Ukraine News. Saturday 22 December. [Ukrainian sources]

SATURDAY HEADLINES:
Japan will lift sanctions if Russia returns Crimea to Ukraine and will fulfill Minsk treaties. Russia, China, and Iran tried to influence the elections in the United States. US State Department to allocate $ 10 million to the Navy through the Russian Federation's aggression in the Kerch Strait. The UN General Assembly did not support the Russian resolution on medium and short range missiles. U.S., Britain Vow To Support Ukraine's Navy After November Kerch Strait Attack.

Kyiv, Ukraine
2c / 36f HI | RealFeel️ -2c / 29f
Precipitation 80%
Snow, sleet and freezing rain late this morning, then snow, accumulating 1-3 cm

Japan believes that the issues of Crimea and Donbas should be separated from the negotiations with Russia on the return of the Kuril Islands.

This was stated by Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumy, reports censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform.

"Russia's various actions against Ukraine, the issue of Crimea and the issue of the Donbas, should be separated from the negotiations on the return of the Northern Territories, a position of Japan. Friendly relations with Russia are needed precisely to resolve the issue of the Northern Territories, because Japan has been making efforts for this since the conclusion of the Second World War, however, I do not think this should mean that we close our eyes or say nothing due to the bad actions of our "friend," he said.

He added that despite friendly relations between Tokyo and Moscow, "if a friend is doing something bad, then we say it's wrong. And if he does not refuse his actions, then of course we do something to make him think."

According to him, the anti-Russian sanctions of Japan will end when Russia returns the Crimea to Ukraine and will carry out Minsk agreements.

"Of course, Japan imposes sanctions against Russia not for sanctions. On the contrary, if Russia returns the Crimea to Ukraine and fulfills the Minsk accords to resolve the issue on the Donbas, it will decide positively, sanctions will end at any time. We clearly explain Russia." - the ambassador has specified.

censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said Russia, China and Iran were attempting to intervene in the interim congressional elections last month.

As Censor.NET reports, referring to " Interfax-Ukraine", according to the publication The Hill.

At the same time, according to the statement of the head of the National Intelligence of the United States, such attempts did not affect the course of voting and the results of counting votes.

In September, US President Donald Trump signed a resolution to impose sanctions on foreign governments and organizations for interference with American elections or involvement in such an interference. According to the decision, intelligence within 45 days after the election should prepare a report on whether signs of foreign intervention were discovered. This report will be sent to the US Department of Justice, as well as the National Security Department, which should also determine the need for sanctions within a 45-day period.

censor.net.ua/ua  In Ukrainian/український

The United States State Department has decided to allocate an additional $10 million as a military aid to Ukraine to strengthen the naval defense capabilities of the Ukrainian army.

According to Censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform, this is stated in an official message circulated by the US Department of State on Friday evening.

In response to a dangerous escalation on the part of Russia and an unjustified attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait on November 25, the State Department, with the consent of the Congress, will allocate an additional $ 10 million in the military assistance program to foreign countries for further enhancement of naval capabilities of Ukraine" - noted in the State Department of the United States.

Read on "Tsensor.NET": "This is the announcement of another provocation" - in the Foreign Ministry of Russia responded to the words Turchinov about the new passage of Ukrainian ships through the Kerch Strait

It is underlined that the American side is taking this step "in solidarity" with Lithuania and Great Britain, who also plan to increase their assistance to Ukraine in the field of security.

"The United States calls on Russia to immediately return to Ukraine seized vessels and detained members of Ukrainian crews, open the Kerch Strait and the Sea of ​​Azov for ships sailing through it from or to Ukrainian ports, and respect the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity within recognized borders, which are spreading to its territorial waters", - stressed in the State Department of the United States.

Recall that the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on November 25th reported that the border ships of the Russian Federation committed aggressive actions against Ukrainian ships, which carried out a planned transition from the port of Odessa to the port of Mariupol Azov Sea. In particular, the Russian border ship "Don" carried a ram of the Ukrainian raiding tug, which damaged the main engine of the ship, lining and liner fencing, as well as a life raft lost. The Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stressed that the intention to implement the transition was warned in advance and acted within the framework of international law.

At the same time, the Russian Federal Security Service says that the three Ukrainian warships in the Azov Sea "illegally entered the territorial waters of the Russian Federation and headed for the Kerch Strait."

Later, the Ukrainian Navy reported that the Russian Federal Security Service's boats were defeated by defeat to the "Berdyansk" MABAK, is wounded . And then they announced the seizure of all three ships by special forces of the Russian Federation and six wounded.

On November 26, the Verkhovna Rada voted for the introduction of a military state for 30 days in Vinnytsa, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Lugansk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson and Chernihiv regions, as well as the internal waters of the Azov-Kerch water area.

The decision to introduce a martial law was taken in connection with the act of aggression against Ukraine in the Kerch Strait. As a result of illegal actions of Russian security forces, three ships of the Ukrainian Navy were captured and 24 Ukrainian servicemen captured. Under the control of the Russian Federation, the court of the occupied Simferopol has chosen a precautionary measure for 24 sailors to be detained until January 25, 2019.

On November 30, seamen were transported to Moscow: 21 Ukrainians were taken to the Moscow prison "Lefortovo", three wounded - in "Sailor's silence".

censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The UN General Assembly did not support Russia's draft resolution on the maintenance and adherence of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to medium and short-range missiles.

This is reported by Censor.NET with a link to the Mirror of the week.

During the voting on Friday, December 21, the Russian document was supported by 43 states, while 48 voted "against", and another 78 - abstained. According to Art. 18 of the UN Charter, two thirds of the delegates present are required to approve the resolution.

The US did not support the project, pointing to the facts of the DRSMD's violation of the Russian side and accusing it of hypocrisy.

"The United States will vote against the draft resolution, as Russia is constantly violating it. Russia is developing, testing missile systems with a range of more than 500 km and which are prohibited by DRSMD," Jonathan Cohen said.

The position of the United States before the vote was supported by Ukraine and Poland. In turn, China, Belarus and Austria called on other states to support the resolution.

Recall that on October 22, the decision of the US President Donald Trump to unilaterally withdraw the United States from the Treaty on the Elimination of Medium and Medium Range Missiles (DRSMD) was announced, as the Russian side did not adhere to it, and China and other nuclear powers did not subscribe to it at all.

 In Ukrainian/українськийcensor.net.ua

The United States says it will provide an additional $10 million in military financing to Ukraine to help bolster its navy after Russia captured three of Kyiv's ships at sea in late November.

The U.S. action announced by the State Department on December 21 came as Britain also set plans to provide assistance to Ukraine's naval forces following the November 25 attack by Russia in the Kerch Strait that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.

Russia also arrested 24 Ukrainian sailors in the incident after its coast guard opened fire on the Ukrainian ships.

Moscow alleged that the vessels had illegally entered Russian territorial waters near the Crimea region, which Russia occupied and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine and most UN member states do not recognize the annexation.

Under a 2003 treaty, Russia and Ukraine agreed to share access to the Sea of Azov. However, since the 2014 annexation, and the completion of the Kerch bridge earlier this year, Russia has slowly restricted access for Ukrainian ships.

The State Department said Washington "calls on Russia to immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews, to keep the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

It said the aid was subject to approval in Congress, where Ukraine has wide support in its dispute with Russia. It added that it was taking the action in "solidarity with Lithuania and the United Kingdom."..........

rferl.org Click here for full access of entire article in English

Russia threw 10 Su-27 and Su-30 fighters into the territory of the occupied Crimea
DW reports.

Russia has thrown more than 10 fighters into the territory of the annexed Crimea. This is Saturday, December 22, informs Reuters with reference to its own source in the Crimea. According to these data, Su-27 and Su-30 fighters landed at the Belbek airfield in Crimea.

The intention to redeploy combat aircraft earlier claimed by the Ministry of Defense of Russia. In a statement from the Russian department, it was stated that it was a question of the fighters of the regiment of the 4th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense that would fly from the "Krymsk" flight in the Krasnodar region to the airfield "Belbek" to its place of permanent deployment.

espreso.tv  In Ukrainian/український