Ukraine News in brief. Monday 15 January. [Ukrainian sources]

MONDAY HEADLINES:
Lavrov states that the Budapest Memorandum was violated by Ukraine, not Russia.  Danylyuk discussed with the US Treasury Secretary sanctions against Russia and reforms in Ukraine.  Klimkin talking to Lavrov about Donbas: The positions are very distant.  A decision has been made that allows the mass rearmament of the Ukrainian Army to modern PTRK and UAV.  IMF considers unacceptable the President's bill on anticorruption trial.  Poroshenko assured: the law on the Anticorruption court meets the requirements of the Venice Commission.  Naftogaz against Gazprom: Russia will not challenge the decision of the Stockholm court.  Russian Authorities Seek Closure Of Key Navalny Campaign Foundation.  Removing Russia from Olympics-2018: Moscow prepares sanctions in response .  

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov quashed the Budapest Memorandum, stating that Russia had not violated its position.

He stated this at an annual final press conference in Moscow, reports UNIAN.

"We have never used or threatened Ukraine with nuclear weapons, so there was no violation of the Budapest memorandum," the head of the Foreign Ministry said.

At the same time, he accused Ukraine of violating the agreements, which "allowed the Maidan".

According to him, Ukraine, along with the Budapest memorandum, undertook, in a separate statement, an obligation not to "encourage racist, neo-Nazi, xenophobic tendencies, and what happened after the Maidan was a flagrant violation of these obligations of our Ukrainian neighbors."

At the same time Lavrov convinces that Russia "is interested in the implementation of the Minsk agreements in full, which fits in the respect of the territorial integrity of Ukraine in its current borders, formed after the referendum in the Crimea."

In response to such statements, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria Alexander Scherba cited paragraph 1 of the Budapest Memorandum, in which Russia undertook to respect the borders of Ukraine, valid for 1994, that is, including the Crimea.

The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurance in connection with the accession of Ukraine to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is an intergovernmental document that guarantees compliance with the provisions of the OSCE Final Act, the UN Charter and the NPT with regard to Ukraine as a non-nuclear-weapon State party. It was signed on December 5, 1994 by the leaders of Ukraine, the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

On January 12, during a working visit to the United States, the head of the department, Oleksandr Danyliuk, discussed with US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin the sanctions list on the Russian Federation, as well as the course of reforms in Ukraine.

This is reported by  Tsensor. NET with reference to the  press service of the Ministry of Finance.

The meeting also discussed the status of interaction with the IMF, progress in combating corruption and initiatives to improve the business climate in Ukraine.

"We are grateful to the United States for strengthening economic sanctions, which are an effective tool for deterring Russia's aggression, and Ukraine continues to implement positive reforms, and through this we have already managed to return to economic growth. We still have a lot to do to make our economy stronger and stronger. resistant to crises. "In this way, US support is important," said Alexander Danylyuk.

"US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said the United States will continue to support Ukraine in implementing the necessary reforms for the country," the statement said.



ua.censor.net.ua    In Ukrainian/український

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, discussed with the Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov the issue of the release of hostages in the Donbas and political prisoners.

Klimkin wrote about this on Twitter.

In addition, the heads of the foreign ministers of the countries talked about the format of a possible UN peacekeeping mission for the occupied Donbas.

"The positions are very distant, but we have to work further. They also spoke about the SCCC) Joint Control and Coordination Center for Fire - Ed.) And did not ignore its final press conference, "Klimkin said.

At the final press conference, Lavrov said that "Ukraine, having allowed the Maidan, violated the Budapest Memorandum, and not Russia, which did not use" nuclear weapons against the Ukrainian state." .

Earlier, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko informed that in the near future there will be no progress on the issue of the introduction of UN peacekeepers in the area of ​​hostilities in the Donbas.

On December 27, a hostage exchange took place in Donbass . This is the first in two years and the biggest exchange. According to the SBU, 73 hostages returned to the controlled territory. Ukraine transferred 233 people to the occupied territory.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The General Staff has listed 800 modern anti-tank missile complexes such as "Stugna" and "Corsar", several thousand guided missiles, as well as 500 unmanned aerial vehicles in the list of needs of the Ukrainian Army.

About this on his page on Facebook wrote the editor-in-chief Tsensor.NET Yuriy Butusov.

"The General Staff finally decided to list 800 modern anti-tank missile complexes like" Stugna "and" Corsar "in the list of needs of the Ukrainian Army, several thousand guided missiles, both with a cumulative military unit for defeating armored vehicles and with a fragmentation-explosive combat unit for Defeat of the shelters and fire points of the enemy. Principally important deliveries of light and mobile "Corsairs", which dramatically increase the shock capabilities of infantry units in battle,"- he said.

According to him, 500 unmanned aerial vehicles were also brought to their needs.

According to Butusov, this decision will now permit the rearmament of the purchase of these types of military equipment.

"Formerly, mass purchases of PTRCs and UAVs were impossible, since the General Staff considered the purchase of other weapons as a priority, ignoring the real needs of the army during the local warfare, but now the MoW budget has increased to record figures for Ukraine of $ 3.2 billion, and at last some of these funds will go on the purchase of acutely scarce weapons systems .Why is this important? In the fourth year of the war, there were still some examples of new weapons on the front line, most notably the critical backlog is in the equipment of drones and guided missiles. in combat missions of exploration at the front do volunteer drones"- said the journalist.

"An unforgettable story took place at the Independence Day parade when the President of Ukraine conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine to lieutenant Vasily Tarasyuk from the 72nd Brigade, who in 2017 fought a hostile tank near Avdeevka at a distance of 400 meters using a long-aged LNG grenade launcher - 9 - as it turned out, there was no modern anti-tank means in the company of Tarasyuk at all. The officer received in this suicidal battle a serious contusion as a result of a close burst of a projectile, a well-deserved award, and at the end of 2017 he fled from the armed forces for health being treated. That's how the battle took place. However, inclusion in AFU needs a large batch of ATRA and modern UAVs means that removed all obstacles and soon the weapons will be included in the state defense order, and within two or three years will be delivered to the troops. The order for the PTRK will become a record for one of the leading Ukrainian companies KB "Luch". Who will get an order from the UAV, is not clear yet. Drones need different types, let's see who wins in the contests, and what exactly will come to the troops, "added Butusov.

"In any case, 800 PTRK means a complete re-equipment of all our combat units, the preparation of a large number of operators, 500 drones - below the needs of the army, unmanned aerial vehicles are needed in much more, both in reconnaissance and shock versions, but 500 The drones are a new qualitative level for the army, of course, if these complexes will be able to prepare and maintain a sufficient number of calculations in the army. Well, hopefully, after increasing the needs of the army, there will be no delays in the purchase of equipment and supplies in The massive equipment of the troops on the advanced modern intelligence and PTRK would have been able to put in the order of greater damage to Russian mercenaries in a "truce", - summed up the journalist.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The International Monetary Fund has officially informed the Ukrainian authorities that the adoption of the Presidential Draft Law on the Anti-Corruption Court in its current version will mean a violation of its obligations by its international partners to Kiev.

According to TsensorReform , referring to the European truth , this is stated in a letter from the head of the IMF mission to Ukraine, Ron van Roden, addressed to the head of the administration of the President of Ukraine, as well as the prime minister, the speaker, several ministers and government representatives.

"The presentation of the AKS bill by the president should be a step in the right direction (on the fight against corruption). However, as regards the draft submitted on December 22, we have serious reservations, a number of its provisions are incompatible with Ukraine's commitments under the cooperation program IMF, as well as contrary to the recommendations of the Venice Commission, "the letter reads.

The letter contains nine substantiated systemic remarks concerning the procedure for selecting judges, the provisions of the law aimed at inhibition of the creation of the AKC, as well as the jurisdiction of the court.

"The bill creates legal opportunities for additional delays in the creation of an anti-corruption court. The jurisdiction of the court should be in accordance with the jurisdiction of the NABU and the CAP," the IMF notes.

In the context of the selection of judges, the IMF insists on compliance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission regarding the right of international donor representatives to block the appointment of illicit judges on anti-corruption issues. And this should be not only representatives of international organizations, but also donors.

"In the current form of the AKS law, we will not be ready to support it. The IMF is ready to help the presidential administration revise the law to bring it into line with the obligations of the Ukrainian authorities and the recommendations of the Venice Commission," the document said.

We remind that Ukrainian public experts also assessed the President's bill on the Supreme Anticorruption Court as not in line with the Venice Commission's conclusion and does not allow for the independence of anti-corruption judicial proceedings and made a public statement-a demand to withdraw it.

reforms.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The administration of the president says that the draft law on the Anticorruption Court was developed in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission

This was stated by the press center of the administration of President Petro Poroshenko, reports Interfax-Ukraine.

The department noted that Poroshenko's bill was developed in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine and in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. Now he is in the walls of the parliament.

"President Poroshenko has repeatedly emphasized that the state leadership has a political will to create an independent anti-corruption court", - stressed in the administration.

It should be noted that on the eve of the publication "European truth" was revealed the letter of the head of the mission of the IMF in Ukraine, Ron van Roden. It states that the  IMF does not agree with the proposed draft law.

Rodin stresses that a number of provisions of the document are incompatible with the obligations of Ukraine in accordance with the program of cooperation with the IMF, and also contradict the recommendations of the Venice Commission.

-Recall that President Poroshenko  introduced to the Verkhovna Rada a bill  on the Anticorruption Court. The bill was promulgated by the Council.

-Judges will have to undergo  a lie detector test to join the Anti-Corruption Court.

-Advisor to the head of the Presidential Administration on reforms Heorhiy-Vashadze said that the process of selection of judges of the Anti-corruption court will be  supervised by experts of international partner organizations of Ukraine.

espreso.tv    In Ukrainian/український

The Russian company Gazprom will not challenge the decision of the Stockholm arbitration in a dispute with Naftogaz of Ukraine on a gas supply contract.

This was stated by the deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom Oleksandr Medvedev, reports Interfax-Ukraine.

After May 31, 2017, the arbitrators made an interim decision on some fundamental issues, Gazprom, on November 7, 2017 filed an application to the Court of Appeal of Sweden to challenge this decision and its partial cancellation. At the end of December the court made the final decision.

"There's nothing new there. The arbitration award came into force. To appeal? And why?"- said Medvedev.

On December 22 Naftogaz said it won arbitration against Russian Gazprom.

"The arbitral tribunal completely rejected the demands of Gazprom for the" take or pay "provisions of $ 56 billion for 2009-2017," - said in Naftogaz.

Also, the decision of the Stockholm court means that the Ukrainian company should not pay for the gas supplied by Gazprom to the occupied Donbas.

At the same time, Russian Gazprom was informed that the court ordered Naftogaz to pay $2 billion for consumed gas.

The Commercial Director of Naftogaz explained to the Gromadsky that the final amount of mutual payments will be after the decision on transit.

President Petro Poroshenko said that in case of a loss to Gazprom, Ukraine would be in default.

Naftogaz is suing Gazprom from 2014 on two major issues - prices for Russian natural gas and transit of gas.

On both issues, Gazprom filed counterclaims against Ukraine. The aggregate amount claimed by NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine to Gazprom amounts to more than $42.5 billion, against Gazprom's claims of $47.1 billion.

On June 1, Justice Minister Petrenko announced the recovery of the first sums from Gazprom. Later, it became known that Naftogaz filed a $5 billion lawsuit against Russia in a court in The Hague through assets in the Crimea.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russia's Justice Ministry is seeking the closure of a foundation that is the bulwark of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's presidential election campaign.

Lawyer Ivan Zhdanov said on January 15 that the ministry filed a lawsuit with Moscow's Meshchansky District Court seeking to shutter the Fifth Season of the Year Foundation, and court spokeswoman Yulia Bocharova said a hearing will be held on January 22.

Navalny, an anticorruption crusarer and vocal opponent of President Vladimir Putin, has campaigned for the March 18 election for over a year despite warnings -- confirmed by a formal decision in December -- that he would be barred from the ballot due to a criminal conviction he says was fabricated.

Navalny's campaign chief, Leonid Volkov, said in November that the Fifth Season of the Year Foundation is the legal entity that officially employs workers of Navalny’s campaign offices across Russia, receives financial contributions from supporters, and concludes lease agreements and other deals on behalf of Navalny's campaign......................

rferl.org Click here for full access of entire article in English

Russia plans to impose sanctions against the functionaries of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as well as people involved in the elimination of the Russian Olympic team from the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

This is reported by the Russian newspaper Izvestia, with reference to the senator, chairman of the commission on protection of state sovereignty Andriy Klimov.

According to him, the process of identifying the people behind the removal of the Russian team from the Olympics in South Korea is underway.

It is noted that "about a dozen persons" can be said and not all of them are functionaries of the agency.

In addition, the Federation Council reported that they will study the issue of possible involvement in the decision of WADA American FBI and US Special Prosecutor Robert Muller.

"There were people who by their actions led to the fact that against our athletes were taken rigorous measures. You need to bring them to clean water and take appropriate measures. However, there is no need to hurry with this. The most important thing now is for our athletes to be able to perform well. And after the end of the Olympic Games and the Olympic cycle, we will identify the guilty and give it all to the merits, "said Klimov.

Against those who are involved in the prohibition, they can establish criminal cases, as well as prohibit them from entering the territory of Russia.

On December 5, 2017, the Russian team was dismissed from participating in the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea through a doping scandal. About 300 Russian athletes are suspected of using doping.

Subsequently, the International Olympic Committee allowed the Russians to use two of the three colors of the national flag.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US President Donald Trump stated that Russia "does not help the situation in North Korea at all."

He said this in an interview with Reuters.

"Russia does not help us with North Korea at all. Russia is spoiling what China helps us with, "said the American president.

According to him, Russia is helping the DPRK bypassing its international sanctions on supply, in particular fuel.

Trump also added that Pyongyang "is becoming more capable of sending missiles to the United States every day".

China and Russia in the UN Security Council last year signed a resolution imposing sanctions against North Korea.

In an interview, Trump, in addition, questioned possible negotiations with the DPRK leader Kim Jong Yin, although he previously allowed such an opportunity.

In early January, Donald Trump said he was ready to talk to a North Korean leader, Kim Jong Yin.

Prior to this, it was reported that North Korea was working to improve the intercontinental ballistic missile "Hwason-14" so that it could reach the United States.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український