Ukraine crisis. News in brief. Sunday 25 June. [Ukrainian sources]

SATURDAY

Please scroll to view news items added during the day.

HEADLINES:
Trump debate withdrawal from the missile treaty with Russia. "Head of the CIA said the old Kremlin attempts to "undermine" democracy in the US. Russia has explained why Putin is accomplished dream of full negotiations with Trump.  Russia called Norway "is not entirely predictable partner" for US Marines.  "Nord Stream-2", which implements Russia threatens EU energy security.  In the development of the Carpathian region interested in 8 countries.  In the State Duma of the Russian Federation commented on the entry of Russians in Ukraine Bio-metric passports: "Ukraine will pay for this great price". Kushner meeting shines spotlight on Russian bank.

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In the development of the Carpathian region interested in 8 countries, including Ukraine. That regional cooperation - is the way to provide a new quality of life in the Carpathian region.

This was announced by Parliament Speaker Andrew Paruby in the central discussions II Forum of Local Development "Carpathian macro-regional strategy: we can create a new quality of cooperation in the heart of Europe", said Tsenzor.NET with reference to the press service of the Forum.

. "The Carpathian region - It is almost unique in the center of Europe, which stretches over 1.5 thousand km and covers 8 countries, which, like Ukraine, is interested in it. development", - said Paruby.

According to the Ukrainian parliament speaker, it is regional co-operation - is a way to provide a new quality of life in the Carpathian region, its rehabilitation and reconstruction.

"Now the Carpathian region of Ukraine has a lot of problems in the infrastructure, the economy and during meetings with the chairmen of local councils we are looking for solutions to problems. But it is developments of macro-regional strategies will Carpathians become a promising and opportunity for its citizens. Moreover, we have positive examples. This regional strategy was implemented in the Alps, the Baltic countries, therefore this experience, we need to spread and use in our region", -. Paruby convinced.

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Norway decided to extend the deployment of US Marines on their territory have a negative impact on relations with Russia and could exacerbate tensions in the north wing of NATO.

This was stated by the Russian Embassy in Oslo, reports Tsenzor.NET with reference to RIA Novosti .

earlier the Government of Norway reported that 330 US Marines will remain in the country until the end of 2018.

"We believe that this step is contrary to the Norwegian policy on the non-stationing of foreign military bases in the country in time of peace", - quotes agency statement of the diplomatic mission.

The move "makes Norway is not entirely predictable partner, can also increase tension and destabilize the situation in the northern region," the report said.

Three hundred Marines from the United States arrived in January in Norway to participate in military training program, designed for six months. They are placed on a rotating basis within the framework of a bilateral agreement on cooperation in military training and exercises. The corresponding decision, the Norwegian Government decided in October last year.

The US military are based around Trondheim Værnes.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Russian project "North Stream-2" could jeopardize the energy security of European countries.

This was during the II Forum of local development in Truskavets, said the head of the Ukrainian parliament Andrei Paruby reports Tsenzor.NET citing Espresso.TV.

He noted that during his meeting with the speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan, the latter expressed the belief that it will be much cheaper liquefied natural gas on the market than the that there is today.

According Parubiya, getting a new stream of liquefied natural gas will help to protect the energy security of Ukraine.

"We have expressed a common position on the fact that the" Nord Stream-2 ", which today sells Russia, is harmful to Ukraine, contrary to the interests of Ukraine and many European states, and can affect their energy security" - said the head of the Verkhovna Rada.

Recall, the project "North Stream - 2" includes the construction of two lines of the offshore pipeline a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia to Germany under the the Baltic sea.

At the beginning of September 2015, "Gazprom", Shell, OMV, E.On. signed a shareholders' agreement for joint project company, which will deal with the construction of the gas pipeline "Nord Stream - 2". In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally gave a start to the construction of the gas pipeline "Ukhta - Torzhok-2", which will ensure the supply of gas through the pipeline "Nord Stream - 2" gas supplies from Russia to the European Union, bypassing Ukraine.

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українському

The head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the USA Mike Pompeo said that the Kremlin has long sought to undermine democracy in the country and the intervention of the American campaign in 2016 was no exception.

He said this in an interview to MSNBC.

"They're doing it for a long time, the Russians are trying to shake our decades of democracy. Intelligence community have said that the Russians intervened in the elections not much that original way" - said Pompeo.

The head of the CIA also said that US President Donald Trump refers to information the intelligence community with great attention.

"I can not imagine a more false statements than that in which the president called Trump disinterested in intelligence data and information relating to national security" - said Pompeo.

As reported by "Apostrophe" Donald Trump for many days around 6:30 every morning - before going to broadcast news programs - the phone with his legal team discusses everything connected with the scandal around the Russian intervention in US elections .

apostrophe.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Head of the Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation on International Affairs Alexei Pushkov suggested that "a mirror to respond" to the complication of Russian citizens entering Ukraine.

As the Tsenzor.NET , about this he wrote on his page on Twitter on Saturday.

"Russia should mirror to respond to the growing complexity of entry ross.grazhdan in Ukraine Turchynov announced Ukraine will pay for this great price" - Pushkov wrote.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Russian opposition politician Konstantin Borovoy said that the Defense Ministry statement that they will destroy the flying objects in Syria could be a cause for Donald Trump to cancel the meeting with Vladimir Putin.

This opinion was expressed by a politician in his column on the "apostrophe".

"But I think that the meeting will be. Short. That dream Putin's extensive meeting, which will be discussed Syria and Ukraine and non-membership of NATO in Ukraine and Crimea, not stand" - said Borovoy.

Politician predicts that during the meeting of Putin and Trump will not concluded an agreement and can only be preparing for more serious negotiations.

"However, to make breakthrough campaign as hope in the Kremlin, it is impossible", - said Borovoy. In this case, adding that negotiations are possible provided mutual concessions, which is not the Kremlin.

apostrophe.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Moscow-controlled VEB has no banking licence but supports Kremlin’s priority projects

When President Vladimir Putin needed billions of roubles to build facilities for the Sochi Winter Olympics or fund spending in a region of Ukraine claimed by Russian separatists, he turned to Vnesheconombank (VEB).

So when it emerged that Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and special adviser, had met the ailing state development bank’s chairman Sergei Gorkov in New York in December, it set alarm bells ringing with US investigators examining ties between Mr Trump’s inner circle and some of the Kremlin’s power-brokers.

Now an institution founded by Lenin, once chaired by Mr Putin and subject to international sanctions has been drawn into the spreading inquiry, widely termed “Russiagate”, as speculation continues over what Mr Gorkov and Mr Kushner discussed at the meeting just weeks before Mr Trump was installed in the White House.

Without a banking licence, central bank regulation or an independent board, VEB is not a bank in any conventional sense. Instead it is essentially an instrument of the Kremlin that has become a special-purpose vehicle to support priority projects from Moscow...................

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

The reason for fainting - a sharp imbalance in blood sugar.

As the Tsenzor.NET with reference to 112 , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lost consciousness in the mosque at Istanbul during the festive prayer marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to CNN's Turk reported.

According to the report, Erdogan arrived in Mimar Sinan Mosque in Ataşehir. During the prayer, he abruptly fell ill and lost consciousness. The president to provide urgent medical aid on the spot.

"Today I had a sharp imbalance in blood sugar, however, doctors in a short time brought me to my senses, and now my condition is good." - said it during intercourse with reporters after the incident.

The President stressed that the reason for the termination of prayer there.

censor.net.ua, Original in Russian / На русском

The administration of US President Donald Trump held a debate about whether to come out of the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter (RSMD), which was concluded between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987.

This writes Politico .

Recall that under the Treaty, the United States and the Soviet Union (and now Russia) undertake not to create, test and deploy ballistic and cruise missiles and ground-based medium (1,000 to 5,500 km) and low (500 to 1,000 km) range . The Obama administration in 2014 said that Russia is testing these missiles.

It is noted that the "hawks" among the GOP push Trump in response to a start development of new missiles. "Republican" Mike Rogers said that "irresponsible for us to maintain the agreement when one of the participants has long moved away from him."

In turn, representatives of the State Department and the Pentagon believe that the Treaty RSMD important to US national security. Also, some representatives of agencies believe that the US withdrawal from the Treaty could mark the beginning of an arms race.

The Kremlin denied that Russia violates Treaty RSMD, but officials in the military and US intelligence say otherwise. Last month, Director of National Intelligence Kuats Deng said in the Senate Committee on Armed forces that Russia probably developed cruise missiles banned since the Treaty does not prohibit RSMD American allies possess such weapons.

Also senator- "Republican" As Cotton this year introduced a bill that blames Russia in material breach of the Treaty RSMD and allowing American allies to supply medium-range missiles.

apostrophe.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському  

Russia will take response if US withdrawal from the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter
This was stated by chairman of the committee of the Federation Council of Defense and Security Viktor Ozerov, reports "RIA Novosti".

"We will closely monitor the actions of our colleagues in Congress and we will draw conclusions", - said Ozerov.

He said that if the US withdrawal will be linked to the build-up of weapons or missile deployment in Europe, Russia "look past will not." He believes that the US is no reason to accuse Russia of reneging agreement. According to Ozerov, Russia destroyed in 1000 missiles than the United States.

Recall that members of Congress made a proposal to withdraw from the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter.

espreso.tv, Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Russian military in the occupied territories of Donbass use alcohol and drugs, and then arrange accidents, it was stated in the press service of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine on Facebook.

"Among the civilians temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions is growing dissatisfaction with the actions of servicemen of Russian occupation troops in service while in a state of alcohol and drug intoxication. June 22 sixth individual soldier infantry regiment (Kadiyivka) of the second Army Corps, while in state drugged driving, had committed an accident"- referred to in the message.

The press service of the intelligence added that on June 23 arrested a commander of the Second Army Corps mouth, which led the truck while intoxicated.

June 5 in the intelligence report that a female sniper militants drunk got into an accident.

The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine started in April 2014. The fighting taking place between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and pro-Russian militants who control part of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

gordonua.com , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

12 guards of the Turkish President Recep Erdogan in Washington in May beat opposition supporters in Turkey Kurdistan Workers' Party. Guardians Germany warned the Turkish side of the impossibility of entry of persons into the country to attend a summit of G20.

German authorities banned the guards of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appear on the G-20 summit to be held July 8-9 in Hamburg. This newspaper Welt am Sonntag , citing its own sources.

We are talking about 12 guards who in May in Washington beat protesters during the visit of Erdogan to the US.
Federal Office of Criminal Police of Germany warned the Turkish side that guards against whom the United States issued arrest warrants have no right to come to the country.

"Foreign colleagues have only the right to self-defense" - reminded the German department.

The incident occurred on May 16 at the residence of the Turkish ambassador, which came a few dozen protesters with flags of the opposition in Turkey Kurdistan Workers' Party. They started a quarrel with security Erdogan, after which there was a fight . During the clashes nine people were injured and two arrested.

gordonua.com , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

A boy rides a bicycle near a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher system at an exhibition of military weapons and vehicles seized from pro-Russian separatists during fighting in eastern Ukraine, in central Kyiv, Ukraine, September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Like many articles and analyses of the Minsk process, “Ukrainian Military Progress Could Violate Minsk Peace Process” lacks a clear geopolitical understanding of its context. Without this context, it is difficult to make sense of any facts presented.

Both the EU and the United States levied sanctions to encourage Moscow to end its aggression and to discourage it from the expanding the war further into Ukraine.

Equally important is that fact that the sanctions were levied not long before the Minsk I Agreement was negotiated in September 2014, but Moscow’s continuing aggression included the seizure of hundreds of square kilometers of additional Ukrainian territory. A Russian offensive violating Minsk I led to the negotiation of the Minsk II Agreement in February 2015, with terms far more negative for Ukraine. Those terms delayed the return of border control to Ukraine and permitted the Russian-controlled separatists to maintain their own military forces.

The bottom line is clear: Moscow is conducting a low intensity war in the Donbas to destabilize the government in Ukraine by producing regular Ukrainian casualties, seizing small increments of additional Ukrainian territory, and overtaxing the economy.

None of this appears in “Ukrainian Military Progress Could Violate Minsk Peace Process.” This is perhaps not surprising as the article is part of a generally superb series produced by DFRLab that is heavy on data, but short on larger analysis, or context.

But even here there is a problem because the article talks only about the possible Minsk violations by one party to the conflict, and the victim at that. This approach ignores the fact that the Russians and their proxies are responsible for most of the violations, and that Ukrainian violations are often in response to Moscow’s. The Ukrainians recognize that Russian violations have led to the loss of additional territory with no serious response from the West.

Ukrainian troops are adamant that they don’t respond with banned weapons. “If they shoot at us with mortars, we respond with machine guns,” Ivan Burdiuh, a press officer for the 30th Brigade, told The Daily Signal in February.

The best source of unbiased data about the fighting in the Donbas comes from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Since the OSCE operates on consensus and Russia is a member, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) must be cautious in how it puts out information. While it reports violations on a daily basis, it does not aggregate them. And most of the violations that it reports are described as “undetermined.”

Still the SMM daily reports, if aggregated, yield useful information beyond the intensity of the ceasefire violations. In May, for example, the OSCE SMM reported that the Ukrainian side suffered the impact of 945 explosions, while the Russian side experienced only 145. The Russians have likewise proved a greater obstacle to SMM staff’s movements. In May, the Russians blocked access to SMM personnel 82 times, while Ukrainians blocked access 54 times. Such data are much more relevant to evaluate the ceasefire than the possible presence of new Ukrainian weapon systems near the line of contact...................

khpg.org

Ukraine’s Security Service [SBU] has set up a special page on Facebook where citizens can effectively denounce their fellow Ukrainians for lack of patriotism. This is all supposed to be part of civic involvement in drawing up amendments to legislation to ensure liability for those involvement in “hybrid warfare serving the Russian aggressor”. Media specialists and rights activists believe that Ukrainian legislation already provides such mechanisms, and that the SBU would be better carrying out its own work on protecting national security, rather than putting forward plans to impose unnecessary restrictions on freedom of speech.

The Head of the SBU, Vasyl Hrytsak, has come out with two statements over the last week or so. The first, on June 15, was a call to “all patriots to share responsibility for the future of Ukraine” and to fight the ‘fifth column’ which Russia began cultivating, he stresses, long before its open attack on Ukraine.

After assurances of the Security Service’s commitment to democratic values and true patriotism, Hrytsak goes on to speak of the alleged need to draw up legislation on criminal liability and the SBU’s willingness to take part in this. He says that their aim is “to provide a legal assessment in the Criminal Code of all forms and methods of hybrid warfare. <> In conditions of aggression, it is not only military statutes that are written in blood, but also laws for traitors and accomplices to the aggressor. That is the force of law”.

The force of law is in its precision and clarity, making it easy to foresee what actions make a person a traitor or accomplice. So far, there is none.

The media widely reported Hrytsak as proposing criminal liability for propaganda. Once again, what does this mean? When does the manipulative use of material and / or downright lies to create a negative view of the government, Ukraine’s ‘anti-terrorist operation’ (or war effort) in Donbas, or of the country’s right to exist become a criminal offence?

Hrytsak also calls for a covenant of “information unity drawn up with Ukrainian journalists for countering the enemy”. He calls Russian propaganda a weapon which Russia uses to try to destroy our faith in freedom of speech and democracy. The response, he says, should be “a boycott of all representatives of the fifth column of the Russian Federation in the Ukrainian information realm. They should become persona non-grata, with this, he explains, being “the force of public opinion”.

This sounds rather better, though the question also arises of what one does about those unwilling to make such a pact, or to observe it. Would they face ostracism or criminal liability?

A second statement on June 20 was somewhat mellower in its tone. Hrytsak is initiating “the creation of a public platform for joint transparent discussion on countering Russian information aggression”. He invites specialists, lawyers, journalists and civic activists to take part in “dialogue and cooperation on safeguarding Ukraine’s national security”.

This would, however, still result in the same: legislation on all forms and methods of hybrid warfare, and criminal liability for those individuals and legal entities “who knowingly take part in it, serving the interests of the Russian aggressor”.

“Each patriot of Ukraine can leave their proposals regarding the list of actions posing a threat to Ukraine’s national interests and demanding legal response on the Facebook page here or send them to .

After processing these proposals, Hrytsak says, and taking into account both SBU experience and “leading law practice of EU countries and the USA on countering hybrid warfare”, the SBU will initiate public discussion on the proposed amendments to legislation.

Olha Chervakova, Deputy Chair of the parliamentary committee on freedom of speech, told Radio Svoboda that she believes a draft law with amendments to legislation on information security is needed, as are any efforts on countering Russian aggression. She has no problem with the involvement in this of the SBU, since it is they who can provide information about people who pose an immediate danger. She does, however, think that a working group must be drawn up.

Dmytro Zolotukhin, Deputy Minister of Information Policy, says that most prosecutions for public calls on the social network VKontakte to overthrow the constitutional order have resulted in suspended sentences. He notes that law enforcement bodies have “a certain deficit of norms which can be applied, however for a democratic country that is absolutely normal. It is abnormal that we are building a democratic state in conditions of effective war”.

Tetyana Popova, a media lawyer, believes that the first statement from the SBU “startled international journalist organizations” and that the second has made a move towards meeting civic concerns. Whether that is at declaration, or comes to something, remains to be seen. She does not believe that anybody, including the SBU, should interfere with freedom of speech.

The Director of the Institute for Mass Information is even more blunt. Oksana Romanyuk sees no need for such a move since there are sufficient laws in the information sphere.

“I think that the SBU should spend a bit more time on its own tasks and not encroach upon regulation of the flow of information”. She believes that the situation in Ukraine both with legislation, and with self-regulating bodies is OK as it is. Her position was shared by Mykhailo Chaplyha from the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsperson..................

khpg.org

The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), is conducting an investigation against the national team of Russia in connection with the allegations of the use of its players of doping on the 2014 World Cup.
Reported Tsenzor.NET with reference to Deutsche Welle.

Under suspicion were all 23 of the team member, speaking in Brazil, as well as 11 other players. According to the newspaper, FIFA asked whether Russia was part of the team "doping program supported by the state."

Anti-doping authorities are interested in Russian players because of the ambiguous results of analyzes of different samples of urine, which is found as steroids, as well as evidence of high levels of testosterone. At least a few athletes are likely to provide an opportunity to successfully pass all the tests using the substitution samples, writes Mail on Sunday after its own investigation materials.

FIFA Sunday, June 25, has officially confirmed that such an investigation is carried out in a really respect the Russian team, but refused to disclose the names of the suspects and to comment on the current state of affairs, the agency dpa.

Five national team in 2014, the composition of the players involved in the Confederations Cup, held in Russia.

According to a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dick Pound, FIFA must come to a "reasonable conclusion" before the start of the World Cup in Russia in 2018. "In football, it denied doping for years at the institutional level - he said -. They (FIFA executives -. Ed.) Is absolutely necessary to perceive this incident seriously." According to Pound, typical for the Russian doping system is freezing "clean" urine samples of athletes for their subsequent use in the delivery of analyzes.

The report of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) under the direction of Richard McLaren repeatedly referred to the Vice Prime Minister of Russia Vitaly Mutko, who previously held the post of Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation, as a man who allegedly direct involvement in the state program of support of doping in Russian sports, especially concealment of applications doping in Russian football. Mutko is also the president of the Russian Football Union and a member of the executive committee of FIFA, the Russian government is responsible for the preparation of the 2018 World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the end of 2016, said that the federation will apply sanctions if cases of doping Russian players will be proved, which the report says.

censor.net.ua , Original in Russian / На русском

The United States is ready to be more active in the process of settlement of the situation in the Donbass.

Said Poroshenko, reports "Interfax-Ukraine".

"We stand for preserving Minsk Normandy format and arrangements, and we welcome - and received assurances in this - in terms of enhancing the role of the US in this process", - he said.

According to him, US President Donald Trump uses the first meeting with President Vladimir Putin to convince him "the absolute futility of attempts to pressure on Ukraine."

Until then Poroshenko said that the US can resolve the issue of granting Ukraine defense weapons in current fiscal year.

Recall, on Tuesday June 20 President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko first met with Trump . Negotiations took place in the White House.


, Original in Ukrainian / на українськомуhromadske.ua

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said that the US can solve the issue of Ukraine defense weapons in current fiscal year.

Informs "Interfax-Ukraine".

"As defense agreements we have today is practically agreed text. We wait for 2-3 months visit of US Secretary of Defense in Ukraine during this visit, I hope the agreement will be signed, "- Poroshenko said.

According to him, this issue is currently a priority for the Ukrainian side.

"And the provision of defensive weapons is very active. Moreover, during the meeting with the Minister of Defense, which was confirmed during a meeting in the White House position on the supply of defensive weapons will try to solve in current fiscal year", - he said.


hromadske.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському