Ukraine News in brief. Thursday 5 October. [Ukrainian sources]

THURSDAY

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
Time has come: in the USA they told about giving arms to Ukraine.  NATO Chief Says Alliance Assessing Whether All Russian Troops Left Belarus.  Ukraine Expels Second Russian Journalist In Recent Weeks.  NATO supports the idea of ​​introducing UN peacekeepers to the Donbas.  Russia threatens US forces operating in Syria.  With fights and blocking the rostrum: the Rada passed the consideration of the law on Donbas. The European Parliament in a new resolution demanded that Russia cease its repression in the Crimea. Bulgarian President proposes to abolish anti-Russian sanctions. In Germany, they supported the initiative to continue the special status of Donbas. Russian mercenaries have increased the use of drones, which is a violation of the Minsk accords. Next year, Chechnya's funding from the state budget of Russia will decrease by 99 million rubles.

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The United States should hand over Ukraine's defense weapons, in particular anti-tank systems, so that Russia could not once again fuel the conflict in the Donbas.

This was written in an article for the New York Times by former US Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, transmitting the " Mirror of the Week."

According to him, the Russian occupation made the summer very hot.

Blinken reminded that only in August the OSCE recorded in the Donbass about 1,000-1500 violations of the truce at night.

"Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying or injured every day. Temporary attacks have become less, but Moscow this month has carried out large-scale military exercises in the West of Russia and Belarus, causing fear of even greater offensive," the author said.

He stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to destabilize the situation in Ukraine in order to drive him into his so-called "sphere of influence".

Blinken added that the White House is quietly developing a policy that could break the ice, but it is unclear whether US President Donald Trump will agree with her.

According to him, the main advisers of the US president: Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Minister James Mattis and National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster correctly understand the occupation of part of Ukraine and united into a single front.

The author claims that for these individuals it is a gross violation of the fundamental foundations of the international system that the United States helped establish after the Second World War.

"Russia can not decide on the future of Ukraine." Trump's team rightly believes that if the United States can not oppose the violation of these principles, the international order that America has built will weaken, "the publication said.

It is reported that the Trump Administration has made it clear to the authorities of Russia that they will be put in place until the Russian troops leave the Ukrainian territory.

Blinken believes that the "exclamation mark" in this situation would be the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, in particular, anti-tank systems.

"To prevent Putin from fomenting the situation in the East of Ukraine again or even bite another piece of the country could be the knowledge that Russian troops will suffer serious losses, if we look at it. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the main opponent of the transfer of lethal weapons to Ukraine, but now she is ready for this. when you listen to Putin's lie from year to year, it leads to such an effect,"- says the article.

In addition, he stressed that time for the provision of defense weapons to Ukraine has already come.

As reported by Obozrevatel, earlier McCain urged Trump to send Ukraine lethal weapons.

obozrevatel.com , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the Western alliance is assessing whether Russia has pulled out all the troops it sent to Belarus for joint exercises last month that were watched warily by neighbors.

Speaking in an interview in Brussels on October 5, Stoltenberg told RFE/RL that NATO "closely monitored the Zapad exercise" but that "it is too early to make any final assessment" on the drill.

"The important thing is that any troops can only stay in Belarus with the consent of the government in Belarus, and the Russian minister of defense has announced that they have withdrawn all the troops," he said, adding: "We are now assessing this.”

The September 14-20 war games in Belarus and parts of western Russia triggered concerns in neighboring NATO nations already wary of Moscow's intentions after its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and military interference in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow and Minsk said the maneuvers involved some 12,700 troops in the two countries combined, but Western officials have said the true number may have been around 100,000.

On September 30, Moscow denied a claim made by the Ukrainian military chief of staff, Viktor Muzhenko, that Russia left troops in Belarus after the drills.



The Belarusian Defense Ministry had said that the last train of Russian troops who participated in the Zapad 2017 military drills left Belarus on September 28.

Stoltenberg told RFE/RL that the Western military alliance currently doesn’t see “any imminent threat against any NATO ally,” but he added that what “we see is a more assertive Russia, a Russia which has implemented a significant military buildup over many years, increased defense spending, more modern capabilities, exercises of its forces, and a Russia that has been willing to use military force against its neighbors, especially in Ukraine.”

The NATO chief also admitted that the relationship between NATO and Moscow has “deteriorated over the last years, especially since the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's continued efforts to destabilize eastern Ukraine and its support to the separatists there.”

Despite the tensions, NATO has kept dialogue with Russia open via the NATO-Russia Council, which last met in Brussels in July. Although few concrete outcomes have been achieved following several rounds of talks, envoys of Russia and NATO are poised to meet again in the autumn.........................

“Russia is there to stay, NATO doesn't want a Cold War, we don't want a new arms race. Therefore, we also reach out to Russia for political dialogue,” Stoltenberg said.



Access complete text of the editorial:  rferl.org In English

Ukraine has expelled a Russian TV journalist whom the country's main security agency accused of delivering "deceitful, anti-Ukrainian" reports from areas in eastern Ukraine that are held by Russia-backed separatists.

NTV correspondent Vyacheslav Nemyshev, whose deportation was announced by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on October 5, is the second Russian reporter to be expelled in recent weeks for what Kyiv describes as "spreading Russian propaganda."

He is prohibited from entering Ukraine for three years, the SBU said.

In a statement, the security agency said Nemyshev was detained for a "minor legal violation" in Kyiv on October 4 and that police found accreditation documents issued by separatists in the Donetsk region.

It said that Nemyshev "damaged Ukraine's national interests" by working in 2016-2017 in separatist-held territory, where it said he prepared "a series of deceitful anti-Ukrainian [reports] for media on the orders of his Russian supervisors."

That may have been a reference to Nemyshev's superiors at NTV, a pro-Kremlin channel that broadcasts nationwide and is majority-owned by state-controlled Russian natural gas giant Gazprom.

Nemyshev's deportation came after Anna Kurbatova, a correspondent for Russia's state-run Channel One television, was expelled for similar reasons on August 30.

Her expulsion drew criticism from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) media freedom representative and other press freedom advocates.................

Access complete text of the editorial:  rferl.org In English

Stoltenberg noted that the location of peacekeepers throughout the conflict

NATO supports the idea of ​​deploying a UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine throughout the conflict, including the now uncontrolled section of the Ukrainian-Russian border. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"We support all the ideas and proposals that can help implement the Minsk agreements, adhere to the cease-fire, remove heavy weapons," he said in an interview with Radio Liberty.

Such a requirement for a possible UN peacekeeping mission throughout the occupied territory of the Ukrainian Donbass, and above all in this section of the border with Russia, is a prerequisite for such a mission to Kyiv. It is also supported by the western allies of Ukraine.

Let's remind that at the session of the UN General Assembly, President Poroshenko stated that the mandate of the UN peacekeepers should cover the whole occupied territory of the Donbas , including the Ukrainian-Russian state border.

Putin said he supports the idea of ​​introducing UN peacekeepers to the Donbas, provided they are placed on the collision line.

Following talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin said he was prepared to take into account the UN peacekeepers' initiative in the Donbass, their right to protect the OSCE mission not only on the line of collision but also elsewhere.

Later, Russia said it again does not agree to the presence of UN peacekeepers throughout the Donbass .

Earlier both Ukrainian and Russian diplomats reported that the Russian draft resolution on peacekeepers had already been discussed at the UN Security Council, and he did not find support, primarily from the side of Ukraine and the United States. Kyiv, meanwhile, still failed to submit its draft resolution, because it is currently coordinating it with its international partners.

glavcom.ua , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

Moscow accuses Washington of its defeat of the "Islamic state"

In its statement, published on Wednesday, October 4, the Russian Ministry of Defense called the US an "obstacle" to the destruction of the Islamic State (ID) terrorist organization.

At the same time, the Russians threatened the use of military force against the American military garrison, known as Tanf. It hosts American forces for special operations, as well as allied Syrian fighters. American soldiers conduct training at the Tangf-based units fighting the "Islamic State".

Moreover, according to the US military edition Military Times , the RF Ministry of Defense says that the US is helping and supporting the "ID" in their opposition to Russian and Syrian interests. The statement reads as follows: "The main problem in the process of destroying IDs is not the military potential of this terrorist group, but support from the United States."

This statement appeared on the background of the fact that the Russian and Syrian forces became the object of counterattack of the "ID" forces in the province of Deir Ez-Zor. According to the propaganda of the terrorist group, during one attack, ID fighters managed to destroy 65 Syrian and Russian soldiers, and another two Russians captured.

The counter-forces of the "Islamic State" create additional problems for Moscow and Damascus, although only last month their joint efforts were able to break through the siege of the city of Deir Ez-Zor.

However, the price of such rapid success has become significant losses, including among the Russian top command staff. So General Valery Asapov was killed as a result of mortar shelling on September 24. And on October 2, Colonel Valery Fedyanin died of the wounds he received as a result of undermining the armored car on a mini car in the province of Ham on September 22.

glavcom.ua , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy from the rostrum of parliament announced the closure of the plenary session.

"I want to inform you that we have held a meeting, which stipulated that the law which is under consideration removes the items referring to the Minsk Agreements, which was a norm that was supposed to unblock the session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which was agreed upon. the position I announced to you from the podium, "he said.

This is the draft law No. 7163 "On the peculiarities of state policy regarding the state sovereignty of Ukraine over temporarily occupied territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts".

"The tribune remains blocked, it is unacceptable situation when we must recognize Russia as an aggressor," he said.

"In connection with the situation, we will continue to consider the bill, but today I declare the session of the Verkhovna Rada closed," Parubiy said.

Earlier, in the Verkhovna Rada, a brawl occurred during the review of the law on the reintegration of the Donbas .

The faction "Self-help" and some non-factional deputies blocked the presidium of the parliament, while other MPs tried to prevent them. As a result, a fight broke out. Non-factional People's Deputy Nadezhda Savchenko snatched a microphone from the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Alexander Turchinov during the blockade of the presidium.

According to Turchinov himself, "the provocation of the Russian agent" led to the breakdown of the meeting .

After fighting Parubi announced a break in the meeting, asking faction heads to go to him in the negotiating room. However, the People's Deputies remained to block the presidium.

Even after the closing of the session, the president came to the parliament, Petro Poroshenko. A meeting of the faction of Petro Poroshenko faction with the participation of the president took place in the premises of the Council, UNIAN writes .

The President urged people's deputies to approve the bills. A retreat may be scheduled for Friday, October 6th.

At the same time, the first deputy chairman of the People's Front faction Andriy Teteruk said that the deputies of the political forces will discuss the situation that has developed, and at 10 am in the Rada will participate in the consideration of bills.






According to "UP", at the same time, the protection of the Verkhovna Rada was reinforced by additional forces of the National Guards and the police. Approximately 200 law enforcement officers were taken to the parliament building. The Council building is surrounded by a dense triple ring.



As reported by "Obozrevatel", the Verkhovna Rada Committee decided to recommend the Parliament to approve the bill number 7163 on the reintegration of the Donbas, and rejected such a proposal from the alternative bill number 7163-1. Both initiatives took place on October 5, introduced by the parliament on the agenda.

obozrevatel.com , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

On October 5, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on Russia to stop repressions against Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in the occupied Crimea and to release Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia.

This was reported by Ukrinform .

In the resolution, the European Parliament condemns the sentences of the Crimean Tatar leaders Ilmi Umerov, Akhtem Chigoz and journalist Mykola Semen, demanding their revision, the immediate release of these individuals and the removal of all allegations from them.

The European Parliament has called for an end to the policy of discrimination that Russia leads in Crimea with regard to the annexation of opponents. Also, sentences passed against other Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activists are condemned.

It is noted that another violation is the prohibition of the Mejlis and the recognition of its extremist organization.

The authors of the resolution were the factions of the European People's Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the European Conservatives and Reformers, as well as the "Green."

Earlier, the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, told the "Apostrophe" about the extent of the repressions in the occupied Crimea and what Ukraine should do with it.

apostrophe.ua , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev wants European sanctions against Russia to be canceled

He stated this at a meeting with Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, according to "European Pravda "with reference to" New TV".

According to Radev, it is necessary to seek diplomatic decisions on Russia, so as not to harm business.

"In the economic sense, these sanctions are very painful," he said.

According to the Bulgarian president, sanctions can not last forever, and the business should not suffer from this.

"Therefore, they must be canceled," said Radev.

-On October 4, members of the European Parliament called on the European Union to extend economic and personal sanctions against Russia and those involved in the persecution of Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainian hostages in Moscow.

espreso.tv , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

In the German government, they positively evaluated the initiative of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to extend the law on the special procedure of local self-government in the Donbas.

This was reported in the press service of the German government, reports DW.

Berlin stresses that this law is the basis of the relevant clause of the Minsk agreements.

"Therefore, its continuation would be an important step for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements," the statement reads in a statement from the German government.

On October 4 Poroshenko initiated the continuation of a special order of self-government in the Donbass .

The document stipulates the extension of another one year of the law "On the Special Procedure of Local Self-Government in Some Districts of Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts", which expires on October 18.

Alternative to the presidential project of de-occupation : the main theses

Earlier it became known that the Council will consider two bills on the de-occupation of the Donbas.

hromadske.ua , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

The Ukrainian side of the SCCC expresses its concern about the increased use of unidentified airplanes by the ORDO and ORLO, which is a direct violation of the Minsk Agreements.

This is Tsensor. NET reported in the press center of the ATO headquarters.

The report states: "Yes, during the 4th of October of this year, units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along the separation line recorded 3 UAV flights, two of them were launched from the ORLO, one from the territory of the ADO, while two UAVs were used at night.

The runways of these UAVs show that they are used not only for intelligence of positions of units of the Armed Forces, but also other military objects located in the depths of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian side of the SCCC states that these facts indicate that the deliberate and provocative actions of the NDF of the ORDO and the ORLO have continued to aggravate the conflict, demonstrate the reluctance to comply with the cease-fire regime and the deliberate failure to comply with the Minsk Agreements."

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

The RF government has abandoned last year's plans to increase budget expenditures for the development of the North Caucasus in 2018.

As informs Tsensor.NET, this is reported by Gazeta.RU.

According to the draft federal budget, in 2018-2019, expenditures for the corresponding state program will decrease by about 111 million rubles. compared to the current year. Instead of a year earlier, the growth of allocations will receive less money from Chechnya. Meanwhile, the president of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, insists on increasing funding from the federal center.

Russian President Vladimir Putin invited the government to consider increasing the funding of the North Caucasus a year ago, while discussing then the draft budget for 2017-2019. The President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov then criticized the draft federal budget.

"There are many questions. We can not arrange the proposed RF Ministry of Finance variant of the draft budget," wrote Kadyrov in the Instagram network. He argued that the government was placed more equitably in other regions than in Chechnya.

"If the budget cuts continue, the republic will not be able to develop, we will not succeed in fulfilling our social obligations," he pointed out.

However, compared to last year's plans, the structure of the state program "Development of the North Caucasus Federal District" in the budget for 2018-2020 has changed not in favor of the Chechen republic. The next year, the Chechen subprogramme is reduced by 99 million rubles compared to the level of funding scheduled for last year's three-year budget. A subprogram of the development of a tourist cluster in the North Caucasus Federal District will be financed by 135 million rubles. less than last year's plan.

Part of the money in the budget is redistributed in favor of the development sub-program of Dagestan - its financing increased by 45.9% compared to last year's plan. Additional expenses of Dagestan are connected with the resettlement of residents of the villages of Khrak-Uba and Uryan-Uba of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the territory of the Republic of Dagestan. This is how the displacement of the native population of Novolaksky rayon to a new place of residence is reported in the materials to the budget.

From the same materials it follows that expenditures for the Chechen republic also decrease due to resettlement programs. Citizens residing in landslides are displaced in Chechnya. But this resettlement will now be financed by another state program entitled "Provision of affordable and comfortable housing and communal services of citizens of the Russian Federation", the total funding of which for the same amount has not increased. In addition, since 2018, "comfortable housing" has fallen into the "pilot" state program. Their government intends to implement new project methods, details of which have not yet been determined.

In addition to direct spending on the Chechen republic, the government has decided to reduce spending on other subprograms of the North Caucasus Federal District.

ua.censor.net.ua , Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою

Russian mercenaries Roman Zabolotny and Grigory Turcan, who were captured by the "Islamic state", are probably both executed in Syria.

This was reported to journalists by deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on issues of CIS, Eurasian integration and ties with compatriots Viktor Vodolatsky, reports Tsensor. NET with reference to Interfax .

"The saddest thing is that 99% of Roman Zabolotniy is no longer living among the alive, as well as the other captive. They were shoving paper on them, from which they had to read the text, renounce the Orthodox faith, renounce their homeland, accept Islam, and enter the ID. They turned out to be faithful to Orthodoxy and homeland to the end, for which they were deprived of life by these bandits", - said Vodolatsky.

Previously, Vodolatsky informed the agency that Zabolotnyi said that it was necessary to protect the values ​​that destroy the ID in Syria, but it was necessary to consider "whether it really is in the video".

On Thursday, the deputy of the city council of Rostov-on-Don Anatoly Kotlyarov said that "Don Cossack" Zabolotny, who appeared on the video of the capture of Russians published by terrorists, is very likely to be executed. "From a reliable source, I received information that he was executed in Syria. I would have liked this to be wrong, but so far the information is such," Kotlyarov said.

He told that he had met Zabolotny several times before. "But this is not close to my friend," he specified, adding that the Cossack had moved to Syria in 2017.

Earlier, the "Islamic State" organization published a video of captured by two Russian soldiers who call themselves Roman Zabolotny and Grigoriy Turcan.

In the Ministry of Defense of Russia officially deny, that Russian soldiers were captured in Syria. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin will "carefully scrutinize" this information. Also, journalists found that the FSB demanded from the family of the captured ID in Syria mercenary Tsurcan "not to raise the noise."

ua.censor.net.ua, Original in Ukrainian / Українською мовою