81 thsd tonnes (down 20%).
According to the announcement, in the reporting period Sea Commercial Port of Illichivsk shipped 310.26 thsd tonnes of veg oils, up 12.1% compared with the same period in the previous year. Also, Mykolaiv Sea Trade Port shipped 248.96 thsd tonnes of veg oils (up 82.3%), Sea Commercial Port of Yuzhnyi – 153.44 thsd tonnes (down 27.4%), Izmail Port – 19.09 thsd tonnes (up 104.2%), Kherson Port — 12.28 thsd tonnes, Mariupol Port – 5.9 thsd tonnes (down 74.7%)......................

To read further go to this link:  apk-inform.com

Russia's decision to withdraw troops from Syria could have a positive impact, the head of the Foreign Ministry of Great Britain Philip Hammond. About this he wrote a tweet.

"Russia's actions could be positive - if you are part of a real commitment to political changes and an end to military action", - wrote Hammond.

Earlier it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of the main forces of Russia from Syria on 15 March.

glavcom.ua In Russian

Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk agreed to resign, if the candidacy of a new prime minister and a voice for his appointment. This was announced at the end of the meeting of the leaders of parliamentary factions and groups with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko leader of the Radical Party, Oleg Lyashko.

Lyashko said that the meeting ended on a positive note.

"We can conclude that there is a basis for forming a new coalition. Yatsenyuk said that if parliament has 226 votes for a new government, the new prime minister and a new program of action, he is ready to give up the post. I believe that the relevant statements of the prime minister opened the floodgates for the formation of a new coalition ", - he said.

glavcom.ua In Russian

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has offered the post of prime minister Natalia Yaresko. This was after the meeting of the heads of parliamentary factions and groups with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, said the chairman of the faction "People's Front" Maxim Bourbaki, reports "112.ua" .

Bourbaki said that there are two ways out of the political crisis. First, the coalition introduces the basic principles of work and begins to execute the current government proposed a plan of action.

"The second option was voiced at a meeting of prime, show us the 226 votes for a new prime minister, name the prime minister, show team, show the premiere program of action for 2016, and we are ready to enter into consultations with respect to participation in the future coalition. The President said his options - a technocratic government, which has offered premier Yaresko ", - he said.

glavcom.ua In Russian

This thread continued now for Tuesday 15 March at
https://ukraine-english-news.forumotion.com/t2352-ukraine-crisis-news-in-brief-tuesday-15-march-ukrainian-sources

or go to
https://ukraine-english-news.forumotion.com/
and select Ukraine news