Ukraine News in brief. Friday 4 August. [Ukrainian sources]

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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
U.S. not to turn blind eye to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.  Putin agrees with Trump, who accused the Congress of degrading relations with Russia.  "Dictators should remember they all end the same": Turchynov on new U.S. sanctions against Putin’s Russia.  Atlantic Council announces US use of new weapons to curb Putin.  One soldier was killed and five were injured during exercises in the Kyiv region. US should help Ukraine restore the military fleet and increase the amount of financial assistance.  US gave a clear signal: if the sanctions applied against the Russian Federation do not give the desired effect - they need to be strengthened".  About ten NATO countries will take part in the military parade on Independence Day. Why Ukraine, Georgia, And Moldova Matter.

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The U.S. wants to have better relations with Russia, but will not turn a blind eye to Putin's bad acts, including in Ukraine.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert told a briefing on Thursday, Censor.NET reports.

"Just because we want to find areas of cooperation and to improve the relationship in - with Russia where we can because they are also a nuclear superpower does not mean that we will turn a blind eye to some of the bad acts that they are involved with, such as Ukraine," Nauert said.

"You know how important that is to us to try to maintain or try to get back Ukraine's integrity and territorial sovereignty. That is something that we are passionate about," Nauert said.

"Ukraine, a very serious issue. We will continue to hold Russia accountable to that. We just appointed Kurt Volker to go out and deal with part of that issue."

Late July, the U.S. Senate passed the new sanctions bill against Russia overwhelmingly and sent it to Trump for signature. Russia in response restricted U.S. diplomatic missions' access to several facilities and demanded to shorten the staff of the mission by 755 people by Sept. 1.

Trump signed the new bill on Russia sanctions on Aug. 2, but in a signing statement, he said he sees serious flaws in this document, although signs it for the sake of the national unity.

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

The Russian authorities agree that relations with the USA are currently at a very low level

This was announced by the press secretary of President Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov, reports Reuters.

He reacted to the message of the American head of the Donald Trump on Twitter that the US relationship with Russia is at an unbelievably low and dangerous level.

"We fully share this opinion. The danger may be the lack of cooperation and cooperation on issues that are vital to our two countries and peoples," Peskov emphasized.

Read also: Painful and harsh. Everything about new US sanctions against Russia

Note that Trump's comment appeared in the social network after he signed the law on new sanctions against Russia.

espreso.tv , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov has commented on the introduction in the U.S. of the Russia Sanctions Act, saying that the regimes of Russia and North Korea are becoming more similar to each other while the rest of world starts to see this clearer, the NSDC's press service said.

"It is a sign that in the bill passed by the Congress, supported by the Senate and signed by U.S. President Trump, imposing sanctions, Russia is put on a par with North Korea," Turchynov said. "This shows that the world is beginning to understand that the regimes of these two countries are becoming more similar to each other – unpredictable and dangerous," he said...................

unian.info/politics

The US, with the help of new technologies, is trying to resist Russia's dominance in the European gas market.

This is in an article for the Atlantic Council, the expert of the Belfer Center for Science and International Relations Harvard Mary Kennedy Dugas writes , reports ZN.ua.

It is noted that thanks to new technologies, the US is experiencing a boom in shale gas production, which may disrupt the energy dominance of the Russian Federation.

This will help move Russia from a geopolitical position, creating a strong rival to Gazprom, which is used by the Russian authorities as a political instrument.

By 2020, the United States can become the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world. At the moment, Lithuania has already built a terminal for receiving liquefied natural gas, and Poland has signed a supply contract with the United States.

apostrophe.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

At one of the military landfills in the Kyiv region during the firing, one soldier was killed, and five more - injured.

This is reported by the press center of the Land Forces of Ukraine.

It is noted that a rupture of an artillery munition occurred at the rig.



TRANSLATION:
Today at one of the military polihoniv kyiv region, during the battle of, the mainstream of one army was killed, another five soldiers received injuries. Set the commission to find out the reasons and circumstances.

The victim received emergency medical care and was evacuated to a health facility.

The commission and law enforcement officials work on the site to determine the causes and circumstances of the emergency.

Recall that on July 20 in the Dnipropetrovsk region, at 239 rounds of combat, during the competition for the best tank crew, 8 military personnel received injuries of varying severity due to the explosion of an engineering munition.

hromadske.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

The US should help Ukraine restore its navy, which was virtually destroyed during the occupation of Crimea by Russia.

As informs Censor.NET with the reference "Ukrinform", such opinion in the article for the publication of Defense One was expressed by the former deputy assistant to the Minister of Defense of the USA, Michael Carpenter.

"Now military aid to Ukraine from the US is rightly focused on the ground forces that are fighting in the Donbass, but Ukraine needs support in developing a fleet of small ships that can prevent a possible Russian aggression on the Ukrainian coast," Carpenter says.

In his opinion, the US should also expand the mandate of its military training mission in Ukraine.

Read on "Censor.NET": The US should give Ukraine the status of the main ally outside NATO, - Carpenter"

The focus of the current US military training program for the Ukrainian army should be moved from small tactical groups to more complex combined combat exercises, " he said, adding that Washington should also increase the amount of financial assistance that it allocates to boosting Ukraine's defense capability.

" The fiscal plan of $ 150 million is not enough for a country that is at war with a much larger enemy, inclined to endlessly support the blocs CT", - said Carpenter.

As previously reported, the US will give Ukraine patrol boats Islands . According to him, Washington should also increase the amount of financial assistance that it allocates for enhancing the defense capability of Ukraine. "The $ 150 million envisaged in the current fiscal plan is not enough for a country that is at war with a much larger enemy who are inclined to endlessly support the conflict," Carpenter emphasized.

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

The United States made it clear that there will be no steps back on the issue of sanctions against the Russian Federation.

This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko broadcast channel "112 Ukraine", according to his press service , reports Tsenzor.NET.

"The United States gave a clear signal to all: if the sanctions applied to Russia do not give the desired effect, they must be strengthened, not weakened. Today, the entire civilized world requires Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine and restore the territorial integrity of our state. No steps back on the issue of sanctions will not be until Russia fulfills all these conditions, "- said Rosenko.



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

In total, 4,500 servicemen will take part in the parade.

The soldiers of the NATO countries will take part in the parade of troops on Independence Day in Kiev. The journalists said the Minister of defense Stepan Poltorak, transfers Tsenzor.NET citing LB.ua.

"We are currently in talks, I think that up to 10 countries will take part, this is in particular the Baltic countries, there are negotiations with all the countries of the Alliance and the country that wants to join NATO - Georgia," Poltorak said, That at the moment the participation of servicemen from six countries has been agreed.

"This year a lot of our partners expressed their desire to take part in the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine. Next to us will be representatives of the Armed Forces of NATO countries and our partners with whom we work, we learn, and to help us to carry out the reform of the APU and the Ministry of harrows "- quoted Poltorak Interfax-Ukraine .

According to him, representatives of about 10 Of the countries will participate in the parade, 6 of them have already given their consent, and negotiations on this topic are still ongoing.

A total of 4,500 Ukrainian military will take part in the parade, of which about 1 thousand will be participants in the anti-terrorist operation in the Donbass,

among the parade participants there will also be 200 fighters.

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

The European Union on Friday will decide on adding new individuals and companies from Russia to the black list, which is subject to EU sanctions, in connection with the supply of turbines of the German industrial concern Siemens to Moscow, annexed by Moscow.

According to two diplomatic sources, there should not be any obstacles and the decision will be made, reports Censor. NO referring to Reuters.

EU member states can object to the proposal to expand the sanctions list until Friday evening.

The press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that this is not an excuse for reaction from Russia.

Earlier sources said that Germany calls on the European Union to add up to four Russian citizens and companies to the sanctions list due to the supply of Siemens gas turbines to the Crimea.

The EU sanctions list includes 150 people and 37 organizations that are subject to assets freeze and ban To enter the countries of the bloc. The sanctions expire on 15 September.

Siemens previously said that it has substantial evidence that all four gas turbines delivered for the project in southern Russia were illegally transferred to the Crimea, which confirms a series of articles by Reuters.

The German concern said earlier that it would stop the supply of power equipment to Russian state companies before developing new rules for controlling supplies, and also review existing supply agreements.

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

NATO relations with Russia are currently in the most difficult phase since the Cold War.

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with CNN .

So he commented on the recent statement by US President Donald Trump that "relations with Russia are now at an unprecedented low and dangerous level."

Stoltenberg recalled that after the end of the Cold War, the West hoped to establish close cooperation with Russia, but "after the annexation of the Crimea in 2014 and further destabilization of the situation in Eastern Ukraine, relations between NATO and the Russian Federation significantly deteriorated."

At the same time, NATO Secretary General stressed that a dialogue with Russia is possible in order to try and avoid a new Cold War.

"Russia will not go anywhere, Russia is our neighbor. Therefore, we are promoting a dual approach: containment and dialogue," added Stoltenberg.

apostrophe.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українському

The visit of US Vice President Mike Pence to the Baltic States and Georgia has signaled Moscow that Washington will resist its expansion against these countries, including military methods.

Such an opinion was expressed by the head of Newsader-TV Alexei Romanov, who lives in Georgia.

He stressed that Pens called Georgia an ally, confirmed the need for her to be accepted into NATO. "The American contingent clearly shows that we are faithful to our commitment," Penn responded to the question "Will the US defend Georgia in the event of Russia's attack?"

As the journalist notes, Pens could not fail to understand that his words would be perceived in Georgia literally - as a promise to fight Russia.

"So this is not just diplomatic politeness, it's something serious, it seems to me that this is a change in strategy. The transition from policy of persuasion and point sanctions to a policy of full-scale deterrence," Romanov added.

apostrophe.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

The infinite hold of power in their hands and constant enrichment are the main goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

About this in his column on "Apostrophe" wrote a Russian financier and blogger Slava Rabinovich.

According to the expert, the goals in question are the suspension of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the continuation of which could lead to new sanctions.

"Because it contradicted his goals, the most important of which was the endless retention of power for endless enrichment, because he understood that any escalation outside the feature that he was drawn to would result in a military defeat and a complete economic collapse that In turn will lead to an inevitable change in the regime", - said the expert.

apostrophe.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському  

A full-scale offensive against Ukraine is a suicide for the Russian president

US President Donald Trump signed a law on sanctions against Russia, Iran and the DPRK . Current restrictive measures have already caused a tangible blow to the Russian economy, and new ones will contribute to the collapse of the Russian Federation. Whether the Kremlin will go to a foreign policy aggravation in response to US actions, Russian financier and blogger Slava Rabinovich told "Apostrophe".

In the last package of American sanctions, in fact, there can be no mirroring responses from Russia. But Putin's RAM is merciless, insidious, underhanded and inhumane. One can recall another US sanctioning law - the Magnitsky Act, which was aimed at counteracting corruption and violating human rights. As a "symmetrical" measure, the Putin WMU adopted the so-called "law of scammers", which imposed a ban on adoption by Russian families of Russian orphans, in addition to the fact that Americans mostly adopted sick children who could not be cured by Russian medicine, and in the United States they were treated and returned To normal happy life. All that Putin's RAM can do to counteract the new sanctioning law is to answer yet another kind of malice of the same plan.

In response to sanctions, Putin can go a little bit further - it's impossible to exclude such a scenario. But if we take the exacerbation he organized in Syria, it was not intended to confront the US, but in order to try to involve them in negotiations on some kind of exchanges, we will help you fight IDIL, we will blackmail you with the preservation of the Bashar regime Assad in exchange for this and this. Americans, as we know, have not managed to do this.

The Russian army is totally incapacitated in comparison with all military power of NATO. Unless we take into account the factor of nuclear forces, in a non-nuclear conflict, the Russian army can not resist the forces of NATO, and it is understandable in Russia.

What is the purpose of Putin's regime, his RAM? It is very simple - infinitely, as they think, hold power for endless enrichment. It is a mafia that seized the state along with all the institutions they destroyed, along with the armed forces they control, along with nuclear weapons. They do it all to steal at astronomical scale and convey the steering wheel and theft to their children, grandchildren, so that it lasts forever. This goal can be very disturbed - and I think they understand it - if they go over some red risk.

Having resolved the conflict with Ukraine, knocking down the plane and killing more than 10 thousand Ukrainians and provoking a humanitarian crisis with almost 2 million refugees, and removing foreign lands, Putin still stopped where he was stopped. It can not be said that Putin entered Ukraine with his armed forces, as a knife in butter, because he was stopped. Sanctions. In the hottest phase of these crimes Moscow was visited by the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, then French President Francois Hollande, then Secretary of State John Kerry, and besides the persuasions of the mentally ill, they brought Putin ultimatums - I do not doubt it. They told him how sanctions would be strengthened if he went to capture the land route in Crimea via Mariupol, if he tried to annex other regions of Ukraine - Kherson, Odesa or some other, and he really stopped it.

Why? Because it contradicted its goals, the most important of which - to endlessly hold power for endless enrichment. Because he understood that any escalation beyond the risk he was assigned to would lead to a military defeat and a complete economic collapse, which in turn would lead to an inevitable change in the regime. The instinct of self-preservation in the literal sense of the word in this RAM has long been left out, because they would not do what they did in 2014 in Ukraine. But there are still some remnants, and they understand that there are certain limits by which their regime will be destroyed.

In Ukraine, almost everything, based on Putin's original plan, failed. The annexation of Crimea along with the land corridor failed, the fascist idea of ​​Novorossiysk failed, and it seems to me that this is all - a train on which Putin was late in all respects. The only thing he probably thinks in the long run is the continuation of a frozen conflict in the East of Ukraine, so that the economy and political power can be shaken through it so that, through this, Ukraine has turned into a failed state. And then, as he thinks, it will be possible to expand his sphere of influence on Ukraine. Accordingly, any potential escalation under the status quo of the Ukrainian side will mean an accelerated fall of its regime, as sanctions against it will be strengthened. Therefore, a full-scale offensive against Ukraine, it seems to me, is now impossible for him, because it will be a step towards suicide. Although we have previously seen a lot of suicidal actions, when a person lives in a parallel reality, nothing can be ruled out. This is a real crazy gangster who has a nuclear weapon - this should not be forgotten.

People from Putin's surroundings, speaking about those who were condemned by the contingent, understood where everything was moving and what it would lead to, three years ago. But the point is that these people do not have the same influence on Putin, which they had on him in the early 2000s. They can not do anything, especially after the condemnation of Mikhail Khodorkovsky in 2003 - they realized that they have no levers of influence, except that Putin has all the power structures in his hands. Therefore, they came to Putin's boot and began to lick him. And not just so, but in exchange for a share in their businesses. The overwhelming majority of these people are actually covered with crimes - this is corporate raiding, and theft of money, money laundering. They are hooked on Putin and his special services. Putin holds over them carrots and cubes.

Putin himself is surrounded by, as he thinks, an impenetrable ring of defense, consisting of the FSO, the FSB, the Russian Guard and various security guards. In figuratively speaking, each of these businessmen in the closet has a sack of snuff, which, of course, many would like to use, but unfortunately, I just can not see such an opportunity at this time. In my opinion, a palace coup would be very difficult to accomplish.

The economic situation in Russia has already deteriorated due to the current sanctions, but the Russian authorities have always found ways to explain to the people certain events. There is a TV for this. Russian TV viewers the last-minute needle is implanted directly into the brain. The competition between the TV and the refrigerator continues, and while the TV is winning. But this is likely to end with irreversible changes in the economy, when a large part of the population simply will not have the means to pay for electricity, so that their television continues to work, not to mention food. Therefore, I think that all this slow decay will eventually collapse, but nobody can predict it either by the terms or the essence of these events - this is the principle of "black swans". I think that "black swans" will fly - it will happen absolutely accurately.

apostrophe.ua, Original in Ukrainian / на українському

In Lviv, in the evening of August 4, in a psychiatric hospital located on Kulparkivska Street, the police stormed the ward, where the patient armed with glass took hostages of other patients.

This was reported on the Facebook page by the local patrol police.

30-year-old man took hostages. He has been on compulsory treatment since 2013 for the murder of his father, who sustained 72 knife wounds. The man locked the door of the office, which contained 76 patients, damaged the property and broke the windows.

As a result of the glass were injured 10 patients. Three of them are in serious condition.






apostrophe.ua , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

The Pentagon issued an official recommendation to the White House on the need to transfer modern anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.

This information to the NBC channel was confirmed by three government sources at once.

The interlocutors of the TV channel said that the proposed package includes an estimated $50 million Javelin antitank systems.

Although all three sources said that the US administration had not yet made a final decision, they said the Pentagon supported such a move.

Still, it remains unresolved whether the United States will provide Javelin through an intermediary and whether US troops will train their Ukrainian counterparts.

Since the beginning of 2014, the United States has  allocated over $ 600 million to Ukraine for logistical assistance .
The Head of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy stated that the United States and Ukraine are going to conclude  an agreement providing the last lethal defensive weapon.

The US Congress is preparing a bill on military aid to Ukraine,  which will ask the administration of President Donald Trump to give the state a lethal weapon.

The Senate Committee on Armed Forces called for new measures to counter Russia's hostile actions abroad. The draft law prepared by the committee on the allocation of national defense for 2018 provides for the provision of  $ 500 million security assistance to Ukraine in the fight against pro-Russian separatists, including the delivery of lethal weapons.

US Special Envoy for the Affairs of Ukraine Kurt Volker said that the US is actively discussing the issue  of arms delivery to Ukraine.

On July 31, US media reported that the Pentagon and the US Department of State had developed a plan to supply anti-tank missiles and other weapons to Ukraine.

espreso.tv , Original in Ukrainian / на українському  

Vladislav Khalupsky is wanted for securities fraud and a plot for money laundering of almost $ 30 million, said Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko.



Ukraine will issue US suspect in the fraud of Vladislav Khalupsky, said Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko in Facebook.

"The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine complied with the request of the United States of America for the extradition of Vladislav Khalupsky, who was wanted for a series of crimes, including securities swaps and a plot for money laundering of about $30 million," he wrote.



The District Court of the Eastern District of New York has accused a US citizen of Khalupsky of plotting to commit fraud in the area of ​​communications, securities fraud and money laundering. In 2015, he was issued a warrant for his arrest, US law enforcement agencies said the suspect was in Ukraine.

The website of the Ministry of Justice reports that Khalupsky was a member of a criminal group that broke the PC news servers of PRNewswire Association LLC, Marketwired and Business Wire in 2010-2015 and abducted unpublished corporate press releases of companies that contained Earnings data and confidential information. Then hackers passed press releases to traders (among them was Khalupsky) who used insider information for securities transactions. It is assumed that the attackers received $30 million in revenue. Align Technology Inc., Caterpillar Inc., Hewlett Packard, Home Depot, Panera Bread Co. have suffered from their work. And Verisign Inc.

Khalupsky detained in Odessa in mid-February 2017. The court placed him under house arrest at night. In early May, the prosecutor's office did not find circumstances that could prevent its publication to American authorities.

The conclusions of the audit indicated that in the event of the acquisition of Khalupsky citizenship of Ukraine it would be impossible to publish it. On June 28, 368.media reported that Khalupsky asked for Ukrainian citizenship.
A businessman was born in Odessa and has the right to a nationality for the right of birth. In 1989, he traveled to the United States, where he settled as a real estate agent. After the collapse of the USSR, he was trading business in Moscow. In 1998, returned to the United States, where he opened a private medical clinic, and then retrained to a trader.

gordonua.com, Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Former president of Georgia and ex-head of the Odesa regional state administration Mikheil Saakashvili, who recently lost Ukrainian citizenship, arrived in Poland.

This is reported by Telewizja Republika .

Saakashvili spoke at an event dedicated to the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. He spoke about Georgia's cooperation with Poland, as well as about Ukraine.

Saakashvili's press service did not explain how Saakashvili arrived without a document in Poland.

obozrevatel.com , Original in Ukrainian / на українському

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says the Kremlin agrees with President Donald Trump's statement that the U.S. "relationship with Russia is at an all-time and very dangerous low."

"We fully share this opinion," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a regular conference call on August 4.

"The danger may lie in a deficit of interaction and cooperation in those matters which are vitally important for our two countries and peoples," he said.

Trump made the remark on Twitter on August 3.

He blamed the state of ties between Moscow and Washington on the U.S. Congress, which adopted a bill last week imposing new sanctions on Russia and preventing the president from easing the punitive measures without its consent.“You can thank Congress, the same people that can't even give us HCare!” Trump said in the tweet, referring to a defeat in the Senate for his plans for health-care legislation.

Trump signed the sanctions legislation -- which was passed with veto-proof majorities in both houses of Congress -- on August 2.

U.S. lawmakers said the legislation is a response to Russia's occupation and illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, its support for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine, and its alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election that Trump won.

U.S. Senator John McCain (Republican-Arizona), a prominent advocate of a tough stance toward Russia, took issue with Trump's assertion that Congress is to blame for the strained ties with Russia.

"Our relationship w/ Russia is at dangerous low. You can thank Putin for attacking our democracy, invading neighbors & threatening our allies," McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted on August 3...................

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