Ukraine News. Sunday 30 December. [Ukrainian sources]

SUNDAY HEADLINES:
US threw Ukraine? What threatens Trump's resonance decision. Russia is preparing a terrible provocation in the Donbass: the intelligence has learned the details. In the scandal with the financing of Putin's friend in the EU, a Ukrainian trail appeared. Until Russia leaves the Donbas and the Crimea, the cancellation of sanctions can not be the language. Lukashenka presented Putin with 4 bags of potatoes and fat for the New Year. The BBC accused the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the storm of their employees' data.

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Ukraine received an alarming message - the United States will no longer assist other countries in resolving their military conflicts. The statement was made by US President Donald Trump. Taking into account the exacerbation of the Azov Sea and regular threats from Russia, the situation is alarming.

What are the risks for Ukraine and what it means - has found out.

During a visit to the American base in Iraq, Donald Trump made a sharp statement. While there, along with his wife Melanie, as well as the national security adviser John R. Bolton and a small group of reporters, he stated that "the United States can not remain the police world."

"We are scattered all over the world, we are in countries that most people have not even heard of, and frankly, it's ridiculous," the New York Times quotes his words .

Commenting on his decision to withdraw troops from Syria, the White House head said he would not allow third countries to use the US military for their own defense. In the context of the fight against IDIL, according to Trump, the States have made significant progress, so it's time to return troops.

@FLOTUS Melania and I were honored to visit our incredible troops at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. God bless the USA! pic.twitter.com/rDlhITDvm1

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 26 December 2018 r.
"From the very beginning, I have said that the purpose of our military mission is to take away the main points of the IDIL. Eight years ago, we announced that we were sending the military there for 3 months, but stayed there, and now we are doing the right thing and let it be done to the end "- said Trump.

It was Trump's first visit to the combat zone after becoming president and commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. Moreover, he was accompanied by maximum secrecy.

What does this mean for Ukraine?
Donald Trump's rhetoric does not change since the beginning of his presidency. He is convinced that his country often takes on the role of a firefighter who extinguishes centers of ignition all over the world. According to Donald Trump, the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan have already been completed, so the United States must stop.

According to Andrei Buzarov, an international correspondent, the president's statement is another PR to strengthen his own position and is aimed, first of all, at the audience of the Middle East. There are separate and very important geopolitical interests in the United States related to Israel and Saudi Arabia. Policies concerning Ukraine in particular will not change.

"I exclude the influence on Ukraine: the US strategy and actions in Ukraine are different from the Middle East, we see direct military intervention in the situation in Iraq, open military assistance to the Kurds, we do not have this, Americans are very precarious, we see a direct military intervention in Russia, so The US has other priorities here,"- explained OBOZREVATEL Buzarov.

An expert on international issues, Andrei Karakuts, holds a similar opinion. He is convinced that US assistance to Ukraine will not stop, the more the plan of action is already prescribed in the US budget.

"In the year 2016, Trump stated that he would reduce the cost of defending his allies, but if he evaluated the assistance to Ukraine, then it remains at roughly the same level, and it is necessary to look at the goals that the administration has set itself, especially since Trump wants to trade with our country. , sell, for example, the same Javelin (anti-tank missile systems - Ed.). It is profitable for him, "Caracus said.

At the same time, much depends on the future appointments of Trump in his administration. It is known that one of the supporters of active military support of Ukraine, Defense Minister James Mattheys from the new year will resign.

How does the US help Ukraine?
The help is limited to three main areas.

It is expected that the United States will help Ukraine with arms next year. This is about the possible transfer of Ukraine's military-class frigate Oliver Hazard Perry, as well as the purchase of Javelin complexes. Moreover, the United States approved the provision of financial support to the Armed Forces of $250 million and opened the door to bid for American weapons.

The second one is diplomatic

The United States is a signatory of the Budapest Memorandum, as well as a country that holds Russia off from active hostilities in the Donbass. Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about the resolution of US senators, in which they urged Donald Trump to begin a "powerful multinational operation to ensure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea."

Another leverage for the Russian Federation's aggression is sanctions. December 19, the US Treasury Department introduced new restrictions on 18 Russians, three companies and one online resource. The list also includes Russian spies Alexander Myshkin and Anatoly Chepiha, who are suspected of poisoning Sergei Skripal, an ex-employee of the GRU, in the British Salisbury.

In early 2019, the United States can introduce "hell sanctions" - the so-called package of restrictions due to violation of the RF Law on the control of chemical and biological weapons. It can affect 70% of the Russian economy.

The third one is economic

Most of the assistance is reflected in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund. Given the prominent American lobby in this structure, the country's position is largely taken into account when granting a loan. Assessing the current state of Ukraine's economy, IMF assistance is vital for the country. That is why the US favorable attitude is a guarantee of stability of Ukraine.

obozrevatel.com  In Ukrainian/український

In the territory of the Russian-occupied Donbass, the Russian intelligence services are preparing a chemical attack against the local population.

This is reported by the resource Inforesist, referring to the words of the representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Vadim Skibitskaya.

He told that a number of signs of such training proves provocation. The invaders want to attack as many people as possible and lead to many casualties. Moreover, there are a considerable number of potentially dangerous enterprises in the ORDL which store arsenals of toxic substances, including chlorine and ammonia.

"Among them is the chemical giant" Stirol "(Gorlovka). The inability of the occupation authorities to ensure their safe storage can lead to man-made disasters," said Skibitsky.

He stressed that Russia will present the act of terrorism in the future as an attack of Ukrainian security forces against the "civilians of the Donbas". It is known that in the middle of this month on the Donbass from the Russian Federation came a group of specialists with chemical warfare and poisonous substances.

"The readiness of the occupation-cooperative forces for operations in the conditions of chemical pollution has been intensified. The newest means of personal protection of the personnel of units 1 and 2 AK, which are going to test after the terrorist attack, were introduced from the aggressor country," the statement reads.

Recall that Russian mass media have been preparing public opinion for one and a half months that this action will be held by Ukraine.

"Under a similar scheme, Russia conducted an information operation on the eve of the simulation of a chemical attack in Syria on November 24, in the city of Aleppo, in order to justify further attacks by the Syrian opposition forces," summed up Skibitsky.

apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Details of the scandal of the French National Front Leader Marin Le Pen have been made public.

This is reported by the Voice of America publication.

Oleksandr Babakov, one of the main leaders of the interests of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, participated in the 2014 agreement on financing the preparation of Marin Le Pen for the presidential election on the Russian side.

"It owns 11 out of 24 Ukrainian oblenergos. Gennadiy Timchenko, known as the central contractor for the construction of the North Stream 2 pipeline, has remained unarmed," the statement said.

It is noted that she received 9.4 million euros in the Russian bank. And Babakov made an initiative to take a loan through the "First Czech-Russian Bank". This financial institution was under the control of Timchenko.

After the loan was presented, the bank closed one year later. The owner can be arrested. The Russians began to demand the return of money from the French. As a result, the treasurer of the party has to send a notary in Russia for every 165,000 dollars for 165 thousand dollars every few months. The recipient is not aware of where this money goes."- The report says.

Le Pen's election has been lost, but the fact of obtaining a 9.4 million euro loan from Russians has become the subject of sharp criticism of her party and a reason to suspect money laundering, and other crimes can not be ruled out.

"It's a distillation of how non-transparent finances interfere with foreign interference," said German Marshall Fund analyst Joshua Kirshensbaum

Money from the Russians "National Front" got under 6%. This was written by the press. The mentioned bank was declared insolvent in 2016, as well as a hundred other Russian financial institutions.

"I did not have time to go to the bank for a temporary administration, as a party loan was first sold to an opaque Russian bank, and then to the Russian company" aircraft spare parts. "It is associated with the military personnel of the Russian Federation, in particular, it cooperates with the Syrian Air Force," the report said.

The fact that the debt has resold "aircraft spare parts", do not deny the party Le Pen.

"It was a bit surprising to us that the loan was transferred to a company that sells aircraft equipment," said the September Treasurer of the September party, pointing out that the bank had a link with the military intelligence.

"In Russia, they are all - the former members of the KGB," he added.



apostrophe.ua  In Ukrainian/український

US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Jovanovich said that her country's demands for Russia in relation to the conflict in the Donbas are a fundamental principle of Washington.

She said this in a comment from the magazine "Novoye Vremya", reports Censor.NET.

Answering the question about what she likes in Ukraine and what she does not, Jovanovich emphasized: "The country needs the end of the war, and now I will say that I do not like Ukraine, when Russia continues to fight against Ukraine in the Donbass. This is wrong, suffering from the civilian population".

In this context, the US ambassador called "illegal" the fact that Ukrainian ships "can not freely swim in their own territorial waters." According to her, "Tragedy" is a cut off of the Crimea and parts of Lugansk and Donetsk regions from the rest of Ukraine in connection with the conflict in the east.

"The US position is fundamental: we call on Russia to implement the Minsk deal and complete the conflict," Mari Yovanovich says, "Russia must return to Ukraine 24 detained Ukrainian sailors and other illegally detained Ukrainians." Our sanctions related to the Donbas conflict will remain in force. until Russia withdraws its troops from the Donbas. Similarly, Crimean sanctions will be in effect until Russia returns the peninsula to Ukraine."

censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Russian president himself asked the head of Belarus for such a gift. What Putin gave Lukashenko in return is unknown.

This was told to journalists by the press secretary of the President of Belarus Natalia Eysmont, reports Censor.NET with reference to the news agency "Belta".

According to her, it is about potatoes of "elite varieties". In each of the bags - different types of potatoes, intended for cooking different dishes: for roasting, for potatoes, for mashed potatoes, for boiling and roasting. In addition, Putin got fat from the farm Lukashenko. According to Eysmont, the president of Russia himself asked the head of Belarus for such gifts.



What Putin gave to Lukashenko to the New Year is not reported.

The President of Belarus is not the first to publicly treat famous people grown in their subsidiary food products. So, in 2016, during a visit to the Minsk Hollywood actor Stephen Sigalla, Lukashenka fed him just in the carrot-carved box. "Eating is very useful," Lukashenko said to Sigal then.

censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

British public broadcaster BBC sent an official complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia through the publication of personal data of the Moscow employees of the corporation, which was only available to state bodies of the Russian Federation.

This is stated on the BBC website, Censor.NET reports, referring to the "League".

"December 25, the site pikabu.ru, site segodnya.ru, as well as the" VKontakte "community under the name" For Mother-Russia "published a list of 44 BBC employees working in Russia, including their full names and photographs", - said in the material.

The site segodnya.ru named the list "Our response to Chamberlain" and stated that this is the response to the publication of the eighth column of the Sputnik propagandistic Russian sputnik published on the eve of the Sunday Times newspaper with an indication of their positions. The BBC says that did not publish this list. After that, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova said that Russian diplomats "are developing countermeasures".

"We have always worked in Russia in accordance with Russian legislation and faithfully follow the rules of licensing and obtaining accreditations, which is why we are particularly concerned that the personal data of our employees, which we provided to the Russian authorities within our legitimate activities, were disclosed in the same way," - stated head of the BBC World Service Jamie Angus.

He said that the corporation asked Russia to investigate "this event, which can not but cause anxiety" because of the threat of journalists' safety.

censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український