Ukraine News. Saturday 15 September. [Ukrainian sources]

SATURDAY HEADLINES:
Manafort has paid over $ 4 million for a report that denied persecution of Yanukovych Tymoshenko.  US Special Representative Volker explained why it is important for Ukraine to extend the law on the special status of the occupied territories.  Russia insists on direct talks with militants in the Donbass, but this is impossible.  Volker: The only place where the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine is suffering - where the Russian Federation intervened.  The presence of Russian troops in the Sea of ​​Azov is a provocation - a special representative of the United States.  Russia must agree to become a peaceful neighbor for Ukraine, and not only.  The eastern regions of Ukraine should feel that they need the state - Condoleezza Rice.  Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Bellingcat investigators of breaking the migration service database and involvement in special services. Tymoshenko: Ukraine needs a real peace, not a frozen conflict in the Donbas. Russia, as always, has found the Ukrainian trail in the poisoning of the Violinists and considers the staff of GRU Petrova Ukrainian businessman. NATO will not retreat to Russia, Georgia will become a member of the Alliance.

WEATHER:
Kyiv, Ukraine
26c / 79f HI | RealFeel 29c / 85f
Precipitation 40%
Times of clouds and sun, very warm; a shower or thunderstorm in spots this afternoon

Ex-head of Donald Trump's campaign and former adviser to former President Viktor Yanukovych, Paul Manafort, paid $4.6 million for a report that denied Yanukovych's persecution of Yulia Tymoshenko.

This is stated in the text of the accusation by the US Special Prosecutor Robert Muller, which was published by The New York Times.

As noted in the text of the allegations, Manafort knew that the then Ukrainian authorities would not want to disclose the cost of the report.

He paid more than $4 million for reporting over one of his offshore accounts in order not to disclose the real value of the report.

Representatives of Ukrainian authorities then reported that the cost of the report - 12 thousand dollars.

The report was also presented as an independent assessment, which was "an effective tool for Yanukovych's lobbying by Yanukovych," as indicated in the prosecution's text.

On September 14, Donald Trump, former head of the election campaign and former adviser to former President Viktor Yanukovych, Paul Manafort, agreed to blame for two points of indictment .

On the morning of September 14th, it was reported that Paul Manafort had previously agreed to an agreement with the Special Prosecutor in his case Robert Muller.

On September 9, it became known that Paul Manafort's attorneys discussed with the US prosecutors the terms of an investigation agreement to avoid the second stage of the trial that would take place in Washington in September.

Recall that the second trial of Manafort will begin on September 17 and will cover his political activities from 2006 to 2017, during which he probably received $30 million as a consultant for Ukrainian politicians.

At the next trial of Manafort, he will present 1,500 evidence in a case about his lobbying activities, in particular, in Ukraine.

As Tetyana Vorozhko, a journalist from the Ukrainian Voice of America community service, reported that 7 charges will be filed at the next stage of the trial in Manafort . They will refer to the fact that he did not register as a lobbyist who works for foreign interests, provided false testimony, pressured witnesses, and also laundered money.

Vorozhko also noted that, according to American justice, the first trial of Manafort ended quickly enough: it lasted three weeks.

In the evening of August 21, a jury trial in the US city of Alexandria, Virginia, found Paul Manaforth guilty of 8 charge points from 18.

During the hearing, Manafort's defense refused to call witnesses because he was afraid that the prosecutor's office would receive compromising information during a cross-examination.

Manafort himself did not take the opportunity to speak , because he was also afraid of questions from the prosecution side.

Paul Manafort was charged with 18 points. Most of them involve financial fraud, including corruption, money laundering through foreign accounts, tax evasion, unregistered work for foreign governments, and so on.

The focus of the case, on which he first began to judge, is Manafort's work for Ukrainian politicians from 2005 to 2014. Then he consulted the "Party of Regions" and Viktor Yanukovych, and also collaborated with Ukrainian oligarchs - Rinat Akhmetov, Sergei Lyovochkin and others.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The United States Department of State's Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, stressed that Ukraine needs to extend the law on the special status of the occupied territories in order to deprive Russia of its ability to use it as a reproach to Ukraine.

"Ukraine has fulfilled its part of the Minsk agreements. She also prepared a law on local elections, on the amnesty, and others. The problem is that this can not be realized in the occupied territories. Therefore, we need to seek their de-occupation. And it is very important that Ukraine also extend the law on special status in order not to allow Russia to take advantage of these objections to Ukraine, "he said during a panel discussion at the 15th Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES).

"Already a year ago, the Council extended this special status and after that Russia has done nothing to ensure that this conflict was resolved under the terms of the Minsk agreements. And I understand the frustration of Ukraine when it does it step by step and sees that Russia does not take it seriously. Russia will definitely use the decision not to continue the special situation as an excuse for its inactivity. And I do not think that from Ukraine it would be wise to give Russia such a justification, "Volker responded to the question of journalist Hromadske about what would happen if the Council did not prolong the law.

At the same time, Volker noted that if this law is extended, the next day after prolongation the situation will be the same as today. That way, no changes will be made. However, if the law does not continue, Russia will be able to manipulate this fact as if Ukraine violates the Minsk accords.

In October 2017, Poroshenko signed a law that creates conditions for a peaceful settlement of the situation in the Donbass.

The law for one year continues the action of the previously adopted Law and states that "Ukraine remains committed to the peaceful settlement of the situation in certain regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions based on the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter" in the quest for restoration of territorial integrity.

The Council in its first reading supported the Law No. 7163 Poroshenko "On the Peculiarities of State Policy Concerning the Provision of State Sovereignty of Ukraine over Temporarily Occupied Territories in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in the First Reading".

About why there were two presidential bills read: Under the veil of de-occupation: As Poroshenko and Turchinov achieved the continuation of the law on the special status of the Donbas.

Earlier, the Committee on National Security and Defense supported the revised draft law No. 7164 on the extension of the special status of the Donbas, which was introduced by the president.

Prior to that, the National Security Committee had already considered Nos. 7164 and 7163. To the first deputy from the "People's Front" Andrew Teeteruk made a correction, which determines that the special status of the Donbas is possible only on condition of the withdrawal of the militants. The Committee recommended that it be amended. The draft law has been finalized - this edit has been added.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

It is impossible to fulfill all the conditions of Russia in the context of the settlement of the situation in the Donbas, in particular, to conduct direct talks with militants.

This was stated during a YES forum in Kyiv by Kurt Volker, US Special Representative of the United States Department of State for Ukraine.

"Russia insists that negotiations be conducted directly with the so-called" people's republics ", and not with Russia itself... It is impossible to do everything," he said.

Volker also added that there are still gaps in Ukrainian defense capabilities.

"There are still gaps. We are ready to sit down with Ukraine and discuss what needs are there, "he said.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The only place suffering from the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine is the territory of the Donbas, where Russia has introduced its troops.

According to Censor.NET, referring to Interfax-Ukraine , the Special Representative of the United States Department of State for Ukraine Kurt Volker stated at a briefing on the sidelines of the meeting of the Yalta European Strategy on Saturday in Kiev.

"There (in Donbas - Ed.) There is a Russian-speaking population living on the territory of all Ukraine: in Kharkiv, Slavyansk, Odesa, and in Kiev everywhere. The only place where Russian-speaking population of Ukraine is suffering is where Russia intervened where occupation took place, "he said at a briefing on the sidelines of the meeting of the Yalta European Strategy organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on Saturday in Kiev.

According to K. Volcker, if Russia wants to improve the lives of Russian-speaking population in the Donbas, it should withdraw its troops.

He also noted that Ukraine may need to think about adding staff at checkpoints, finding new ways to access pensions for the most vulnerable population.

"People in the Donbas should know that the Ukrainian government believes that they (inhabitants of the occupied territories.- Ed.) Are citizens of the country," added the special representative of the State Department.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The United States regards the presence of Russian troops in the Azov Sea as aggressive and provocative steps.

This was stated by a special representative of the United States Department of State for Ukraine Kurt Volker during the YES forum in Kyiv.

"We do not accept these Russian claims on the shelf, and we believe that the presence of Russian troops there is very aggressive provocative steps," he said, adding that the US is concerned about this situation.

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 arrested vessels in the Sea of ​​Azov reached 148. In the Ministry of Infrastructure, it was stated that the Russian Federation groundlessly increased the number of inspections of ships sailing to Ukraine.

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

The US Department of State has called on Russia to stop violating the conditions of international shipping in the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait. So the US accused Moscow of trying to destabilize the situation in Ukraine.

Russia explains its actions with the agreement on bilateral control of the Azov Sea. In the opinion of the heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the treaty of the Russian Federation is applied in such a way as to restrict freedom of navigation in the Sea of ​​Azov.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russia must agree to become a good and peaceful neighbor for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova

This was stated on September 15 during a panel discussion at the YES-2018 conference by the Special Representative of the US State Department for Ukraine Kurt Volker, reports Espresso.

Commenting on the moderator's questions about the chances of de-escalating the conflict in the Donbas and the possibility of resolving it, Volker stated: "This is an artificial conflict created and provoked by Russia."

"But... we are ready to negotiate, but Russia must take part in them. We need to recognize that Russia will live peacefully with its neighbors, respecting their borders and following the Helsinki principles," Volker said.

He stressed that it was not Russia "to decide the future of their neighbors."

"Ukraine itself must decide its future, and Russia must agree to become a good peaceful neighbor for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova," Volker added, referring to the security of countries that, like Ukraine, "are not NATO members and not Russian friends."

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

US Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Ukrainian government should explain to eastern regions how it plans to address their problems.

Rice said this during a speech at the annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES).

According to her, one of the main problems of Eastern Ukraine is that it is very poor.

"For various reasons, Kyiv was not able to solve the problems of this region, and it is important that Eastern Ukraine understand that there is sympathy with what is happening to it," Rice said.

Ex-USS reporter stressed - if the country has weaknesses, this problem needs to be addressed.

"One can explain to Eastern Ukraine that it is a difficult period, but we - the government, the authorities will take some kind of measures. As, for example, there are racial problems in the United States, and we explain it", - summed up Rice.

Earlier, the Special Representative of the US State Department for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, said that the Ukrainian government does not do enough for compatriots living on controlled territories of self-proclaimed "DPR" and "LNR" territories.

On the forum, YES, the second president of Ukraine and the representative of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group on the Situation on the Donbass, Leonid Kuchma, said that the parliament should extend the law on the peculiarities of self-government in the occupied Donbas.

Ukraine pledged to pass the law within the framework of the Minsk Agreements - the only document that now guarantees the cessation of full-scale hostilities in the Donbass.

None of its provisions in practice has not been realized.

At the same time, the adoption of the document together with the adoption in the first reading of the amendments to the Constitution, which consolidated its norms in the Basic Law, was an argument in favor of the fact that Ukraine still performs Minsk.

The document was approved for three years, but last fall, deputies continued its operation for another year. To reduce the degree of tension in the session hall, the document was considered on the same day with the law on the de-occupation of the Donbas, and they decided only from the second attempt .

This year, without a doubt, the issue of the future of Donbass will be considered at the height of the presidential campaign.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation responded to the investigation of The Bellingcat and The Insider on suspects in the poisoning of the Fiddlers Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirova. The agency has been charged by Bellingcat investigators in breaking the database of the Federal Migration Service.

Wrote about it official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova in Facebook.

In addition, Zakharova said that the Bellingcat group of investigators was linked to special services.

"After Bellingcat published information that according to the" FMS database "Petrov and Boshirov were agents of the GRU (intelligence RF - Ed.), I have no doubt about their proximity to the special services. That is Bellingcat. Most likely, it's about a special office, which, under the guise of investigations, deliberately drains away (disinformation - Ed.), "She wrote.

Published on September 14, a joint investigation into The Bellingcat and The Insider 's publications confirmed that British suspects in Russian poisoning of former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter are involved in Russian intelligence services.

On September 5, British prosecutors called the Russian Sergei Skripal, former Russian intelligence officer and his daughter Julia, two Russians, Aleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, who were involved in poisoning.

Britain assures - these are intelligence officers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was a civilian citizen, and in his biography "there is nothing criminal."

Russian TV channel Russia Today has published interviews with two men named Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshiriv. People with such names are suspected of a British investigation into the poisoning of former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Julia, in Salisbury, in March 2018.

The investigation suggests that suspects could come to London not under the real names. Both men are about 40 years old. According to the police, on March 2 they entered the territory of Britain and two days later returned to Russia.

British Prime Minister May underlined that the British authorities would insist on extending the regime of sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia.

The United States, France, Germany and Canada have come to terms with Britain that the Russian authorities "almost certainly" agreed on the poisoning of the former intelligence officer of the Russian Federation, Sergei Skripal.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that information about the involvement of two Russians in poisoning in Britain of the former intelligence officer Sergei Skrypal is "information manipulation" .

As a reminder, the British investigation finds that the poisoning of a former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal could not be carried out without the approval of the Kremlin.

In March 2018, a 66-year-old citizen of Russia, a former intelligence officer, Sergei Skrypal, went to a hospital with severe poisoning. With him was his daughter Julia.

Sergei Skripal is Colonel of Russian Military Intelligence in retirement. In 2006, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for spying in favor of Britain. Russia stated that it had transmitted to London information about Russian secret agents in Europe. In 2010, a group of four Prisoner inmates exchanged 10 accused US espionage people. Subsequently, the violinist moved to live in Britain.

British Prime Minister Teresa May announced that Russia is likely to be involved in the poisoning of the Violinist, and the crime was committed with the help of the combat paralysis element of the "Newborn" class developed in the Russian Federation.

International experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have confirmed the findings of Britain that Violin and his daughter were poisoned with neuroparalytic substances .

After poisoning, Britain expelled Russian diplomats. Britain also declared freezing of Russian assets in the country. It was reported that sanctions could affect Putin's immediate surroundings .

Subsequently, Ukraine, the United States and EU countries announced they were expelled by Russian diplomats because of the Violence Poisoning in Britain. On March 27, NATO Secretary General announced the deportation of 7 Russian employees.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced the expulsion of 23 British diplomats "in response to Britain's actions." Also, the Russian Foreign Ministry has announced the closure of the British Council .

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko called on the world to react to political prisoners of the Kremlin as a Violinist poisoning .

On August 22, 2018, US sanctions against Russia for the Fighters poisoning came into force.

Russia has called unfounded accusations of the United States of involvement in the poisoning of the former Russian intelligence officer and his daughter. Due to new sanctions, the Russian ruble for the first time since 2016 has fallen to $66 dollars.

hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Ukrainians seek peace. Freezing of a conflict or "hybrid" peace can not be issued for solving the problem of de-occupation of Crimea and Donbas.

Yulia Tymoshenko announced this on September 15, 2018, during her speech in the panel "The Future of Ukraine by the Eyes of Ukrainian Politicians" at the Yalta European Strategy Forum in Kyiv, the press service of Ukraine reports.

In the opinion of the Batkivshchyna leader, the fact that the process of returning Donbas and Crimea is not as good as one would like to Kiev can not be a reason for compromises at the expense of Ukrainian interests.

"We need a real world, which means that we need a complete restoration of the integrity of our territory, we need a complete demilitarization of the occupied territories, we need a country aggressor - the Russian Federation - to leave us alone, and that 2 million refugees, as they are now called internally displaced persons, returned home, we want to see the real world and a real renewal of our territorial integrity, "Tymoshenko emphasized.

The Batkivshchyna leader urged the world not to offer Ukraine paths that foresee only the formal restoration of their sovereignty, leaving the now occupied territories under real uncontrolled Kiev.

According to Tymoshenko, today the state needs a new peace strategy that would take into account the Budapest memorandum, to which the current authorities do not appeal in vain.

"I do not want to be rejected and it seems that it does not exist. If the strongest countries in the world give guarantees to any country, including Ukraine, if we refuse nuclear weapons, we must be sure that this is not paper , but real strong, responsible guarantees,"- said Tymoshenko.

The war, according to the leader of the Batkivshchyna, not only rallied our nation, but also significantly changed the geopolitical sentiment of Ukrainians who seek independence, restoration of territorial integrity, true peace and future in Western civilization. The one that Tymoshenko's political power spoke before the war.

Sociology, which for the first time in the time of independence shows that almost 70% of citizens want to join the EU, and almost 50% - to NATO, confident Tymoshenko confirms this.

"I see Ukraine as a single European family and a full member of NATO," summed up the politician.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український

Russian propagandists claim that they managed to find the Ukrainian trail in an attempt to ex-colonel GRU stock Sergey Skrypal and his daughter.

As Censor.NET reports , propagandists write about Russia today.

In particular, the article states that one of the detained Alexander Petrov allegedly conducted business in Odesa and owed his partners large sums.

On September 13, TV channel RT published a conversation with two people who introduced Petrov and Bashirov. When asked what they were doing in March in Salisbury, both responded that they went there as tourists to look at the cathedral. They deny involvement in the Russian intelligence, as well as the incident involving the use of a nerve-paralytic substance of the "Novichok" type in Salisbury.

Recall that an investigation into an assassination attempt by Sergei Skrypal and his daughter, Julia, continues. Serhiy Skripal, an ex-colonel of the GRU stockpile, who lives in the UK, convicted in 2006 of espionage in favor of British intelligence services, was injured as a result of poisoning with an unknown substance at the Salisbury shopping mall.

It should also be noted that on March 12, Prime Minister Teresa May announced that the British government had come to the conclusion that the responsibility for poisoning in Salisbury, a former GRG employee Sergey Skrypal and his daughter, most likely, lies in Russia. She also reported that the victims were poisoned by the nerve-paralytic substance "Novichok", which was developed in the Russian Federation.

On Wednesday, March 14, May announced the decision of London to send 23 Russian diplomats who work for intelligence: "This will be the largest single expulsion in more than 30 years. This (this measure) reflects the fact that the Russian state is not the first time acting against our country".

On March 20, 23 employees of the Russian Embassy in London, as well as their families left Great Britain.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that 13 Russian diplomats are signing solidarity with their British partners and transatlantic allies and in coordination with the European Union.

On September 5, the British Prosecutor's Office named the names of two Russians suspected of attempting an assassination attempt on Sergei and Julia Fiddlers in Salisbury: Oleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. British Prime Minister Teresa May announced: "The suspects in the case are officers of the GRU General Staff of the Russian Federation. The Prime Minister urged the Allies of Great Britain to intensify their joint efforts to confront Russian intelligence.

Mae also said that Britain would support the implementation of existing sanctions on chemical weapons, extending sanctions against Russia and introducing a new regime for EU sanctions against cyberattacks and gross violations of human rights.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The assassination of the DPR leader Oleksandr Zakharchenko was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine with the assistance of Western special services.

According to Denis Pushilin, a new leader of the "DPR" terrorists wrote on Twitter on this topic.

"The evidence and testimonies of detained investigators of the SBU say about the involvement of Ukraine and Western special services during the investigation of the assassination of Alexander Zakharchenko," he wrote.

According to Pushkin, the fifth department of the SCR SBU engaged in the development and implementation of the crime.

Recall that on Friday, August 31, an explosion in the cafe "Separ" occurred in Donetsk. As a result of the explosion of the terrorist leader, Zakharchenko suffered a fatal injury. Also, the head of the Ministry of Finance of the self-proclaimed republic Alexander Timofeev (Tashkent) was seriously wounded.

The SBU said that Zakharchenko was killed in Donetsk, either through criminal dismantlement in the militants' environment, or liquidated by Russian special services.

For its part, the Foreign Ministry of Russia has been accused of liquidation of Zakharchenko "Kievan party of war".

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine has sent a court of law indictment on the official of the head office of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the Kiev region, accused of stealing state funds in particularly large amounts due to arson and illegal accounts.

According to the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office, Censor.NET reports.

"According to the results of the pre-trial investigation, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has approved and sent to court a criminal offense in relation to the official of the head office of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the Kyiv region, which, in carrying out unauthorized interference with the work of automated systems of the Pension Fund and illegal operations using electronic computers, funds of the State Budget of Ukraine for the total amount more than 605 thousand UAH, in addition, he committed an attempt to seize the same with reference funds in the amount of more than 813 thousand UAH.

In particular, the official illegally interfered in the work of the automated systems of the Pension Fund, where he created in electronic form pension affairs in the invented by them non-existent actually the persons, as a result of which such persons unjustifiably accrued funds as retirement payments, which were transferred to pre-arranged criminals on the falsehoods and controlled by him bank accounts, and then were withdrawn in cash through ATMs.

Actions of the official qualify for Part 4 of Art. 190, part 2 of Art. 15 h 4 st. 190, part 2 of Art. 361 and Part 1 of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Concerning the accused, a precautionary measure was used in the form of a mortgage in the amount of three hundred living wage for able-bodied persons, amounting to UAH 528,600, which was made during the investigation.

The investigation was carried out by the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Maintaining the state prosecution will be provided by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, "the ministry said.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український