Ukraine News. Friday 31 August. [Ukrainian sources]

FRIDAY HEADLINES:
Defender of the ex-advocate Trump also represents Firtash's interests, and the money he pays Russian mafiosi.  Russia has urged the USA to "stop interceding for wardens who commit tyranny in the Azov Sea".  The United States has virtually ceased issuing visas to Russians, including humanitarian cases.  PACE avoids discussing the topic of Ukrainian hostages in order not to annoy Russia.  In April 2019 the US will stop using the Russian "Unions" to deliver astronauts to the ISS.  Russia continues to block extension of mandate of OSCE mission on the border with Ukraine.  Ukraine and three other European countries joined the extension of sanctions against the Russian Federation.  The Kremlin pupil of Aksenov through the court requires Kyiv to withdraw from it sanctions.  "Case of Manafort" did not affect the demand of political technologists and political consultants from the USA. Russia must stop the tactics of kidnapping and torture in order to persecute and suppress political dissent - the US Embassy.  Russia pushes Estonia out of the "New Silk Road".  Patriarch of Constantinople informed Patriarch Kirill of introduction of autocephaly in Ukraine.

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Lawyer Lenny Davis, who defends in court the former lawyer of US President Donald Trump Michael Cohen, also represents the interests of the oligarch Dmitry Firtash

This is the edition of The Rolling Stone.

During the past four years Davis has been registered as a foreign agent of Firtash. The latter is trying to avoid extradition in Chicago, where he has been charged with international racketeering and money laundering.

By registering with the Department of Justice as a foreign oligarch agent, Davis said his company paid $80,000 a month - or about a million dollars a year. The man pays this money, described by prosecutors as a representative of the "higher echelon" associated with Russian organized crime. This is about the criminal authority and one of the main representatives of the post-Soviet mafia in Europe Semen Mogilevich.

The latter appeared on the FBI list of the 10 most wanted criminals during the period of Robert Muller's stay as director of the Bureau. The 1996 FBI report on the organization of Mogilevich said that he was engaged in prostitution, arms trade, smuggling of nuclear materials, illicit drug trafficking and money laundering.

It is also believed that Mogilevich has ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and now lives in Moscow under the protection of Russian special services.

Firtash himself, during a meeting with US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor in 2010, did not deny that he knew Mogilevich.

"Firtash admitted that he needed and he received Mogilevich's permissions when he created various enterprises, but he denied any close relations with him," Taylor said.

In particular, two Firtash companies engaged in the gas business had connections - albeit indirect - with Mogilevich: the wife of a criminal authority was a large shareholder in one company, while in other companies it was generally indicated as a director.

Davis himself informed the publication that Firtash "denies any business or personal involvement in organized crime in Russia or anywhere else."

Former lawyer Trump Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to a number of crimes , including the fact that during the 2016 election campaign, on Trump's instructions, he paid for the silence of two women who said they had sex with the president; and concluded an agreement with the investigation.
After that, Trump said that "would not recommend" to hire Kona as a lawyer.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

The Russian embassy in the United States called on the United States to "stop interceding for the tyrants who commit tyranny in the Sea of ​​Azov" and instead launch a dialogue on Russian prisoners in the United States.

This is stated in the statement of the diplomatic department.

The embassy insists that checks of ships are "legitimate".

"The State Department, in the person of the official representative of Gizier Neuer, became interested in legitimate stops for inspections of ships in the Sea of ​​Azov. Stops Not arrests, not detentions, "the embassy said.

Russian diplomats mentioned the detention of the Ukrainian border guards of the Nord vessel in the Azov Sea, which was under the Russian flag, and the detention of a tanker Mehik Pogodin in the port of Kherson.

The embassy claims that Washington "deliberately generates new blank charges" against Russia "to distract society from human rights violations from both its own satellites and at home."

The day before, the US State Department urged Russia to stop violating the conditions of international maritime traffic in the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait. So the US accused Moscow of trying to destabilize the situation in Ukraine.

In late July, Russia increased its activity in the Sea of ​​Azov and began to detain foreign vessels at the passage of the Kerch Strait.

On July 16, it was reported that the number of Russian detainees in the Azov Sea reached 148.

In the Infrastructure said that the RF groundlessly increased the number of inspections of ships that are heading to Ukraine.

Poroshenko instructed to hold the NSDC meeting due to Russia's actions in the Azov Sea.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The leader of the Donetsk terrorists Alexander Zakharchenko was liquidated as a result of the blast near a cafe in the center of the occupied Donetsk. He died at the hospital from the wounds he received.
According to the Tsensor.NET, sources of the Russian propaganda resource " Life.rude " from the scene reported.

The head of the "DPR" was seriously wounded during an explosion near the cafe "Separ" on Pushkin Street in Donetsk. The wounds were deadly.

In turn, the source of RIA Novosti reported that one person died as a result of the explosion, and three more were injured.

In addition, the TV channel " Rain " reports that the so-called Minister of Taxes, Alexander Timofeev ("Tashkent") and two more people were injured.

As a result of the incident, the scene was surrounded by intelligence services. In connection with the death of Zakharchenko in Donetsk, additional security measures have been introduced. Social networks report that some roads are blocked in the city center.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The American authorities "virtually ceased" to issue visas to the Russians - this applies even to humanitarian situations.

As informs Censor.NET with reference to the TV channel "Rain", this was stated by the Consul General of Russia in Houston Alexander Pisarev.

He made this statement, commenting on a case with a Russian citizen who drowned during a holiday in Utah earlier this week. The consul noted that the parents of the deceased are unlikely to receive visas to leave the United States.

"I do not doubt that they will have the opportunity to leave St. Petersburg because the Americans actually stopped visas, including humanitarian cases," said the president. Pisarev.

Twenty-year-old Alexander Kurganov, a resident of St. Petersburg, died at the Powell Wavahara Reservoir in Utah. As reported by The Associated Press, on August 27, a group of young people went to ride a pond in pontoon boats and hit a storm. Some participants of the trip managed to independently get to the shore, Kurganov drowned.

Recall that in March, the Russian authorities sent from the country 60 American diplomats and closed the American Consulate General in St. Petersburg. In this way, Moscow responded to the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats from the United States after the poisoning in Great Britain of the ex-colonel of the GRU, Sergei Skripal. Currently, an American visa in Russia can be obtained at diplomatic missions in Moscow, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg.

In August 2017, Russia ordered the deportation of about 700 US diplomatic staff in response to the imposition of new US sanctions. The State Department said that this would increase the deadlines for examining visa applications for Russians. The Department of State also ordered the closure of the Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco and sales offices in Washington and New York.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe avoids discussing the issue of Ukrainian political prisoners and respecting human rights in the territories of Crimea and Donbass occupied by Russia because of unwillingness to annoy the Russian Federation.

This was stated by the representative of Ukraine at the Council of Europe Dmitry Kuleba, reports Censor.NET with reference to Liga.

"I believe that the reluctance to irritate Russia and the reluctance to create additional problems for them causes the Council of Europe representatives to be at the forefront of the protection of human rights and to initially raise these issues to avoid this issue. It is not that at all ... the search for diplomatic paths continues", - said the diplomat.

ua.censor.net.ua    In Ukrainian/український

In April 2019, the United States will stop using the Russian Soyuz ships to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station, and will launch US ships, including the SpaceX Crew Dragon.

Russian Vice Prime Minister Yuriy Borisov announced this, reports Interfax.

"The boarding of the Soyuz-MS will complete the fulfillment of our NASA-related commitments for delivery to the ISS and return from the station of American astronauts in April," he said.

Representatives of the American aerospace agency NASA in 2016 reported that they will not continue the contract with Roskosmos.

In 2010, NASA launched a program to encourage the development of private manned spacecrafts that could deliver American astronauts to the ISS. As a result, the agency signed contracts with SpaceX and Boeing, which are developing Crew Dragon and CTS-100 Starliner ships, respectively.

In early August 2018, SpaceX reported that the first manned flight of the Crew Dragon ship was carried by April 2019 . NASA said it would be the first of 2011 flight of astronauts to the ISS on an American ship.

It is also known that Boeing plans to launch the CTS-100 Starliner with people on board in the summer of 2019.

On August 3, NASA announced the names of astronauts who will carry out the first manned flights of these vehicles. So, Bob Becken, Doug Harley, Sunny Williams, and Victor Glover will fly on Crew Dragon ships, and Eric Bowl, Chris Ferguson and Nicole Anapu Man, on CTS-100 Starliner.

It should be noted that after the closure of the American program "Shuttle" Russian companies "Energy" and "Roskosmos" were monopolists in the market of manned flights.

According to RBC, for the last three years, the United States has paid $935 million to these companies for the delivery of astronauts to the ISS.

As reported, the American Lockheed Martin Corporation introduced a module project in which astronauts will be able to live during space expeditions.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Joe Deputy Head of the US Mission to the OSCE, Gregor Mekris, said that Russia continues to block the expansion of the geography of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission along the border.

"We still have to be content with the inadequate, limited work of the mission at only two checkpoints, which together cover only hundreds of meters from the 2,300 km Russian-Ukrainian border, a significant part of which Ukraine does not control," the statement reads on the website of the State Department US sends Cenzor.NET referring to lb.ua.

The statement said that the constant refusal of Russia to expand the scope of activities of the SMM confirms that the RF refuses to comply with the Minsk agreements.

"The fourth paragraph of the Minsk Protocol defines the clear role of the OSCE observers in monitoring and verifying both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian international border, as well as establishing border security zones in Russia and Ukraine," the statement said.

Mexis stressed that because of the unauthorized restriction of the supervisory mission, it would not be able to confirm the extent of Russia's participation in the supply of weapons, facilities and personnel in support of militants in the Donbass.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov refutes the published memoirs of former French President Francois Hollande,

As Censor.NET reports, Tass reports.

Recall that in his memoirs, Hollande claims that Putin threatened Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko with the Minsk-format talks in 2015.

Read on Tsensor.NET: "I'll crush you!" - shouted Putin on Poroshenko in Minsk. Former French President Hollande described in detail the talks in memoirs

"No," the Kremlin spokesman said, questioning whether Putin spoke "I'll crush you" to Poroshenko. "I was practically in all negotiations, I did not hear such a phrase," - explained Peskov, adding that he could not confirm such a statement.

In general, he did not comment on the memoirs of the ex-president of France. "As far as Mr Alland's allegations are concerned, since I have not read and I do not know the context, I can not judge what he meant in what context," the Kremlin spokesman said.

"It is difficult for me to speak here, although Putin always follows a rather rigid and unequivocal position in support of the Russian people where he can be subjected to hostile acts, often confines himself to genocide, with the attacks of ultranationalists, a consistent policy of the president of Russia, he supports Russians in any country, which point and repeatedly spoke about it", - said Peskov.

Recall that in February 2015, Minsk held talks with leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia, which resulted in the signing of a package of Minsk agreements on the settlement of the Donbas.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania and Norway joined the declaration of the European Council, by which the European Union continued sanctions against Russia due to the destabilization of the situation in Ukraine.

This is stated in a press release by the European Council.

The sanctions against Russia continued for another six months - until January 31, 2019.

"The candidate countries Montenegro and Albania, a member of the European Free Trade Association Norway, as well as Ukraine, have joined the statement. The European Union recognizes and supports these commitments, "the statement was made by the European Council.

Let's remind that in the government of Ukraine offer sanctions against 19 Russian companies for the construction of the Kerch Bridge.

In July, the European Union for six months extended economic sanctions against Russia.

For the first time, the EU imposed sanctions on Russia in July 2014 as a response to Russia's "destabilizing actions in Ukraine."

On June 29, the European Parliament passed a decision to extend sanctions against Russia for the annexation of the Crimea and Sevastopol.

Also, on May 14, 2018, the European Union imposed sanctions against five individuals through the organization of "elections" in the annexed Crimea.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The head of the Russian government's "government" of Crimea Sergey Aksenov filed a lawsuit with the District Administrative Court of Kyiv demanding that he cancel his personal sanctions.

According to Censor.NET, referring to the Crimea Realities, the press service of the court reported on August 31.

"The plaintiff asks the court to declare illegal and cancel the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC)" On the application and abolition of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)", insofar as Sergei Aksenov is included in the list of persons subject to sanctions," - said in a message.

The press service of the court noted that, in addition to the National Security and Defense Council, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the SBU and the National Bank of Ukraine are also parties to the case.

The issue of violation of the relevant case is being considered.

Aksenov has not yet publicly commented on attempts to obtain judicial cancellation of Ukrainian personal sanctions.

The Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea continues to consider the case concerning former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of the Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov and ex-deputy of the local parliament Sergey Aksenov. They are charged under articles 109 and 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - "appeals to violent overthrow of the constitutional system" and "encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine".

According to documents published on the website of the President of Ukraine in the annexes to the decree No. 467/2016, the head of the Crimean government Sergey Aksenov, the head of the Crimean parliament Volodymyr Konstantinov, the former deputy head of the Crimean parliament Ramzi Ilyasov, the former deputy prime minister of Crimea, entered into sanctions lists. Ruslan Balbeck, former Sebastopol governor Serhii Menyailo and present acting Governor Dmytro Ovsyannikov.

In total, more than 682 people have been added to the Ukrainian sanctions lists through the annexation of the Crimea and the conflict in the Donbass, which are citizens of Ukraine, Russia and other countries.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

As the political consultant for Seetarget, Jason Jay Smart, explained, the US scandal with Paul Manafort did not affect the number of invitations from American political technologists coming from the headquarters of Ukrainian politicians.

Political technologist and consultant Jay Seetarget Jason Smart (USA) on his page in Facebook explained why the US political consultants are in demand in the Ukrainian headquarters, even despite the scandal with former spin doctor headquarters Trump and former President Yanukovych Paul Manafort.

"A Ukrainian journalist asked me at a Seetarget research presentation:" After the trial of Manafort, there is a demand for US political consultants in Ukraine? "

I want to point out that a few teams of US political technologists are working here. And so it was always. And not only in Ukraine, but also everywhere in the world. And the "Manafort case" did not affect the demand of political technologists and political consultants from the United States. I even wrote an article in one of the Ukrainian editions a few days ago about this, and explained why this is so, "said Jason Jay Smart.

According to the consultant, Seetarget, the enormous amounts spent annually on election campaigns in the United States, as well as the development of new methods and electoral technologies there, make American experts a desirable guest at election headquarters all over the world.

"In America, as you know, billions of dollars are spent every year on elections, so participation in a regular electoral process allows us to draw conclusions, to clarify which technology is better, why it is better, or why this technology works, and the other does not work.

Our platform for experimentation makes it possible to determine - what is better in one or another situation, which political technology tool will be most effective now. And these technologies are constantly, from year to year, refined and improved. Therefore, experience, knowledge and new methods allow American political technologists to always be in demand throughout the world.

I have friends working in Africa, Asia, and South America. Huge experience and work experience become the factor that enables effective research, election campaigns around the world. And Manafort there is absolutely nothing to do, "said the American political technologist.



Recall that Seetarget recently presented the results of sociological research on the popularity of Ukrainian politicians and parties.

The presentation was attended by: the head of the company Seetarget, the candidate of sociological sciences Alexey Borovsky, political technologist and political consultant of the company Seetarget Jason Jay Smart (USA), expert of the analytical portal "Word and Deed" Valentin Gladkikh.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The US Embassy in Ukraine is concerned about the disappearance of people in Russia-occupied Crimea.

The US embassy said this on its Facebook page, reports Censor.NET.

"#Znykilukrima: in 2016, 48-year-old Crimean Tatar Rizvan Abdurmanov from Batalna village went to Theodosia to get a new job, he was no longer home, we are deeply concerned about the disappearance of the Crimeans, in particular, Rizvanna, and Russia should return the Crimeans to their families and to stop the tactics of forced disappearances and torture in order to persecute and suppress their political dissent. #CrimeaUkraine #Znykilukurima #KudiznykRizavan", - the statement said in the US Embassy in Ukraine.



ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Russian railways did not approve the schedule of freight trains, which were expected in Estonia in September. Thus, RZD prevented Estonian logistics companies from joining a Chinese business project known as the "New Silk Road"

Postimees writes about it.

"RZD is trying to prevent the movement of Chinese freight trains to Estonia, but this is not possible in the long term as international treaties do not allow to restrict transit from third countries," said Eric Laydewe, head of the Estonian railway.

"They simply do not approve the schedule of train movement," - added the head of the EZ.

In the context of the current joint military exercises of Russia and China, according to Laidwee, it is unlikely that the blockade of rail transport in the direction of Estonia may last for a long time.

"It's impossible that they will be able to prevent the export of their friends and allies for a long time. We will launch these trains," added Laidwee.

The Russian-language portal Rubaltic wrote that the Russian Railways would prefer to send Chinese transit goods to the port of Ust-Luga in the Baltic. The portal also adds that if the Baltic states continue to move on the same foreign policy course, they can forget about the Chinese transit going through Russia.

In mid-August, the EA removed from its schedules three Chinese trains scheduled for August, as allegedly failed to reach agreement with the Estonian Tax and Customs Department on the issue of control and declaration of goods. Then the parties expressed hope that the trains will come in September.

According to EA estimates, by the end of the year, five trains could be traveled from Estonia to China in the framework of the New Silk Road project, which the Chinese state subsidized.

It was expected that some Estonian companies wanted to establish a regular connection of freight trains with China in the framework of this project.

Two logistic companies are trying to increase the volume of containers passing through Estonia by almost 60%. If last year EZ processed 33,500 standard sea containers, then the Chinese commercial direction could increase their volume by an annual calculation of almost 20,000.

For decades, Russia has used the transit business as a means of influencing Estonian politics. After the export of petroleum products through administrative receptions was directed to Russian ports, the Kremlin lost an important lever to influence it. The fact that China sees Estonia as an important transit country for the export of its goods has once again given the Eastern neighbor the opportunity to signal their ambitions, says the material.

"One Belt, One Way" is a global initiative of the Chinese government to promote trade, economic, cultural and scientific and technological cooperation. As part of the initiative, the largest transport and logistics project of the 21st century is being built, which will unite China and the countries of Western Europe.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew told the Moscow Patriarch Kirill about the implementation of the decision on autocephaly in Ukraine.

With such a statement after the end of the meeting of two of the perpetrators made Metropolitan Galsky Emmanuel, responsible for the presentation of Tomas to Ukraine. This is reported by a Gromadsky correspondent from the scene.

"The Constantinople Church is strong and it has opportunities around the world. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, with its long life and experience, is the first church in the Orthodox family, it plays a special role. Therefore, solutions sometimes get out of here. The main issue that was discussed is the situation in Ukraine. You know that there is a split that lasts more than 25 years. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has decided to use all means to solve the issue of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The decision was made in April. And we implement this solution. This was informed to Patriarch Kirill during his visit"- said Emmanuel.

Hierarch emphasized that the question of overcoming the church split in Ukraine remains important for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The conversation of Patriarch Bartholomew with Patriarch Cyril lasted two and a half hours. Most of the time, the hierarchs spoke theta-a-tete in the presence of translators.

At the beginning of the meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew warmly welcomed the guest from Moscow, but according to the church protocol, he did not call him "Holy", instead using the words "Beatitude", which testifies to the supremacy of the Kostianthropol patriarch.

Bartholomew also reminded Kirill of his teacher, one of the most liberal hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church in the time of the Soviet Union, Metropolitan Nicodemus (Rotov). For his part, Cyril reminded Bartholomew that they were familiar with 1977.

Kirill himself asks the journalist how the meeting was "good, good".



On the morning of August 31, Moscow Patriarch Kirill arrived in Istanbul to meet with Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew.

From 1 to 3 September in Istanbul will be the general meeting of the bishopric of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is expected that it will discuss the creation of a single local Ukrainian church.

In the Russian Orthodox Church, they reacted to statements by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko about a "firm intention to cut ties" with the Church of the Russian Federation. The Moscow Patriarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate stated that it was a "desperate attempt to hold power".

Earlier, the head of the UOC-Kyivan Patriarchate, Filaret, said that after receiving the Ukrainian church of the tomos of autocephaly, the part of the Moscow Patriarchate (MP), which would not want to join a single local Orthodox Church, should be renamed the "Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine".

As it was reported, in the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate it was stated that the tomos of the provision of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has already been written.

The UOC-MP claimed that the Patriarch of the UOC-KP Filaret called for a "religious war."

Recall, on April 19, the Council supported the President's appeal to establish a Ukrainian local church.

Poroshenko met with representatives of Ukrainian churches . The Patriarch of the UOC-KP Filaret and the head of the UAOC Makarios conveyed to the head of state the appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of giving the Ukrainian church Tomos on autocephaly. Consequently, the heads of Ukrainian churches urged Bartholomew to grant permission to create a united Ukrainian church.

The UOC-KP Patriarchate also urged the UOC-MP to support the creation of a local church. The UOC-MP claimed that there were no grounds for recognizing another Orthodox Church.

The local church is an association of all Orthodox believers, which is created by the territorial principle . The local church stands in opposition to the universal, becomes independent and self-governing in the territory of a certain state, and usually agrees with the political and administrative division and state borders.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український