Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Friday 7 April. [Ukrainian sources]

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NEWS:
Russia condemns US strike on Syrian air base as act of aggression.  Moscow suspends Russia-US memorandum to prevent mid-air collisions over Syria in response to recent US missile strike.  "Yes! 521 votes in EP support visa-free travel for Ukraine!" - Poroshenko.  Ukraine asks NATO countries to provide defensive weapons to protect our citizens. Putin talked about the deterioration of relations with the US.

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Politicians say attack raises spectre of direct military confrontation with America

The Kremlin has condemned US Tomahawk strikes on a Syrian air base as an act of aggression and a “violation of international law”.

In a furious response to the US action, Moscow also said it would suspend its channel for communicating military action in Syria with Washington, which has been used to prevent accidental conflict. A US-led coalition regularly launches air strikes against Isis and other jihadi groups in Syria while Russia has intervened militarily to back the Assad regime.

“Russia suspends the Memorandum on the Prevention of Incidents and Ensuring the Safety of Aviation Operations during Operations in Syria with the US,” the foreign ministry said. It called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

The foreign ministry said the US had staged a show of force, “not bothering to sort out anything”, and “moved military against a country which is fighting international terrorism”.

It claimed that the cruise missile strikes had been “prepared in advance”, and that this week’s gas attack on civilians in the Syrian province of Idlib had only been used as a pretext. “The actions taken by the US further damage Russian-American relations,” the ministry said.

Russian state news agencies on Friday said President Vladimir Putin regarded the military action against the Shayrad base as “an aggression against a sovereign state . . . under a far-fetched pretext”.

Earlier this week, Russia hit out at Washington after it accused Bashar al-Assad’s regime of perpetrating Tuesday’s chemical attack on civilians. Moscow insists the Syrian air force had hit a depot of chemical weapons produced by rebels fighting against government forces — a claim rejected by the US.......................

Access complete text of the editorial:  ft.com In English

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with the permanent members of the Security Council of the situation in Syria after US strikes

This was announced by press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, President, informs "Interfax".

"The actions of Washington were once again qualified as an act of aggression contrary to international law. The meeting expressed deep concern about the inevitable negative consequences of such aggressive actions for joint efforts to combat terrorism. It was also expressed condolences harm the bilateral Russian-American relations, which was done in connection with the strikes on targets Syria "- said Peskov.

According to him, "were also discussed various issues related to the continuation of the operation of videoconferencing support counterterrorism operations of the Armed Forces of Syria."

Everything on the topic: Beat US on Syria

Recall now the US launched cruise missiles "Tomahawk" on the Syrian government targets in response to the Syrian authorities use chemical weapons in Idlib province, which killed dozens of people.

Russia intends to require the meeting of the UN Security Council in connection with a rocket attack on the US government airbase in Syria.

From US missile strike killed Syrian general and dozens wounded.

espreso.tv, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Russia responded to the U.S. air strikes by suspending memorandum with the U.S. aimed at preventing incidents and ensure flight safety in Syria.

As reported by Censor.NET citing The Independent, the Russian Foreign Ministry said following Donald Trump's decision to fire 59 cruise missiles at a military target in Syria on Thursday, Moscow was suspending a memorandum with the U.S. that prevented incidents and ensured flight safety.

Under the memorandum, signed after Russia launched an air campaign in Syria in September 2015, Russia and the U.S. had exchanged information about their flights to avoid incidents in the crowded skies over Syria - where Russia has several dozen warplanes and batteries of air-defense missiles.

President Vladimir Putin condemned the U.S. strikes on Friday, saying they broke international law and have seriously damaged U.S.-Russia relations.

A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry reads: "The very presence of U.S. troops and other countries on the territory of Syria, without the consent of the government or the decision of the U.N. Security Council is a gross, obvious and unwarranted violation of international law.

"If before it was due to the task of combating terrorism, now there is a clear act of aggression against a sovereign Syria. U.S. actions taken today further destroy the Russian-American relations."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meanwhile said Moscow would demand an explanation from the U.S. over the air strikes, describing the attack as "an act of aggression with an invented pretext", and adding that he hoped the "provocation" would not lead to irreparable damage to Russia's ties with the U.S.

The British government has meanwhile said it "fully supports" the U.S. in carrying out the air strike, describing the cruise missile strikes launched from U.S. ships in the Mediterranean as a "warning shot" that was "necessary and appropriate".

As reported, U.S. warships launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian government airbase on President Donald Trump's orders on April 7. U.S. officials said the warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks were based there. The missiles were launched from warships in the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to recent data, 100 people died and 300 were injured in a chemical attack in the Syrian northwestern province of Idlib. UNICEF confirmed a t least 27 children were killed in the attack in Idlib, northwest of Syria.

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

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Klympush Joanna Tsintsadze said that Ukraine asks the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide defensive arms for protection.

She announced during the Kyiv Security Forum, reports Tsenzor.NET with reference to Ukrainian News .

"We ask for help Ukraine to provide defensive arms. If the Allies finally dare to take this step and give Ukraine a defensive weapon, it means that we can better protect our every citizen" - said Klympush-Tsintsadze.

Deputy Prime Minister added that having weapons, high-tech Ukraine can show the ability to protect the state.

As reported, Deputy General NATO Secretary Rose Gottemoeller said that the alliance is exploring the experience of Ukraine in the fight against hybrid threats.

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

Ukraine's president has commented on the European Parliament's decision.

As reported by Censor.NET, Petro Poroshenko commented on the results of voting in the EP on Ukraine's visa-free travel to Europe.

"Yes! 521 votes in the European Parliament in support of visa-free travel for Ukraine," the president wrote on Facebook.



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

Recent Russian actions suggest a new stage of the Russian threat to Ukraine—and potentially to the Caucasus, Belarus or the Baltic states as well—that could presage a new large-scale military operation.

First, in 2016, Russia created 25 division formations and 15 brigades, while raising manpower by only 10,000 men. This suggests the possibility that Russia may aim to wage protracted large-scale war using the Soviet model, with a Soviet-type army composed of “skeleton units” that existed solely on paper until they were called up as part of the process of mass mobilization.

That such mobilization may be under consideration is apparent from the Kavkaz-2016 and other military exercises in 2016 where Moscow mobilized forces from the Ministry of Interior, banks to pay soldiers’ wages in the fields and hospitals to provide field hospitals, as well as entire provincial civilian administrations. Russia is apparently thinking about possible protracted contingencies and is returning to fantasies of a Soviet-type military and mobilization effort.

Second, as part of that military process in 2016-2017, Moscow created the 1st Guards Tank Army, the 40th Army and the 8th Army, and deployed them all around Ukraine’s borders. The 8th Army headquarters is at Rostov-On-Don, from where it could strike toward the Caucasus if necessary, or be air- or sea-lifted to the Middle East.

Moreover, any of these armies could quickly be moved toward Belarus to put down unrest there, if Belarus’s government cannot or will not do so.

In addition, as David Batashvili notes at EurasiaNet, Russia has created four new divisions: the 150th Motorized Rifle Division in the Rostov region, the 10th Armored Division and the 3rd Mechanized Division in the Voronezh region, and the 144th Motorized Rifle Division near Smolensk. They will be headquartered 50, 45 and 255 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, respectively.......................

Access complete text of the editorial:  newsweek.com In English

The Russian prime minister said that the United States acted inconsistently with international law

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was indignant about the US missile attack on the airfield Syrian government troops and said that the actions of the administration Trump put the US on the brink of hostilities with Russia.

This is Medvedev wrote on his page in Facebook .

"All. Remains election fog dissipated. Instead replicated thesis of the joint struggle against the main enemy - IDIL ( "Islamic state") Trump administration has proved that will maintain a relentless struggle against the legitimate government of Syria, "- Medvedev wrote.

According to the Russian prime minister, the US acted contrary to international law, while not received the approval of the UN.

Furthermore, according to Medvedev, Trump administration acted "in violation of its own procedures ... On the verge of clashes with Russia."

Thus, the United States allegedly violated the "limits of decency."

"For them (beyond. - Ed.) - absolute disbelief. What does extremely sad for our damaged relationship. And of course, gratifying for terrorists, "- he added.

As reported by "head office" , the US president, Donald Trump gave the order to strike at the air base in Syria , which, he said, was carried out chemical attacks in Idlib province.

59 Tomahawk missiles were fired from American ships in the Mediterranean.

Attempts were directed against Syrian Air Force bases closed hangars, refueling and logistics infrastructure, bunkers with weapons, air defense systems and radar.

"The blow is proportionate response to the" nefarious actions of Bashar Assad. " Shayrat airfield on which were inflicted blows, used to store chemical weapons and stationing government air force ", - reported in the Pentagon, adding missile launch video .

It was reported that the military base in Syria, where Russian troops are located, do not come under missile attack US.

glavcom.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українській мові

Russia warned on Friday that U.S. cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base could have “extremely serious” consequences, as President Donald Trump’s first major foray into a foreign conflict opened up a rift between Moscow and Washington.

The warships USS Porter and USS Ross in the Mediterranean Sea launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles that hit the airstrip, aircraft and fuel stations of Shayrat air base, which the Pentagon says was involved in a chemical weapons attack this week.

It was Trump’s biggest foreign policy decision since taking office in January and the kind of direct intervention in Syria’s six-year-old civil war his predecessor Barack Obama avoided.

The strikes were in reaction to what Washington says was a poison gas attack by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that killed at least 70 people in rebel-held territory.

The U.S. action catapulted Washington into confrontation with Russia, which has military advisers on the ground aiding its close ally Assad.

“We strongly condemn the illegitimate actions by the U.S. The consequences of this for regional and international stability could be extremely serious,” Russia’s deputy U.N. envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev charged that the U.S. strikes were one step away from clashing with Russia’s military.

U.S. officials informed Russian forces ahead of the missile strikes, and avoided hitting Russian personnel.

Satellite imagery suggests the base houses Russian special forces and helicopters, part of the Kremlin’s effort to help Assad fight Islamic State and other militant groups........................

Access complete text of the editorial:   rawstory.com In English

Leadership of the Russian Federation (RF) is not ready for the formation of the Union State with Belarus.

This was stated by President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko in an interview ITRC "Mir", published on the official website of the head of the Republic.

"We have done a lot in this direction", - Lukashenko said, commenting on the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

According to him, at the moment, "there is the situation that would have pushed us to action on the formation of all elements of the Union State", referring to a common constitution, a common currency, as well as general government.

"So now, at this stage (as I have just said, once we return to this point, the formation of the Union State), today we are not ready for this, and not only Belarusians, as the Russians, the Russian leadership", - he stressed Lukashenko.

He said that Belarus should have equal conditions for life and production.

"We have to have the people and businesses of the company, equal conditions for life and production, operation of production. Well, you see, which is a level playing field if we get five times, our businesses, natural gas more expensive than Russia ?!" - said President of Belarus.

Recall, April 2, 1997 signed an agreement on the Union of Belarus and Russia. Already on May 23 was approved by the Union's charter, which defines the competence and functioning of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State. It was planned that the Union State of Russia and Belarus camp supranational Russia and Belarus to gradually organized a single political, economic, military, customs, currency, legal, humanitarian and cultural space.

From 1 January 2004, the parties were to introduce a single currency, but this has not happened. The main reasons cited countries disagreement about the proposed currency reform. Thus, Belarus insisted on substantial compensation for the abandonment of the national currency - the Belarusian ruble, Russia also rejected these proposals, and the Republic refused to accept the Russian ruble.

As reported by the "Observer", previously Lukashenko spoke about the excellent relations with Putin , saying that they are siblings.

obozrevatel.com , Original in Russian / На русском

Quora Questions are part of a partnership between Newsweek and Quora, through which we'll be posting relevant and interesting answers from Quora contributors throughout the week. Read more about the partnership here.

Answer from Ross Cohen, news junkie:

If anyone doubts Russia is benefiting from the Donald Trump presidency, they just haven’t thought about it enough. Russia benefits from the Trump presidency in any number of ways—at least 20 by my count.

They would also unquestionably benefit even more if the hubbub caused by their interference with the American presidential election on Trump’s behalf hadn’t cast such a spotlight on the issue, which has produced continuing revelations about their connections to high-level Trump staffers, basically every few days, for the entire Trump presidency.

Before getting into how Russia benefits, it’s important that we’re all aware of two established facts:

The seventeen agencies of the U.S. Intelligence Community unanimously concluded with high confidence that Russia ran a significant operation to interfere with the U.S. presidential election.

The FBI director recently confirmed under oath that Donald Trump and his campaign/administration are under active FBI investigation for possibly colluding with Russia in this plot to affect the election.......................

Access complete text of the editorial:  newsweek.com In English

Syrian President Bashar Asad thought that Russia will cover it, but things have changed.

This was stated by the US permanent representative to the UN, Nikki Heyli, said Chastime .

"Assad did it because he thought that he get away with it he thought that he get away with it, because he knew that.. Russia will cover him last night that changed", - said Haley.

She added that "the international community is not able to act collectively, there comes a time when the country should act on their own."

"The indiscriminate use of chemical weapons against innocent civilians - it is this time," - said Haley.



According to her, the USA will not observe how chemical weapons are used in Syria.

"This is our vital interest of safety - to prevent the promotion and use of chemical weapons Our military destroyed the ground, where the missile with chemical weapons was launched It was absolutely justified by the United States will no longer wait for Assad impunity will use chemical weapons, these... times - in the past "- said the US ambassador to the UN.

In addition, she added that now "it is necessary to proceed to the next phase - the path to a political solution to this terrible conflict."

"We expect that the Syrian regime and its allies will take the political UN process seriously - that's what they still did we expect from Russia and Iran, so they made an ally to be responsible and adhere to the truce the United States went on.. . very balanced move last night, we are ready for more, but we hope it does not need ", - summed up Haley.

Recall that in the Syrian city of Idlib as a result of the use of chemical weapons killed more than 100 people , another 400 were injured. According to UNICEF, in Syria have died 27 children .

The UN Security Council voted for a resolution on himatakam in Syria because of Russia. Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN Vladimir Yelchenko said that Russia defends the lies and falsifications , which produces the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Ministry of Health in Turkey has confirmed that Syria has chemical attack, and declassified the name of the deadly substance , and in the United States said about preparation for cleaning operations, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from office.

As reported by the "Observer", the United States struck a powerful missile strike on Syria . The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, said Vice-Premier Mike Pence support for such a move .

obozrevatel.com, Original in Russian / На русском

As the Russian shells and rockets rained down on them in the front-line town of Debaltseve in February 2015, Ukrainian troops began to receive curious, anonymous text messages on their cellphones.

“Your comrades nearby already left their positions, so you should leave yours as well,” one message read.

The messages also claimed that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, as well as Ukrainian military commanders, had “betrayed” the soldiers.

The Ukrainian military later concluded that Russian military forces had taken over the local cellphone network with mobile jamming stations. The text messages were part of a psychological operation against Ukrainian troops, not too different in its intent from dropping propaganda leaflets from airplanes, a psychological warfare technique that dates back to World War I as a way to demoralize troops.

“Three years into the Russian aggression, we have experienced every Kremlin method and technique there is,” Poroshenko told The Daily Signal.

“And I should remind that Moscow started its campaigns in Crimea and eastern Ukraine particularly with the subtle manipulation of information,” Poroshenko said. “Tanks, artillery and hundreds of innocent victims followed later.”

The combined use of propaganda and cyberwarfare to support military operations on the ground are hallmarks of Russian “hybrid warfare.”

In Ukraine, Russian military forces have combined World War I and II–era weapons and tactics—like artillery bombardments, tank attacks and trench warfare—with weapons unique to the 21st century battlefield, such as cyberattacks and sophisticated propaganda campaigns geared toward TV and internet audiences.

In September 2014, U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove, then NATO’s top commander, called Russia’s hybrid war in Ukraine “the most amazing information warfare blitzkrieg we have ever seen in the history of information warfare.”

“Fake news is a weapon,” Viktor Kovalenko, a Ukrainian journalist and army combat veteran from the 2015 battle of Debaltseve, told The Daily Signal.

“I saw firsthand how Russians use fake news against the Ukrainian troops on the front line,” Kovalenko, a former professor of journalism at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, added. “Via fake news Russians wanted to defeat Ukrainians the same way, effectively, as by artillery and tanks.”

Related: Nolan Peterson: Ukrainians hunker down for a long war

Hybrid warfare is Russia’s modern interpretation of a Soviet military doctrine called “deep battle,” in which military operations extend beyond the front lines deep into an enemy country’s territory in order to hinder its ability to wage war.

And, some say, Russia is tapping into its hybrid warfare arsenal, now battle-tested in Ukraine, to wage a uniquely 21st century style of war against the United States and the European Union.

For its part, the U.S. is currently investigating whether Russia spread fake news and used cyberwarfare to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“Whether it is Ukraine, the EU, or the United States, Russia has the same playbook and goals,” Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, said. “It employs hybrid warfare—so-called fake news, computer hacking, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, snap drills, direct military interventions, and so on and so forth—to undermine the Western democracies and break the transatlantic unity.”

Fake News, Real War.........................

Access complete text of the editorial:   newsweek.com In English