Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Wednesday 7 December. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY

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NEWS:
EU, NATO Herald 'Transatlantic Bond' Ahead Of Trump Presidency. NATO Chief Urges Continued Pressure On Russia Over Ukraine.  "Screw them! IFV closed and shot them from 30 mm cannon," - 93rd brigade's fighters destroyed Russian militants' position in Luhansk region. VIDEO.  When providing assistance to Ukraine NATO ensures its proper use. Rada urges world nations to recognize Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide. Tusk called on the European Parliament as soon as possible to provide Ukraine visa-free.

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In order to support reforms in Ukraine, NATO continues to help in the fight against corruption in the ministries together with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the level of foreign ministers.

He assured that the Alliance directs its efforts in Ukraine at the fight against corruption........

en.interfax.com.ua

The ban for an undetermined period is linked to a recent case of avian flu in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, the statement said. The reported outbreak, the first in Ukraine since 2008, was discovered by officials in early December at household farms.

Concorde analyst Igor Zholonkivskyi added: "The ban might have a certain impact on the operations of Ukraine’s leading poultry producer and grain farmer MHP (MHPC LI, MHPSA), but the effect is likely to be negligible. During 2015, MHP exported 27.3 kt of fresh and frozen poultry meat to the EU, which was only 5% of total poultry sales. So we do not expect that the ban, even if imposed for several months, will have any tangible adverse effect on the company’s free cash flow. Our view on the MHPSA Eurobond remains neutral.”.......

ukrainebusiness.com.ua

NATO and the European Union heralded a "new important era" of cooperation on December 6, endorsing an agenda for closer collaboration amid uncertainty over U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s foreign policy and approach to the alliance.

NATO foreign ministers in Brussels agreed on plans to combat cyberattacks, information warfare, sea operations, and improve defenses for neighboring countries.

"Today we start a new important era in EU-NATO cooperation," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters at the alliance's headquarters.

Trump, who is set to succeed outgoing President Barack Obama in January, suggested earlier this year that the United States might not protect fellow NATO members from attacks if they do not pull their financial weight in the alliance.

Washington has long demanded that NATO members meet the alliance's target of spending 2 percent of their GDP annually on defense, a threshold that only a handful of members are meeting.

Trump's comments during the campaign rattled NATO's easternmost members, who are wary of Russia's intentions in the region following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backing of armed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The Republican president-elect has also spoken positively about Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing a desire to mend battered bilateral ties with Moscow and saying he would examine the possibility of lifting sanctions targeting Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels on December 6 that he is "absolutely certain that the United States will remain committed to the transatlantic bond, will remain committed to NATO, and will live up to...security guarantees to Europe.".........

rferl.org

The European Union is putting its credibility and reputation at risk by letting internal political wrangling stall a promised easing of visa requirements for Ukraine and Georgia, the head of the European Council said, according to Reuters.

In a letter sent to European Parliament President Martin Schulz on Tuesday and seen by Reuters, Donald Tusk urged the legislature to compromise with national governments to unblock visa liberalisation, Reuters reported. Both former Soviet states feel aggrieved that Brussels in not making good on its promises. "At stake here are the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the nations who are our neighbours, as well as the reputation of the European Union, which has categorically and repeatedly committed itself to the issue," the former Polish premier wrote. "Even though all the parties in this debate have their own good arguments and undoubtedly good will, it seems we are getting close to squandering our joint efforts," he added, saying failure to deliver would be "an unforgivable mistake.".

Comments by senior Ukraine officials in interviews with Reuters criticising the delay in loosening visa restrictions were unusually outspoken and cut through public displays of bonhomie shown at a Ukraine-EU summit in Brussels in November. "While of course the Ukrainian president and his delegation tried to keep optimism publicly, I understand very well if they return to Kyiv somewhat disappointed," Anders Fogh Rasmussen, an adviser to Ukraine's president, said..........

unian.info

Ukraine's parliament has adopted a resolution "On the appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the democratic countries of the world regarding the recognition of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine as a crime of genocide against the Ukrainian people," according to an UNIAN correspondent.

In its appeal, the Verkhovna Rada asks all world nations to recognize the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine as genocide of the Ukrainian people. It is recalled that the Holodomor took away millions of human lives. The document also notes that today Ukraine has once again become a "victim of aggression of Stalin's followers from the Kremlin." However, the Verkhovna Rada has expressed its deep gratitude to all those who broke through the iron curtain of propaganda and lies built by the communist totalitarian regime, all those who kept the memory of the tragedy, which the Ukrainian people had experienced, and all those who restored the truth about the Holodomor.

The Verkhovna Rada has also expressed its gratitude to all the nations of the world, which today support Ukraine in its confrontation with the aggressor, to everyone who delivers truth about events in Ukraine to the world community.........

unian.info

"The international community must keep pressuring Russia to respect its obligations, especially while the security situation in eastern Ukraine remains so serious," Stoltenberg said after talks with NATO and Ukraine foreign ministers in Brussels on December 7.

"It's important that economic sanctions be maintained," he added.

Separately, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he expected EU leaders to prolong sanctions on Russia when they meet in Brussels next week.

Stoltenberg said there was a "massive increase in cease-fire violations" in Ukraine’s east, where fighting between government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,600 people since April 2014.

He said hundreds of explosions are sometimes reported daily, including many caused by heavy weapons banned under the Minsk peace accords........

rferl.org

Fighters of Ukraine's 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade have destroyed a position of Russian militants in the Luhansk region. A terrorist firing point was neutralized in several minutes.

As reported by Censor.NET citing TSN, pro-Russian militants who brought several machine guns and a mortar unit to the front line were fired at from an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). The commanders assure that the fighters have the right to retaliate. They are preparing to recommend the soldiers for a decoration.

"What kind of compatriots are they? My compatriots are here. We are from Ukraine and this is our land. I will be happy when we raise a Ukrainian flag there. I will then go and apologize to the locals for making them wait for so long," IFV commander 'Romeo,' a native of Luhansk, says.



ua.censor.net.ua , In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Tusk said that at stake are not only the interests of the EU in various fields, but also its credibility

European Council President Donald Tusk in a letter to European Parliament President Martin Schulz called as soon as possible to agree on a mechanism of suspension of the visa-free regime to provide the promised visa-free Ukraine and Georgia.

This is stated in a letter of 6 December Tusk, who has a "Radio Liberty".

"We risk losing not only the social, political and economic interests, not only the future of our relations with all our neighbors, but also - especially - our credibility" - referred to in the letter.

"We can not allow those who trusted us eventually become victims of our internal disputes," - wrote Tusk.

President of the European Council added that the EU put forward strict requirements to its partners that they performed "price of painful reforms and often with huge political risks."

"If we want to implement a visa regime in reality, I firmly believe that initially need a reliable and efficient process of suspension. So if we want to maintain our credibility, we have to find a real, not ideal, solution to this problem, "- said Tusk.

According to the Brussels correspondent of "Radio Liberty" Rickard Yozvyak mechanism of suspension of visa free regime negotiations on special ( "tryalozi") in Brussels will consider on December 7 at 18:00 Kyiv. According to him, the parties may agree on the time of the first suspension period - 9 months.

Trialogue on visa susp mech starts at 17. can be a compromise on the time of the first period of suspension - 9 months. #Ukraine #Georgia

— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) December 7, 2016

However, official information about the negotiations is not.

Recall, November 17, at the European Union Committee of Permanent Representatives of countries - members of the EU (COREPER) approved the abolition of visas for Ukrainian citizens. However, the EU said that visa-free regime between the EU and Ukraine is possible after the approval of the EU mechanism of suspension. On December 7th planned another round of interinstitutional negotiations between the EU Council, the European Parliament and the EU Presidency on the mechanism of suspension of visa-free regime.

glavcom.ua , In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Ukraine Foreign Ministry demands from Russia to immediately stop illegal actions and release Vadim SIRUK, Muslim Aliyev Refat and Arsen Alimov Dzhepparova.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry protests against the appointment illegal Russian occupation authorities psychological torture for the illegally detained citizens of Ukraine.

It is said in comments to the MFA of Ukraine published the press center of the Ministry.

In particular, in November 2016 psychological torture launched regarding Vadim SIRUK, Muslim Aliyev Refat and Arsen Alimov Dzhepparova, wrongly accused of terrorism and has more than half the prisoners in the Crimea.

"We consider such practices as other forms of pressure, psychological torture regarding illegally detained citizens of Ukraine. Acting in this way, the Russian Federation continues to blatantly violate international law of human rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading dignity, Degrading treatment or punishment, "- said in a statement.

Ukraine Foreign Ministry demands from Russia to immediately stop illegal actions and release Vadim SIRUK, Muslim Aliyev Refat and Arsen Alimov Dzhepparova.

Also Foreign Ministry calls on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to end the practice of suppression of human rights in the illegally occupied territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, the release of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, provide unhindered access to international organizations and independent advocates to the Crimean Peninsula to make about ' subjective monitoring the human rights situation.

"In this regard, Ukraine expects confirmation of the international community principled assessments of inadmissibility practice of human rights violations Crimea occupation authorities during the vote of the UN draft resolution" Situation of human rights in the ARC and c. Sevastopol ", - stressed the ministry.

glavcom.ua , In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Barack Obama and Donald Trump argued on terrorism, defense and foreign policy

Obama warned Trump from making mistakes in defense and foreign policy. Trump promises to defeat the terrorists "Islamic state" and simultaneously withdraw from Washington to overthrow regimes abroad.



glavcom.ua , In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Seized in the investigation of criminal proceedings against Pshonka

The court Seized the house, 19 valuables from him, and funds belonging to former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka.

This is stated in a reply to a request of the Prosecutor General "Ukrainian News".

In this case the answer is no information about what amount of valuables and cash amount, which was Seized.

Location House also not specified, but most likely it comes Gorenichi house in the Kiev region. Seized in the investigation of criminal proceedings against Pshonka.

Preservation of this property was entrusted to the police Kiev Sviatoshynsky district of Kyiv region has opened criminal proceedings on the fact of theft of property from a private house Pshonka. The investigation is ongoing now.

glavcom.ua, In Ukrainian / на українській мові

Senator intends to visit Ukraine in late December

Chairman of the Committee of the armed forces of the Senate John McCain intends to visit Ukraine in late December.

With him in the visit can participate Chairman of the Subcommittee for funding the State Department and foreign operations and related programs of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Legal and budget Lindsey Graham.

This opinion was voiced at a meeting with Senator Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Valery Chalym, the official website of the Embassy of Ukraine.

glavcom.ua, In Ukrainian / на українській мові