15-21.09.2014 Ukraine: Weekly Highlights - Ukraine ratified the Association Agreement with the EU in parallel with the European Parliamen

15-21.09.2014 Weekly Highlights by “Digests & Analytics Ukraine” News Agency

Another memorandum of ceasefire involving terrorist "republics" DNR and LC was signed in Minsk. President Poroshenko pushed through the Verkhovna Rada a law on a special status of Donbas territories controlled by terrorists and a law on an amnesty for members of illegal armed groups. Ukraine ratified the Association Agreement with the EU in parallel with the European Parliament, but enacting it has been delayed under pressure from Russia. President Poroshenko during his visit to Canada and the United States failed to obtain an agreement on the supply of modern weapons to Ukraine.    

War in Ukraine

• All week, fierce battles for the Donetsk International Airport continued, during which dozens of militants were killed and a large number of tanks and other armored vehicles were destroyed.
• Signed in Minsk by the representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE with the participation of "leaders" of the Donetsk and Luhansk "people's republics" second memorandum of the ceasefire did not decrease the intensity of the fighting. Shelling of Ukrainian troops positions and attacks with tanks did not stop. Ukrainian troops withdrawal from towns in the established by the Memorandum demilitarized zone enables the militants and the Russian army to take them without a fight.
• Clashes often erupt between disparate terrorist groups and divisions of Russian troops, including with the use of artillery, which are caused by the lack of a single decision-making center.
• Terrorists are systematically destroying the infrastructure of Donbass. City officials are trying to restore the life of the city after the attacks.  However, shelling of residential areas do not stop. Civilians are dying every day. Civilian casualties since the beginning of military operations, according to the UN, made ​​more than three thousand killed.
• Sources of funding for "nationalized" by the leadership of the LNR and the DNR companies, coal mines, schools are not reported.
• The International Red Cross refused to participate in accompanying "humanitarian convoys", under the guise of which Russia brings arms and ammunition to Ukraine. Content of the third "convoy", which has entered and left the country in two days, is not known to the Ukrainian side and the Red Cross.
• Russia has concentrated large forces in northern Crimea, on the administrative border of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions as well as in Transnistria, conducts rotation of troops in the Donbass. In Donetsk, there was reported a presence of tactical missile systems "Tochka-U", MLRS "Hurricane", command and air defense radar systems, "Iskander" and S-300 systems, self-propelled mortar "Tulip".
• In Crimea, Russian security forces raided the homes and offices of the Crimean Tatars. The leaders of the Mejlis, the European office of Foreign Economic Relations and Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada Lutkovskaya accused Crimean occupation authorities of inciting ethnic hatred and persecution on ethnic grounds.
• According to estimates, held captive by the DNR and LNR are up to 800 Ukrainian military. Losses since the beginning of hostilities were over two thousand dead.

Politics

• Verkhovna Rada ratified the Association Agreement with the EU, simultaneously with the European Parliament. The process was broadcast live simultaneously in two parliaments.
• President Poroshenko during a trip to Canada and the United States was warmly received by the parliaments of these countries, held talks with Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States. However, foreign press is skeptical about the practical results of the visit since he failed to obtain an agreement for the supply of modern weapons.
• Intervention of President Poroshenko led deputies to hold a closed session of parliament in which laws have been passed on the special status of the territories of Donbass, hijacked by terrorists, and on amnesty for the members of illegal armed groups. Many people perceive the adoption of these laws as a surrender of national interests.
• Adopted by the Verkhovna Rada law on of the cleansing of power structures (lustration) could become just a declaration of intent after more than 400 amendments have been adopted.
• The Central Election Commission has registered the party lists for the early elections to the Verkhovna Rada and the candidates in majority districts. The lists of pro-government parties contains some former deputies and persons supporting terrorists and separatists. Communist Party and clone Party of Regions "opposition bloc" have also registered party lists. Former Deputy Prime Minister Tigipko, who also gravitated to the regionals, went to the polls with his own party. Leaders of the "Right Sector" will run in majority districts.
• CEC refused the party "Bat'kivschyna" in the registration of the initiative group on referendum on NATO membership on the basis of violations of the regulations of the group meeting.

Economy

• The Government has prepared two versions of the state budget for the next year. However, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said that none of the options will not be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada without the approval of a package of tax and budget laws proposed by the Cabinet.
• NBU continued to lower the official rate of hryvnia against foreign currencies from 12.92 to 13.43 UAN / $, from 16.69 up to 17.29 UAN / €, from 3,42 to 3.50 UAH / 10 RUB. Currency sales at auctions by National Bank can not bring down the excessive demand.
• The head of the National Bank Gontareva reported that since the beginning of the year citizens have withdrawn more than 100 billion UAN from banks in the country.
• State Ukreximbank, Oschadbank and Ukrgazbank will recapitalize at the expense of the state budget.
• The cost estimates for early elections approved by the Central Elections Commission are at a level of nearly 1 billion USD, and will be funded from the reserve fund of the state budget.
• The report by the temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada found inefficient use of budget and raised volunteer funds for the army and law enforcement agencies.
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has downgraded its forecast for the fall of the economy of Ukraine from 7 to 9%. State Statistics Service of Ukraine reported that, compared to August of the previous year, industrial output fell by more than 20%, and compared to July it fell by almost 13%.
• United States and Canada will provide financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 54 million and 200 million CAD.