Ukraine News. Wednesday 12 September. [Ukrainian sources]

WEDNESDAY HEADLINES:
Putin is preparing for a new war: Russia has indicated an important condition.  State Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin spoke and admitted that Russia had made a military invasion on Donbass in 2014.  Russia will begin to reduce dollar settlements in foreign trade - Putin.  Japan has refused Putin's proposal to sign a peace agreement with Russia.  Now Russia has taken a wait-and-see position and will not make new attempts to peacefully settle the situation on the Donbas.  US Special Representative Volker declared illegitimacy of the "elections" announced on Donbas. The Cabinet has agreed Ukraine to receive two American patrol boats. "Obfuscation and lies," - May’s spokesman on Russia's explanations over Skrypals' poisoning. Putin claims Salisbury poison suspects are civilians: "Nothing criminal about them". Ukraine blocked the speech of Russian representatives from the annexed Crimea at the OSCE meeting. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized the legal sentence for 12 years imprisonment for political prisoner Sushchenko. The court seized the shares of three Russian banks in Ukraine. The court continued arrest of Ruban suspected of treason and terrorism by the end of October. UN-led mission mandate in Donbas should be robust enough to actually control security there - US Envoy Volker. Ukraine will never supply water to the occupied Crimea: Russia tries to use the situation with the Crimean Titanium to promote this issue - Klimkin. The European Parliament has supported sanctions against Hungary.  

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Russian military expert Paul Felgengauer is convinced that the teachings of Russian President Vladimir Putin are ready to deploy a full-scale military operation in the Donbas, provided that the North Stream 2 is successfully launched.

He stated this in an interview with Gordon.

"Last year, during the exercises ("East-2018"- ed.), Had to lie about the number of troops who took part in them, and then on the contrary - you can boast of a lot of them. The Cold War on the Central European The front has always been combined with the so-called proxy wars in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Now proxy wars are taking place in Syria and the Donbass, and much will depend on the launch of the North Stream 2. Then it will turn out to completely shut off gas through Ukraine and fight on its territory. And yet, it's not too much for you to do it - if because of EU. They will shut up Europe gas, they will shout, so it's time to carry out only limited operations," he says.

According to him, "East-2018" is preparing for a large-scale military operation on the part of Russia.

"Russia is preparing for a large-scale regional war that can turn into a global one. They want to check the ability of the troops to mobilize, move and so on, that is, mass preparations for a high-probable war," the expert said.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

His words have been published in the Twitter account of Phosphorus Gorlovka.

"The Civil War in Ukraine" is when a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Zatulin officially declares: "We made the most serious mistake in 2014, in September, when stopped in the city of Mariupol", - says in a signature to a snapshot of an interview with a deputy.

As previously reported, Russia recently sends alcoholic and drug addicts to the occupied Donbas, so the DPR fighters stop recruiting mercenaries from the Russian Federation.

More on how Russia can aggravate the situation on the Donbass, read in the material "Apostrophe": Donbas is threatened by a dangerous scenario: the estimated dates are already known.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian Federation should diversify the currency of settlement in international trade and "stop solely relying on" the US dollar.

Putin said this during a press conference on September 12, reports Reuters.

As it is noted, the Russian central bank has already begun to significantly reduce its reserves in US dollars. At the same time, there is an increase in reserves in gold and in Chinese yuan.

This may indicate that the RF could soon switch to settlements in the Chinese currency during the import and export, as the Chinese yuan was listed in the three main reserve currencies of the world.

The move by the Russian authorities to abandon the US dollar as a means of settling in international trade can be seen as a way to stay away from potential US sanctions that may be imposed against the Russian Federation in the future.

In addition, in July 2018, Russia replenished its gold and currency reserves by 26 tons of gold .

By increasing its reserves in gold, Russia is trying to minimize the potential financial damage from the introduction of tougher US sanctions, which, in particular, may relate to Russian dollar settlements with the Russian Federation.

We remind that in July it was reported that the Central Bank of the Russian Federation massively sells US debt bonds because of fears that they could be confiscated through US sanctions. Over the past few months, Russia has sold about 80% of all US government debt held by it.

Earlier it was reported that US Senators proposed to impose sanctions on Russia's government debt securities operations for her involvement in armed conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

"The current regime of sanctions did not prevent Russia from interfering in the interim elections of 2018," said Republican senator Lindsay Sin. Earlier, he reported that the draft of his new sanctions against Russia would be "hellish punishment" of Russia.

As noted, the restrictions on transactions with public debt in Russia can significantly affect the economy of the Russian Federation, since about a third of all government debt securities of Russia belong to foreigners.

On July 21, the US Treasury Department announced that it was ready to exclude from the sanction list of the Russian manufacturer of aluminum "Rusal" , because the company "is important for the world aluminum market".

On July 19, Republican Senator John Barrasso announced that he had registered a bill on the imposition of sanctions against North Stream-2.

On July 18, Montenegro, Albania, Norway, Georgia and Ukraine joined the decision of the Council of the European Union on June 18 to extend the period of sanctions by June 23, 2019 through the annexation of the Crimea.

On July 5, the European Union for six months extended economic sanctions against Russia - they will operate until January 31, 2019.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Japan did not agree to a peace agreement with the Russian Federation "without any preconditions" proposed by the Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 12.

This was reported by Reuters.

With the proposal to conclude a peace agreement by the end of 2018 in order to resolve the dispute over the Kuril Islands, Putin spoke during a meeting with Japan's prime minister Sinzo Abe at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

"Let's conclude a peace agreement, not now, but by the end of the year and without any preconditions," Putin said.

At the same time, Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan Yasuhiro Cahn told the journalists that Japan has no intention to conclude a peace agreement with Russia to resolve the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands.

"As the government intends to resolve the issue of the four Northern islands, the basic policy of concluding a peace treaty remains unchanged," he said.

Southern Kuriles became part of the USSR after the end of World War II, but Japan considers its territory four islands from the Kuril group - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomay.

Recall that on June 11, Japan expressed a protest by Russia and China through Moscow's plans to pave the way for a link to the Kuril Islands with the help of a Chinese company.

As reported, Japan has expressed Russia's protest because of the names of the Kuril Islands.

Earlier, Russia has placed the newest rockets on controversial Japan Kuriles.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Special Representative of the United States Department of State to Ukraine Kurt Volcker doubts that in the near future progress will be made in negotiations on the settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine.

As informs censor.NET, he said this in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

"The Russian side is, in principle, not prepared for action, and this is a problem. They have hardly done anything in the last few years to try to bring the region peace and security, but they continue to blame Ukraine, reminding that the conflict is taking place in the Ukrainian territory "But Ukraine did not come to Russian territory - Russians are in the Ukrainian territory," he said, answering the question whether the negotiations in the "Norman format" with the participation of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia have come to a standstill.

In his opinion, Moscow took a wait-and-see position.

"I think that the Russians, apparently, have decided that they will not make new attempts at a peaceful settlement now, but will wait for the results of the elections in Ukraine next year. As a result, we do not see anything new, except for constant accusations against others and leaving negotiations", - said Volker.

Recall that on July 26, the heads of the political departments of the foreign policy departments of the "Norman four" countries in Berlin agreed to continue work on the definition of the basic principles of the peacekeeping operation in the Donbas.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

pecial Representative of the US Department of State for Affairs Kurt Volker stated that the decision to hold elections in self-proclaimed "Luhansk People's Republic" and "Donetsk People's Republic" is illegitimate.

He said this in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

Volker stressed that the announcement of the November 11 elections in the occupied territories was a violation of the Minsk treaties.

"If the logic of the Minsk treaties and the return of this territory under the control of Ukraine are to be followed, these entities (self-proclaimed" LNR "and" DNR "- Ed.) Should disappear. Therefore, the conduct of the elections - in itself, is illegitimate, given the security conditions, but also because they are not the ones that should exist. When there will be security - then and there should be elections, "he said.

On the eve of Volker said that this week will visit Kiev .

After the assassination of Zakharchenko in the so-called DNR, the elections of the "head of the republic" were scheduled for November 11, 2018. Temporary executor of the duties of the leader of the "republic" was chosen by Denis Pushilin. He is the representative of the so-called "DNR" in the contact group in Minsk and simultaneously the chairman of the so-called "People's Council of the DPR".

Also, militants chose new "ministers".

Recall that the EU stated that holding "elections" in the "DPR" and "LNR" is a violation of the Minsk agreements.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on international partners to intensify sanctions against Russia because of the election of militants.

On August 31, after the explosion in the restaurant "Separ", the leader of the "DNR" militants Alexander Zakharchenko died. This information was publicly acknowledged in his press service.

As a result of an assassination attempt on the leader of the so-called "DNR" by Alexander Zakharchenko, 12 people were injured and the guard Zakharchenko died.

In Donetsk, due to the death of Zakharchenko, they closed the exit from the city . In addition, the so-called power of the "DPR" closed all the checkpoints, in particular the checkpoints on the Russian border and the administration border with the "LNR". In the "republic", too, they complained and abolished classes in schools.

The Russian federal agency Interfax, referring to sources among the security forces of the DPR, reported that Donetsk detained suspects in an attempt on Zakharchenko was supposedly "Ukrainian saboteurs".

The SSU spokeswoman Elena Hitylanskaya in a comment to Gromadsky did not confirm information about the alleged arrest of "Ukrainian saboteurs." The SBU considers two versions of the assassination of the leader of the "DPR" Zakharchenko .

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said that according to the explosion and murder of Zakharchenko allegedly stands "Kiev regime". Russia considers it a terrorist act. Russian President Putin called the assassination of Zakharchenko destabilizing and appealed to the residents of the Donbas.

The Russian edition Kommersant reported that militants are looking for supporters of the assassination of former leader of the self-proclaimed "DPR" Alexander Zakharchenko among his environment .

The office of the Ukrainian ombudsman was informed that in Donetsk they were released from confessions of 4 detainees for the murder of Zakharchenko.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at a meeting on September 12 voted to sign an agreement with the US on the transfer of American class boats to the island of Ukraine

This is reported by Ukrinform .

The government agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and instructed to carry out all further steps to obtain boats.

The main obstacles that prevented Ukraine from obtaining military boats from the United States as a gift were their transportation and payment of accompanying expenses.

Let's remind that for the first time about the possibility of transferring to Iceland Island spoke in 2014 after the annexation by Russia of Crimea.

At the end of August this year, the Cabinet of Ministers allowed the Ministry of Defense to pay a 100% advance payment of related expenses related to the preparation for the delivery of two patrol boats of the class of Iceland to the United States in the framework of military assistance to Ukraine in 2019.

Before delivery of boats to Odessa, they must undergo renovation and upgrading in Baltimore (USA). The summer of 2019 in Baltimore is also planned to train Ukrainian crews.

-Recall that on May 3, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine warned that Russia resorted to stopping and inspecting ships that are heading to Ukraine. On May 4, it became known about the arrest of Russian border guards of the Ukrainian fishing vessel YAMK-0041 with 5 Ukrainians aboard.

-On July 9, it became known that the Russian FSB detained 7 merchant ships in the Sea of ​​Azov , which traveled from or to Mariupol and Berdyansk. The Ministry of Infrastructure said that the RF special forces unreasonably and unreasonably increased the number of inspections of ships that go to ports of Ukraine through the Kerch Strait.

-SPSU spokesman Oleg Slobodian said that Russia detains Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait to inflict economic and reputational losses on Ukraine, as well as blackmail for the restoration of Crimea's water supply . According to the STSU, the Russian Federation also detained more than 150 foreign ships, which were heading to the Ukrainian ports on the Azov Sea.

-Ukraine appealed to the United States and the EU to respond to Russia's detention of Ukrainian ships.

-he Armed Forces reinforce troops near the Sea of ​​Azov because of the aggression of Russia.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

UK insists that Russian secret services were behind nerve agent attack in Salisbury.

Britain’s attempts to get an explanation from Russia over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury have always been met with obfuscation and lies and that hasn’t changed, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said on Wednesday, Censor.NET reports citing Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia knew the real identity of two men accused by British prosecutors of trying to murder Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia and that they were civilians with nothing criminal about them.

"These men are officers of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU... The government has exposed the role of the GRU, its operatives and its methods, this position is supported by our international allies," the spokesman told reporters.

"We have repeatedly asked Russia to account for what happened in Salisbury in March and they have replied with obfuscation and lies. I can see nothing to suggest that has changed."

Russia adamantly denies involvement in the poisoning, which had added to severe strains in ties between Russia and the West.

Putin's declaration came seven days after British authorities announced that they had charged two Russian men, identified as Aleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with carrying out the poisioning on March 4.

They accused the pair of smuggling the Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok into Britain in a fake perfume flask and smearing some of the substance on the front door of Sergei Skripal's home in the English city of Salisbury, where the former GRU officer settled after being sent to the West in a Cold War-style spy swap in 2010.

Putin made no comment about whether the names they used were real.

The attack left Sergei Skripal, 67, and Yulia Skripal, 34, in critical condition, but both have recovered after weeks in the hospital.

A couple who authorities said found the perfume bottle after it was discarded by the attackers fared worse: Charlie Rowley recovered after treatment in the hospital but his partner, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died on July 8.

British authorities have said that a European arrest warrant has been issued for the two Russians, who they suspect were using aliases.

censor.net.ua  In Russian/русском

President Vladimir Putin of Russia says the Russian law enforcers have identified two individuals Britain suspects of poisoning former spy Sergei Skrypal and his daughter with a military-grade nerve agent.

"We know who they are. We have found them," Putin said at an economic forum in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on Sept. 12, Censor.NET reports citing Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"They are civilians, of course," Putin said, contradicting the British government's assertion that they are officers of Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU.

He said that there was "nothing criminal" about the two men and that he hoped they would come forward and tell their own story, adding: "That would be better for everybody."

Putin gave no indication that Russia would help Britain pursue the suspects, and his poker-faced remarks appeared to indicate that it would not.

Russia adamantly denies involvement in the poisoning, which had added to severe strains in ties between Russia and the West.

Putin's declaration came seven days after British authorities announced that they had charged two Russian men, identified as Aleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with carrying out the poisioning on March 4.

They accused the pair of smuggling the Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok into Britain in a fake perfume flask and smearing some of the substance on the front door of Sergei Skripal's home in the English city of Salisbury, where the former GRU officer settled after being sent to the West in a Cold War-style spy swap in 2010.

The attack left Sergei Skripal, 67, and Yulia Skripal, 34, in critical condition, but both have recovered after weeks in the hospital.

A couple who authorities said found the perfume bottle after it was discarded by the attackers fared worse: Charlie Rowley recovered after treatment in the hospital but his partner, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died on July 8.

British authorities have said that a European arrest warrant has been issued for the two Russians, who they suspect were using aliases.

Putin made no comment about whether the names they used were real.

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said on September 9 that Britain will catch the two men and bring them to prosecution if they ever step out of Russia.

Calling the poisoning a "sickening and despicable" attack, Javid said it was "unequivocally, crystal-clear this was the act of the Russian state -- two Russian nationals sent to Britain with the sole purpose of carrying out a reckless assassination attempt."

Javid described the GRU as a "very well-disciplined organization" that would "only act with orders from the highest level of the Russian government."

Britain's security minister, Ben Wallace, said on September 6 that Putin "ultimately" bears responsibility for the poisoning because "it is his government that controls, funds, and directs the military intelligence."

The poisoning led Britain, the United States, the European Union, and others to carry out a series of diplomatic expulsions and financial sanctions against Moscow.

It has further damaged already severely strained relations between Russia and the West and has been a cause for solidarity at a time when Western officials accuse Moscow of seeking to cause rifts in relations between Western countries.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Two delegates of Russia from the annexed Crimea were not allowed to speak at a meeting on media freedom at the annual OSCE summit. The delegate from Ukraine indicated that they were speaking of non-existent organizations.

This is reported by Ukrinform.

At a meeting on media freedom on September 12, members of the so-called public chamber of the Crimean republic and representative of the Crimean Tatar channel Millet were to be represented as representatives of the annexed Crimea.

The Ukrainian delegate Andrew Chesnokov drew attention to the violation of the established rules of the meeting and pointed to the inadmissibility of the speeches of representatives of the RF from the annexed Crimea. Chesnokov explained that, according to international law, the peninsula is a territory of Ukraine, which means that these persons are acting from non-existent organizations, which is a violation of the OSCE standards.

The moderator of the session agreed with the arguments and, despite the Russian delegation's protest, banned the speech of Russian representatives from the annexed Crimea. This decision was supported by US, Canadian and EU delegations.

It should be noted that in Warsaw, a two-weekly meeting of the OSCE began in Warsaw, in which human rights and freedoms would be discussed.

About 1,500 officials and civil society representatives from OSCE and partner countries take part in the event.

On September 11, the US at the OSCE conference called on Russia to dismiss Sentsov.

On September 10, at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, public activists supported the Ukrainian director , political prisoner Oleg Sentsov.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Supreme Court of Russia recognized the legal decision of the Moscow City Court for 12 years imprisonment for a Ukrainian political prisoner, journalist Roman Sushchenko. The court thus rejected the full appeal of the defenders.

Such a decision was announced by a judge of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, UNIAN reports.

Sushchenko stressed that he did not agree with the court's decision and would continue the struggle for his release. He noted that he would lodge a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.

On August 6, Sushchenko came to the Supreme Court of Russia.

In June, the Moscow court denied the Ukrainian ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova at a meeting with Sushchenko.

Recall, the correspondent of the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform" in France, Roman Sushchenko was detained in Moscow in September 2016, when he arrived in Russia to visit his relatives. In October of that year, the FSB of Russia put Sushchenko on an official allegations of espionage.

On June 4, the court in Moscow found guilty of "espionage" and sentenced to 12 years of the colony of a strict regime of Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko.

Convicted Sushchenko in the last word did not admit guilty and asked for release.

On April 24, Feigin, who defended a Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko in court, reported that he was deprived of the status of a lawyer. He told that the case of journalist Sushchenko will be led by another lawyer. Since then, Feigin has been in the case of Sushchenko as a public defender.

Feigin announced that he would appeal the verdict. He also did not exclude that Sushchenko could exchange for the leader of the "RIA Novosti Ukraina" Kirill Vyshynsky, detained on suspicion of treason. Vyshynsky's lawyer did not rule out his exchange for Sushchenko.

President Petro Poroshenko said in February 2018 that Ukraine is ready to exchange Russian soldiers caught on Donbas hosted by Russian hostages in Russia, in particular for journalist Roman Sushchenko.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Kyiv Court of Appeal arrested the shares of Ukrainian "daughters" of Russian banks, VTB, Prominvestbank and Sberbank to enforce the Hague arbitration a lawsuit against the former head of PrivatBank and other Ukrainian companies that lost their assets as a result of the annexation of the Crimea.

It is reported by Interfax-Ukraine, referring to the court's decision.

As noted, the arrest was imposed on shares of Ukrainian subsidiaries owned by Russian state-owned banks operating in Ukraine.

Recall that the Hague Court of Arbitration ordered the Russian Federation to compensate a number of Ukrainian companies for damages for the annexation of the Crimea. In particular, it was about $159 million.

Russia was found responsible for the violation of the rights of Ukrainian investors, starting March 21, 2014, when Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the annexation of the Crimea.

The lawsuit against Russia was filed by 18 Ukrainian companies, as well as by one individual.

Earlier it became known that the national energy company Ukrenergo launched an investment dispute with Russia on the property and profits of the company lost due to the annexation of the Crimea.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Volodymyr Ruban, an ex-head of the Center for the release of captives "Officers' Corps", suspected of attempting terrorist attacks in the center of Kiev, continued the custody measure until the end of October.

According to Censor.NET, referring to the Espero TV, his lawyer Valentin Rybin, known for his pro-Russian views and sympathy for Donetsk terrorists, said it.

The next meeting of the suspect in preparation for the terrorist attack was held on August 30.

"Volodymyr Ruban has continued the preventive measure until October 30," the lawyer said.

Recall that on March 15, 2018, the Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko submitted to the Verkhovna Rada three applications: the removal of immunity, detention and arrest of People's Deputy Nadezhda Savchenko. She is suspected of trying to organize an " armed state coup by terror".

Savchenko himself, commenting on these allegations, said: " I was planning to show the authorities what might be. I began to create surrealism."

The Standing Committee unanimously voted and recommended the Verkhovna Rada to support the submission of the Prosecutor General.

On March 22, the General Prosecutor's Office published operative audio recordings and video materials on the involvement of Nadezhda Savchenko in organizing and planning a terrorist attack in the Ukrainian parliament.

The same dayThe Council revoked the immunity , as well as granted the detention and arrest detention of Nadiia Savchenko.

After such a decision, Nadia Savchenko was arrested in the premises of the Verkhovna Rada and taken to the SBU's investigatory detention facility.

.23 March Savchenko announced a hunger strike . On the same day, the court chose her preventive measure in the form of detention until May 20 . In addition, Savchenko complained to the representatives of the ombudsman on video surveillance in the cell.

Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova exercises personal control over the observance of constitutional rights of Hope Savchenko.

On July 14, Savchenko again declared an eternal hunger strike through an arrest.

Savchenko accuses the crimes stipulated by the articles: "actions aimed at forcible change or overthrow of the constitutional system or the seizure of state power", "preparation for a crime", "committing a crime by a group of persons, a group of persons under a preliminary conspiracy, an organized group or a criminal organization" "encroachment on the life of a state or public figure", "terrorist act", "the creation of a terrorist group or terrorist organization", "the illicit handling of weapons, combat supplies or explosives".

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, Savchenko was a member of Volodymyr Ruban, who was detained on March 8 at the KPVV "Mayorskoye" during an attempt to transport large quantities of weapons from the territory of the Donetsk region under the control of the Russian occupation administration. Savchenko had previously stated that he planned not a terrorist act, but only a "political provocation."

Ruban is suspected of illicit handling of weapons and preparation of terrorist acts, including armed attacks on state officials and political leaders, including President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov. Ruban himself rejects the allegations.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The U.N. peacekeepers should be able to gradually control security throughout the entire Ukraine's Donbas region.

U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker told DW ahead of his visit to Kyiv on Sept. 13, Censor.NET reports.

According to the diplomat, the mandate of a possible U.N.-led peacekeeping mission in the Donbas needs to be robust enough to actually control security throughout the contested area.

"The right thing to have happen would be a staged deployment of a peacekeeping force that would grow to be able to control security throughout the entire area. I don't have a number to throw at you, but it would have to be robust enough to be able to handle that," Volker said.

"When you look at the past year or so of our diplomatic efforts, even though Russia has not been willing to move at all, we have clearly shown Russia's responsibility for the conflict. We have increased sanctions, we have increased our support to Ukraine, and we've done all of this together as a trans-Atlantic community, with close coordination with France and Germany, which lead the Normandy format, as well as Canada, the UK, Sweden and many others," he stressed.

On Sept. 5, 2017, Russian President Putin said deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in the Donbas was quite appropriate for solving of the conflict in the region, but only along the line of contact and with the aim of protecting the OSCE mission.

On Sept. 20, 2017, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko delivered a speech at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, in which he stressed the need to deploy peacekeepers in the occupied area of the Donbas.

Ukraine's representative in Humanitarian subgroup of the Tripartite contact group in Minsk talks, deputy speaker of Ukrainian parliament Iryna Herashchenko commented on Putin's statement and said the Kremlin scenarios will fail; peacekeepers must be introduced across all Russia-occupied territories.

On Jan. 29, 2018, Volker said Russia had shown more "openness" to U.S. suggestions on a possible UN peacekeeping mission in the Donbas, but Washington and Moscow remained far from striking a deal.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasized that in connection with the release of poisonous substances at the Crimean Titan plant, Russia tries to manipulate the situation with the non-supply of water by Ukraine to the peninsula.

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin stresses that Ukraine will never sign a contract for the supply of water to the occupied Crimea, which will indicate the membership of the peninsula of Russia. The head of the Ukrainian foreign policy department told reporters about it, reports Censor.NET with reference to UNIAN.

He explained that Russia is now trying to use the situation with the release of poisonous chemicals from the acid storage tank of the Crimean Titanium plant in order to "promote, including on international sites, the issue of water supply to the occupied territory."

"But to untangle this problem not from the point of view of international law, but as if wrapping it in such a humanitarian wrapper, and this should be avoided, therefore, we go to international organizations only with clear evidence, with dimensions, that we will receive from our partners", - said Klimkin, commenting on Ukraine's intention to apply to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), if the use of chemical weapons in connection with emissions of toxic substances at the "Crimean Titanium" plant will be confirmed.

"Now we have a previous contact, but we will not do anything that will give Russia this trump card to use this issue in the context of water manipulation," Klimkin said.

"And we are well aware of all the fake plans to build such supplies ... We will never allow this. In the occupied territory, the water under the contract, which says" Crimea, Russia, will never be delivered, "the minister said.

Recall that in late August there was information that the chemical plant began to evaporate through harmful substances through the heat. Border guards of Kherson detachment found excess of chemical substances in the air.

Crimean occupation authorities have announced that the Crimean Titan plant will be stopped for two weeks. Children of preschool and school age are exported massively from the city.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko invited children from Armenian to improve themselves in Kherson region. At the same time, according to the Kherson Regional State Administration, depending on the wind, 6 villages in the Kherson region fall into the zone of emissions from the Titan plant . As of September 11, 405 children were evacuated due to emissions from the "Titan" from the south of the Kherson region.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

On Wednesday, September 12, the European Parliament has supported the introduction of a sanction procedure against Hungary for violating the values ​​of the European Union

This is reported by the website of the European Parliament.

"Parliament has proposed to the EU member states to determine in accordance with article 7 of the Treaty, whether Hungary is in danger of violating the EU's core values," the statement said.

The request was supported by 448 deputies, 197 voted out against, 48 others abstained.

This is the first time that the European Parliament has called on the EU Council to oppose a Member State in order to prevent a systemic threat to the fundamental values ​​of the Union. These values ​​are enshrined in Art. 2 of the EU Treaty and reflected in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights include respect for democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights.

MEPs urged EU countries to start the procedure outlined in Art. 7 of the EU Treaty, noting that despite the Hungarian authorities' willingness to discuss the legality of any concrete measures, "there are many problems." They emphasized that this is a preventive stage of the procedure, which involves dialogue with the country concerned and "aimed at avoiding possible sanctions."

The European Parliament also recalled that the accession of Hungary to the EU "was a voluntary act based on a sovereign decision with broad consensus in the political spectrum," and stressed that any Hungarian government is obliged to eliminate the risk of serious violation of EU values.

Hungary's main issues concern:

functioning of the constitutional and electoral system;
independence of the judiciary;
corruption and conflicts of interest;
confidentiality and data protection;
freedom of expression, academic freedom, freedom of religion, freedom of association, the right to equal treatment and the rights of national minorities, in particular Roma and Jews;
the main rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees;
economic and social rights.
The author of the report, Judith Sargentini, emphasized that "European leaders need to take responsibility and stop watching how the rule of law is eroded in Hungary."

Further proposals on the Council's decision will be directed to member states. They will determine the existence of a risk of violation of EU values ​​in Hungary. The council will first have to listen to the Hungarian authorities, and the European Parliament will have to give its consent. The EU member states can also make recommendations to Hungary on countering risks.

At a later stage, the European Council, unanimously and with the permission of the European Parliament, can determine the existence in Hungary of a grave and persistent violation of democracy and fundamental rights. This may eventually lead to suspension of voting rights in the Council.

-Recall that on September 11 deputies of the European Parliament discussed the possible violation of Hungary's fundamental principles of the EU.

-Prime Minister of Hungary Victor Orban called the report of the European Parliament an insult to the Hungarian nation.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український