Ukraine crisis. News in Brief. Saturday 04 July [Ukrainian sources]

First topic message reminder :

SATURDAY

Please scroll down to view news items added during the course of the day

News -
Sadly reading one dead, 2 injured, Ukrainian soldiers. And this is just the regular troops, not the volunteer batallions, I understand.
I read a good interview with Lutsenko about the credit bill. And why he resigned.
What will happen now is anybody's guess, but they can't allow the banks to collapse.
Russia - mixed signals. They are saying they want Donbass to be "part of Ukraine".
But Russia want to control this "part". One way, or another.
I also saw on the bbc an item about a march in Kiev yesterday - by what the bbc called the "right-wing".
These was not on the tv news here. But "pravi sector" marches make good stories with the British press.

Weather -
Getting warmer, day by day now. Blue sky, some white cloud. I think close to 30 today. And higher tomorrow, and next week.. 90s.

4th of July -
The 4th of July - a big big day today - the start of the "Tour de France".
It might also be some small holiday in America or somewhere, but the British don't remember this.

The leader in the yellow jersey, and who's the guy in red? Liashko?
1600 - Tour de France live now on Eurosport. You can watch also on the internet. (as I'm doing)

According to the German economist Anders Aslund, the EU pays too much attention to solving the problems with Greece , while the conflict in Ukraine drops out of sight.

This Aslund wrote in the pages of the German edition of Capital, reports Deutsche Welle.

According to the expert, in the spring of last year the European Union with great fanfare announced the opening of its market for Ukraine. However, the remaining 40 major trade quotas, many of which, according to him, have been exhausted. Instead of having to open itself Ukraine, in September 2014 the EU under pressure from Russia postponed the full embodiment of a free trade agreement with Ukraine.

"The right thing to do is exactly the opposite: Europe is widely open its doors to Ukrainian goods to oppose something militant trade blockade on the Russian side," - said Aslund.

The analyst believes that now in Ukraine for the first time is really capable of and genuinely reform-minded government, which has made many fundamental reform steps that demanded the West. In particular, in April increased the price of gas for the population, have been abolished coal subventions, government procurement taking place in terms of this competition, and companies are required to disclose information about their true beneficiaries. "A lot is being done to indicate on the brink of the oligarchs" - adds Aslund.

In response, the EU has supported a four-year program of assistance from the International Monetary Fund, the volume of 17.5 billion dollars. However, foreign exchange reserves are sorely lacking, says an economist.

"This last year the EU gave the green light to the allocation of Ukraine five billion euro loan - this is only a fortieth of what has gone to Greece", - says Aslund.

In this economist believes that such actions do not make sense. According to him, Ukraine is being reformed, while Greece almost half a decade did nothing and now openly opposes these reforms. At the same time, reminds Aslund, the Ukrainian population is four times the number of residents of Greece, and it plays an important strategic role for Europe.

"After the EU de facto lost to Greece, he needs a success - and Ukraine can bring such a success. But this assumes the necessary attention and a lot of resources," - said Aslund.

He argues that if Europe refuses to Ukraine in military aid, it must at least provide financial support.

"Ukraine is in urgent need of fresh foreign exchange reserves, and the European Central Bank could no problem to provide a guarantee in the amount of more than ten billion euros. This would stabilize the national currency, and it would not cost the EU - access to the money could be linked to strict conditions. Money would remain in Frankfurt. There is no reason that would indicate against such aid "- the expert believes.

As reported by "Apostrophe" on July 3, the European Financial Stability Fund, lend money on behalf of the European Union, declared a default by Greece on liabilities to them.

The referendum in Greece on the proposals of creditors is scheduled for July 5. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged citizens "firmly but calmly to answer authoritarian and harsh policies of austerity."

See also material "apostrophe" " default of Greece: what conclusions should Ukraine do."

apostrophe.com.ua: In Russian