Ukraine News. Thursday 26 July. [Ukrainian sources]

THURSDAY HEADLINES:
In Russia, they described how Trump plays for Putin as a good investigator.  PUnited States and the EU began trading negotiations and suspended the introduction of customs duties.  In Russia, a suspect in the US named Butina "a political prisoner".  British fighter aircraft in Romania were raised to intercept the aircraft of the Russian Federation.  Flooded transitions and streets: the effects of the shower in Kiev.  The SBU declassified the great losses of Putin's mercenaries from Wagner's PVK.  Volunteer soldier Ulianov sets himself on fire during rally outside Defense Ministry.  US Congress registered a bill on sanctions against North Stream-2. Washington and Moscow "have a consensus that there is no agreement" - Pompeo talks on Trump and Putin on Ukraine in Helsinki.

WEATHER:
Kyiv, Ukraine
24c / 75f HI | RealFeel 25c / 77f
Sunny

US President Donald Trump plays for the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, the role of a good investigator, trying to keep him in sight.

The Russian opposition politician, Konstantin Borovoy, said this "Apostrophe".

According to him, there is a strange unity of the Republicans and Democrats over the sanctions against the Russian Federation, so adopting new restrictive measures, if it will be profitable, and if there are no other considerations, it is certainly possible.

"At the same time, everybody understands that Donald Trump solves a different task: he is trying to keep Putin in sight, to keep in touch, so that in the event of some kind of prudence in the Kremlin's policy somehow stimulate him." While this prudence is not forthcoming, Congress is taking the necessary measures. to interrogate the defendant with good and evil investigators - Americans are a common tactic, Trump acts as a good investigator, and the Congress is evil, "Borovyy said.

At the same time, he specified that their goals are the same - to stop the Kremlin's aggression against the United States and European countries.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US President Donald Trump said he would postpone the decision to impose a 25% duty on the import of European cars to the country at the time of trade negotiations.

This was reported by Bloomberg Trump of the meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

"We had a great day, very big. We are starting (trade - ed.) Negotiations just now, but we already know what they will lead, "Trump said at a joint press conference with Juncker at the White House meeting.

On the eve of the meeting, Tramp said that if negotiations with EU representatives were unsuccessful, he would impose additional duties on the import of European cars to the country.

Trump and Juncker's statement has already hit the leading car manufacturers in Europe and the world. In particular, BMW's shares rose by 5.5%.

On June 22, Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he thinks that it would be possible to impose a 25% tax on European cars. The EU has been informed that they are prepared to take a similar step in response . In particular, there were prepared to introduce duties on US goods, the total cost of which will be $20 billion .

Recall that on June 20, the European Commission finally approved customs duties on American imports in response to US customs duties on steel and aluminum. In particular, new tariff restrictions would apply to US goods worth a total of $2.8 billion.

On June 14, the European Union unanimously supported the introduction of US customs duties as a response to America's imposed steel and aluminum duties. After that, a decision by the European Commission was required.

Donald Trump introduced import duties on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%). The orders signed by the president came into force on March 23. Mexico, Canada and the EU were temporarily excluded from the list of countries.

On May 31, Trump canceled temporary exceptions for steel and aluminum from the EU, Canada, and Mexico. The EU has been told to introduce countermeasures .

The European Union and Canada were preparing to address the issue of the introduction of US customs duties on steel and aluminum through the mechanisms of the World Trade Organization. In particular, countries have already sent their complaints there .

In early June, it became known that the European Union announced plans to introduce additional duties of $2.8 billion of American goods in response to Washington's decision to introduce tariffs for European steel and aluminum.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

In Russia, they said that the United States suspected of engaging in activities in favor of the Kremlin, Maria Butina, allegedly was a political prisoner.

This was stated by deputy representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Artem Kozhin, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports.

"The arrest of Butina is due solely to the motives of American domestic and foreign policy, which means she is a political prisoner," the diplomat said.

The Foreign Ministry of Russia believes that the United States allegedly invented a story about Russia's interference in the US elections on "mercenary interests."

On July 25, the first court session in the case of Russian-born Butina took place in the USA. The judge stated that he could prohibit Maria Butina's lawyers from communicating information about the case to the media. This happened after the prosecutors expressed concern about the transfer of defense evidence.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has been indicted by August 8 to file a proposed defense order in order to prevent public disclosure of evidence in this case. At the hearing, prosecutors charged Robert D. Driscoll's defense lawyer with the fact that he distorts the case in television news interviews.

On July 16, it was reported that a Russian citizen was detained in Washington on suspicion of "penetrating into an American political organization." Arrested - 29-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation, Maria Butina, she was arrested on July 15.

In the United States, the great jury presented two allegations against the Russian woman, Maria Butine. Russians are officially accused of plotting and acting as a foreign agent in order to influence American politics. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

It was also reported that Butina contacted an official of the US Treasury Department .

On July 18, a court in the United States refused to release a suspect in the Russian agent's security activities on bail . The Russian Federation announces a "fabricated" case of Putin's Russian woman detained in the United States.

In the United States, a Russian woman, known as an activist for wearing a short-weapons weapon from the right to arms, is accused of attempting to organize an "unofficial communication channel" between the Republican Party and the Kremlin in the 2015-2016 election period. She allegedly acted with the deputy chairman of the Central Bank of Russia Alexander Torshin.

According to the prosecution, Butina worked in the interests of Torshin, trying to lobby for Russia through the National Infantry Association, which has a great influence on American politics.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Two British multipurpose fourth-generation "Typhoon" fighters based in Romania were lifted to intercept Russian bomber.

This is stated on Thursday in a statement by the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, informs Reuters .

It is reported that two "typhoons" were raised from the air base near Constanti on the Black Sea in response to the actions of the Russian bomber approaching NATO airspace.

The Russian plane did not enter NATO airspace, it is specified in the statement.

"Typhoons" patrol the sky for a short time to deter, and then returned to the base.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

Due to heavy rains on many streets of Kyiv, these rivers were formed. However, the Kyiv City State Administration stated that the problems are only in two districts - near the metro "Livoberezhna" and "Dorogozhichi".

Photos and videos from the flooded capital are posted by eyewitnesses in social networks.

Shuliavka

The real flood occurred in Shulyavka. In particular, cars almost float, and do not go on the streets Dovzhenko and Teligi.



A similar story is also near the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where in particular the subway underground metro flooded.



In the Podilski district of the capital, the Kirillov bridge collapsed in part



Public transport does not work

Due to the bad weather, tram routes of 11, 12, 16, 19 and trolley routes 6, 18, 25, 28, 33 have stopped. This was reported by the press service of Kyivpastrans.

The position of the KSCA

At the same time, the KCSA believes that significant problems are only in two districts of the capital - near the metro "Livoberezhna" and "Dorogozhichi". They, in the opinion of the capital authorities, caused "abnormal rains".

This was communicated by the deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration Dmytro Davtyan.

According to him, the metro "Dorogozhichi" does not work automatic systems, so the water level there rose to 1.5 meters.

The official added that emergency brigades arrived at the site with pumps that pumped out water.

Davtyan stressed that in other parts of the city there were no significant problems.

To the question of the journalist Gromadsky, why the "Livoberezhnaya" metro station in the event of rain is always badly run down the storm, the official replied that a plan of design work had already been prepared and this year repair work would begin.

Rescuers

According to the State Emergency Services Department in Kyiv, the Solomensky building was flooded by a drain, now the rescuers pump out water. The inhabitants of Kyiv

On the Victory Avenue billboard fell to the car.

Residents of Kyiv try to humorously treat the situation with the bad weather and make a variety of memes, whose main character is often the head of the city Vitali Klitschko.



Weather forecast

The site of Ukrgidromettsentr indicated the weather forecast for Monday, July 30: in Kyiv in the coming days the rains will not be stopped.

hromadske.ua    In Ukrainian/український

Former serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Ulyanov answers the questions of journalists near the Ministry of Defense, Kyiv, July 26, 2018 Photo: Inna Sokolovska / UNIAN
In Kiev, in protest of the liberation from the army Sergei Ulyanov arson himself . On the morning of July 26, a man in a military uniform poured himself on an unidentified substance on Povitroflotsky avenue near the building of the Ministry of Defense and set fire to it. He immediately began to extinguish the fire extinguishers. Rescuers and journalists were on the spot, warning Ulyanov about his action.

This is not the first action of Ulyanov. On July 25, 2017, he, along with other people in the military uniform, made an action near the building of the Ministry of Defense in which a man named Daniel Turchin hid himself to the stand and declared a hunger strike.

The father of the protestor, Volodymyr Ulyanov, told Gromadsky that his son had taken such a step since they were illegally discharged from the army with his son. According to him, they did not receive any documents about staying in the zone of fighting in the Donbass, nor did they receive payment for the contract service.

"There is a certain order for the release of soldiers. We wanted this to be legally correct. Even Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak ordered to release us and pay the appropriate funds. And in the command of the Special Forces Special Forces of the Armed Forces, we were simply told: "You are released, go from here." We were not given any papers and did not pay financially. We have two years with nothing. We were told to go to court. We did so, therefore, the case is going on ", - said Vladimir Ulyanov.


Former serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergey Ulyanov set fire to the Ministry of Defense in protest against his release from the army, Kyiv, July 26, 2018  Photo: Inna Sokolovska / UNIAN

Sergey Ulyanov was a member of the Crimea group, who after mobilization did not receive relevant documents on participation in combat operations and salaries, told the Public member of the Ukrainian Association of Combatants and Volunteers of the ATO in the city of Kyiv and the Kyiv region and a familiar protester of the Games. . According to him, men began to participate in hostilities in 2014 as volunteers, and in 2015 they were mobilized.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that Sergei Ulyanov served in the Armed Forces. However, according to the commander of the Special Forces Special Forces Force, Army General Igor Lunyov, in September 2017 Ulyanov was fired . Lunyov said that Ulyanov is trying to solve the issue of payment of monetary compensation in the amount of 120 thousand hryvnia during the time of service, which he was absent.

"On September 8, 2017, this serviceman, Sergei Ulyanov, was released from the armed forces of Ukraine. The trial of his third suit is under way, although there are only four of them. Two previous appeals citizen Ulyanov lost, the third meeting did not appear ", - said Lunyov.


Men provide assistance to former Armed Forces soldier Sergey Ulyanov who set fire to the Ministry of Defense in protest against his dismissal from the army, Kiev, July 26, 2018  Photo: Inna Sokolovska / UNIAN

The Ministry of Defense assumes that an action with self-destruct is an attempt to influence the court.

On the eve of the action of Ulyanov, a meeting was held between representatives of the "Ukrainian Association of Combatants and Volunteers in the City of Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast" and the Ministry of Defense, but its participants did not agree.

According to the Ministry of Defense, on August 14 in the Administrative District Court of Kiev a regular trial of Ulyanovs against the Ministry of Defense and the 73rd Maritime Center for Special Operations against the Defense Ministry will be held.



hromadske.ua    In Ukrainian/український

Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine identified the identity of more than two hundred Wagner Police mercenaries and have information about their losses in Syria .

This was announced at a briefing on July 26 by Igor Guskov, head of the SBU's apparatus, informs liga.net

In his speech, he reminded of the unsuccessful operation of Russian mercenaries in Syria in February this year.

"The SBU has identified and identified the identity of 206 PM Wagner mercenaries who directly participated in the ... offensive.According to available documents, at least 80 mercenaries were killed and more than 100 mercenaries were injured in various degrees of severity," Guskov said.

He also announced the disclosure of personal data of 40 dead and 30 wounded mercenaries, as well as a dossier for certain foreign citizens-members of the PLC who took part in the clash.

Guskov noted that the Russian authorities were trying to hide information about the many dead, but after the presidential election in March, relatives of mercenaries began to receive coffins with the bodies of their loved ones.

Recall that February 7 in Syria, in an attempt to capture an oil field as a result of the strike of artillery and aviation international coalition led by US troops were destroyed by mercenaries from the Russian private military company Wagner.

According to various data, the loss of n mercenaries amounted to several hundred people .

At the same time, the speaker of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that as a result of the international coalition's strike, five Russians could have died in Syria.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US President Donald Trump at a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of Russia's assistance in developing a political solution to Syria, the common position of the parties on Ukraine does not exist.

According to Censor.NET, referring to Interfax-Ukraine, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

"We are working on what opportunities can be achieved in Syria," said M. Pompeo.

"We are working to understand if we can achieve Russia's more cooperation on the political decision (in Syria - Ed.)", - said M. Pompeo.

Asked if Ukraine had reached an agreement on the summit in Helsinki, Mr Pompeo replied that "there is agreement in Moscow and Washington that there is no agreement."

Read also "Censor.Net": Foreign ministers of Germany, Britain, Poland and Lithuania announce support for US declaration on non-recognition of Russian occupation of Crimea

Recall that July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, a two-hour meeting of the theat-a-tete of Trump and Putin took place.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The US Senate Committee on International Relations on Thursday adopted a two-party resolution condemning the illegal occupation of the Crimea by Russia.

The text of the resolution was published on the website of the committee, writes Censor.NET with reference to Voice of America.

The text of the document states that the Crimea is part of sovereign Ukraine, and the United States must reject all attempts to change this status, demographic composition and political nature of the Crimea.

The resolution calls on the US government, together with the EU and NATO and the international community, to prioritize efforts to prevent further consolidation of illegal occupation authorities in the Crimea. The document also welcomes US sanctions imposed on Russia and the like on the Crimea, and urges the Government of America to encourage new sanctions through the Crimea by the European Union.

Legislators also urge the US government to "declare a policy of lifelong non-recognition of the illegal annexation of the Crimea by the Russian Federation, just as in the 1940s the United States Declaration declined to recognize the annexation of the Baltic States by the Soviet Union."

Recall that on July 16, in Helsinki, the first meeting of US President Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin took place in Helsinki.

Earlier, the director of the National Intelligence of the United States, Den Coats, confirmed earlier conclusions about Russia's interference in the election of the American president in 2016.

In addition, John McCain, chairman of the US Arms Committee, said the joint press conference of the two presidents is a shame and humiliation for the head of the White House.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The State Border Guard Service annually records the growth of the number of transit operations at the state border.

That is, every year passenger traffic through land, aviation and sea crossing points increases, informs Censor.NET with reference to the press service of the State Tax Administration.

"At the same time, not only the number of Ukrainian citizens crossing the border increases, but also the number of foreigners visiting Ukraine is increasing. For example, if in 2014 frontier guards issued about 13 million foreigners who went to our country, then in 2017 - more than 14.6 million foreign citizens", - report the border guards.

In the top 30 countries whose citizens most often crossed the border of Ukraine, in addition to post-Soviet countries, there are Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, Israel, Germany, USA, Italy, Great Britain, Lithuania, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Latvia, Serbia, China, Austria, Canada, India, Mozambique, Sweden. The total number of crossings for entry to Ukraine by citizens of these countries in 2017 amounted to almost 14.2 million.

"An attractive Ukraine remains for foreigners this year, with 6.3 million border crossings in Ukraine recorded by foreigners in the first half of the year, and the analysis compared with the same period last year shows that in 2018, citizens of Great Britain (+ 1.6 people), China (+ 36%), Croatia (+ 33%), Denmark (+ 32%), Australia (+ 31%), Estonia (+ 27%), Norway (+ 26%), Israel 25%), Lithuania (+ 20%), Ireland (+ 19%), Turkey (+ 17%), Czech Republic (+ 16%), Austria (+ 15%), Italy (+ 14%), Switzerland %), Germany (+ 13%), USA (+ 12%), Latvia (+ 12%).

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український